ALL-ELECTRIC SHIP.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3753, 11 February 1928, Page 4

ALL-ELECTRIC SHIP.

FOR CARRYING MILLIONAIRES

A new luxury ship, the California, the biggest commercial ship ever built in the United States, is now being completed at Newport News, in Virginia (writes the New York correspondent of the Daily New's). She will he used for carrying New York millionaires- and other Eastern holiday makers out to California and for bringing cinema actors and others from San Francisco direct to New York.

Her run by way of the Panama Canol will be 500 miles each way, but she will make calls at Havana and Panama.

She will be known as a silent ship, for in- spite of her size, the throb of engines and the poise of propeller shafts will be absent. All those other noises, too, which anight disturb the sleepers in their cabins, such as screaming rumblingeapstans, the noise of donkey engines, and the banging of gear of loading freight will be abolished. The use of electricity on shipboard is being carried further than ever before. The propellers will be directly driven by electricity. Both of them will be connected directly to an electric motor of 8500 hoisepower. The control of the ship will thus be made so simple that the engineer on watch will have only three levers to use in handling the vessel. The power for these motors and those which will drive'electrical devices in every part of the ship will be supplied by steam turbine generators furnished with steam from oil-fired burners. No piece of coal will ever go aboard the ship. To further reduce the chance of noise or vibration the propeller . shafts will run in rings of lignum vitae. Electricity will be used throughout the ship, for ventilation, lighting, cooking, refrigeration purposes, steering, etc. . „ . The California, will be, in fact, from top to toe a “press-tbe-but-ton” ship. She will be one of the most easily reversed ships in the world. Her speed will be under absolute control, and she has been fitted with an outside balanced rudder for manoeuvring at low speeds in the .Panama Canal. Though this rudder weighs complete 45 tons, by a . touch of the button it can be swung through an angle of 70 degrees in 30 sec., while the ship is steaming

full speed ahead. The California will be 601 ft. long, 80ft. -wide, have a displacement of 31,000 tons, and will travel at 18 knots. She is being built for the Pa-nama-Pacific Line, a subsidiary of the International Mercantile Marine Company, owners of the White Star Line. She will make her first trip in January, and though she has only just been launched most of her staterooms have already been booked for this maiden trip. Among the comforts"provided for passengers are uutside staterooms for all. A large part of the interior .will be a cool cavern for holding California fruits.