THE MAURETANIA

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 26, 31 July 1939, Page 12

THE MAURETANIA

MODEL FOR FUTURE? HER FAMOUS PREDECESSOR (From "The Post's" Representative.} NEW YORK, July 4. The new Mauretania was given a welcome on her first arrival at New York such as New Yorkers reserve for the maiden voyage of a new "super-ship." All the way down the haroour she was greeted by the sirens of craft ranging from deep-sea liners to fussy little tugs and pleasure craft. At the dockside there were many, seagoing and longshore folk, who had Witnessed the arrival of her famous sister in 1907, when she broke the existing record, and held it until it was captured by the Bremen, twentytwo years later. There is a good deal of sentiment among that cult that go Gown to the dock to see ships go down to the sea. They never achieve their life's ambition of an ocean voyage. But shipI ping office clerks recognise the same I laces at the beginning of every season, asking for the newest ocean travel pamphlets. They have prodigious memories, and recall the exploits of great ships long after they have passed to the breaker's yard. These welcomed the Mauretania in thousands, along with ocean travellers, shipping men, sailors, and waterside workers. From these one could glean the record of the Queen of the Seas. Her first voyage, 30 years ago, was made in the then almost incredible time of less than five days. Her record voyage was in 1910 —crossing in 4 days 10 hours 41 minutes, at an average speed of 26.6 knots. Even today that would be regarded as racing speed. She started on her last run from New York on September 26. 1934, just as the Queen Mary was being launched. In her 27 years of service, the "Maury" made 350 transatlantic voyages, a total distance of nearly .2,100,000 miles, not including voyages made in war service or on cruises. During the war she transported 70,000 troops. Shipping experts forecast that the Mauretania will set a new vogue. The United States representative is the America, now under construction at Newport News. Others are the Olsofjord, the Nieuw Amsterdam, and the Panama. Three similar-type vessels are being laid down for the CaliforniaOrient service, others for the-New York-South America trade. Their gross tonnage ranges from 25,000 to 35,000 tons. They are notable for innovations and advancements in marine engineering that make liners roomier and more comfortable. Improvement in comfort is especially noticeablp in the cabins and public rooms of the lower-price accommodation. They are returning to the grace of silhouette that early steamers inherited from the clipper ships. This opinion may be contradicted by the fact that the Queen Elizabeth, sister ship of the Queen Mary, will go into commisison next year, and that the French are talking of another Normandie. But shipping men say that giants are natural twins; that two of them can maintain the desirable 'once-a-week sailing schedule. But' for the price of one of them, three or -four Maiiretnrrias can ha bnilt