The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-06-25
| QUEEN OF SEAS" RICHLY DESERVED BY HUGE 1 | N [ R.
Takes Measure Of Mature. tania, And Will Now Try
 For MajeStic's Record

NEW YORK, June 24--(By Asso- ciated Press s.)-Wearing with pride and grace her newly acquired title of Queen of the Seas,' the Levia- than is back in her home port, ready to defend her record against any and all passenger ships, from what ever country; ready even to chal- lenge any other to dispute her right to the laurels she has intertwined with old Glory at her masthead.
 Fog delayed her entrance to the harbor several hours, but the wealth mighty ship moved up the bay ma jestically amid welcoming salutes from the sirens of harbor craft.
 Guests of the United States ship ping board. officials who constituted the trial board and every member of the crew are jubilant over the capture of a new championship. one held by Great Britain for many years. All are talking of the thrill of new experience.
 No Mention of Speed Trial.
 When the shipping board an- nounced it would put the recondi- toned Leviathan over test course to determine how successful had been
 
 sportsmanship to turn the former German Vaterland into a better ship than she was born to become. noth- ing was said about going after the speed records. Shipping men did not dream such an attempt would be made and the members of the board kept quiet After day on the ocean. en route to the Bahamas, the com mittee of the board having charge Of the trial; Albert D. Lasker, the re- tring chairman, and Commissioners F. C. Hummer, T. V. OConner ana F. L Thompson, summoned Capt. Her bert Hartley for a solemn conference. William F. Gibbs of Gibbs Bros, Inc, who drew the plans, supervised con tracts and had charge of the recon ditioning, and Homer Ferguson, presl- dent of the Newport News Shipbuild- ing company, were already present,
 What do you think?' was the question put to the captain.
 He was ready. In fact, it Is said he came as near showing excitement as when he ran the St. Louis, with mounted guns, through German sub waters as an Amerl- can challenge to the enenmy defi 10 sink her if this was done. This ex- ploit before America entered the European war on the side of the allies was one of the things that scored heavily in Captain Hartiey's favor for the honor of commanding the Leviathan.
 Left to cnpt.,0 Q HHaT3iey. 4 q
 Captain Hartley was directed 10 choose the moment when the test would begin. Not word had been said to another soul on board. NO one of the 450 or more guests ana not a member of the crew above the en- zine room knew what was intended
  June 22, everybody knew the snip had speeded up, but it was explained that this meant nothing and that warm water, which all shipping men know to be hard on the condensers, would not be selected as the place for making a speed test. put .'ie speed increased still more, ana al though there was little or no vlora- ion. it gradually dawned on the gov ernment's guests that some sort oi an unusual trial was taking place;
 Jupiter Light, about l,ooo miies from New York, was passed friuay morning. June 22. This meant that the turn about Abco Island and the massage through Providence channel had been made during the night. The log, which was not made pupllc u" til afterward, shows what was oohe'
 Jupiter light house abeam flo a. m., June 22. Then followed the Iesu-
  Diamond Shoal light vessel, arriving here June 2S at 3:39 a. m. Distance ,70 miles. Ship making an average of 27.99 knots. ,.r
 "From Jupiter lighthouse to lati- tude S6 degrees, 52 minutes, lonsltude Fl degrees 21 minutes west. dis- tance of 6s7 miles was made in 70 hours, making an average speed or 97.4S knots per hour.
 O o O New Worlds Speed Record.
 It had already been announced that during the first hour of the run from Jupiter light the average speed of the vessel was 2SO4 knots. a new high worlds record. and for six-hour period the average speed was 2s knots. It was known that this had beaten the record of the Mauretania for an hour and for six hours, and the Cunarder had thus lost her title of Speed Queen" but still captain Hartley, Mir. Gibbs, MT. Ferguson and the shipping board committee were not satisfied. Guests spent the day with amusements and none other than the officials in the secret re- mained up that night. The news be- came common property within 2O minutes after completing the 24hour record held by the Mauretania of 27 .o4 knots in 25hour trial period had been humbled, and the new rec ord of 27. AS knots for the incompar- able Levithan was run up. Officials swamped the radio with the news, guests radioed their families and friends and the newspaper men took such space as was left in order to give the news to the country.
 It was big news to those who favor an American merchant marine, and just as big to others who had no preconceived ideas on the sub ject. Soon passengers were wiring for accommodations on one or an other of the early regular service trips to Cherbourg and Southampton, the first of which is to start Indepen- dence Day.
 that about all of the business men to be paying passengers on the first trip. There was a scurrying below to look at rooms, locations for deck chairs were looked over, and at luncheon were heard to tell the din- ing room stewards that We'll see you again soon."
 Such was the enthusiasm.
 Compete With 2 an9 2 Nation.
 Now. if we can only mint that jubilation into a lasting national pride," said Mr. Lasker to Gibbs and Ferguson, fellow commissioners. and about 800 others, i've will have a merchant marine that can compete with any nation on earth"
 A celebration was held on board last night.
 For the next 10 days the Levithan