NEW ATLANTIC RECORD

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 931, 26 March 1930, Page 9

NEW ATLANTIC RECORD

GERMAN LINER CROSSES AT 27.99 KNOTS FASTER THAN SISTER SHIP United P.A.—By Telegraph—Copyright Reed. 9.5 a.m. NEW YORK, Tues. The North German Lloyd's new giant liner Luropa arrived in quarantine at 5.54 o’clock this morning, thus completing the run across the Atlantic in four days 17 hours, six minutes, which exceeds her sister ship, the Bremen's, record, by IS minutes. The Europa averaged 27.99 knots. During the voyage a correspondent on board the Europa said the vessel needed only to average 26.15 knots for the last 519 miles of her voyage in order to equal the Bremen’s record established in July. From noon on Sunday to noon on Monday she registered 704 miles, an average of 28.16 knots. The Europa, which left Bremenhaven on Wednesday on the run to New Y'ork, is a vessel of 40,000 tons. A destructive fire broke out in the liner on March 26, 1929, as she lay having her inner fittings completed in Hamburg dockyard. Not all the efforts of the united fire brigades of the city, and help from the ships in the harbour, could save the great liner, the longest ship in the world, from extensive damage, which has taken nearly a year to repair. The Europa was to have started upon her maiden voyage to New York, via Southampton, on August 21, 1929, and many travellers had already booked their passages at the time of the fire. The actual material loss was estimated at about £2,000,000. The ship, however, was insured against fire to the extent of £3,000,000 and British companies had to bear the lion’s share of the loss. The vessel was not damaged below the waterline. The Europa carries a crew of nearly 1.000 persons, and has accommodation for 2,200 passengers. The Europa will be followed by a further great vessel, the Columbus, which will start on her maiden trip on May 23. The Germans claim that the trio will make the fastest weekly transatlantic service yet achieved.