THE GOLDEN SHIP

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 49, 19 August 1911, Page 7

THE GOLDEN SHIP

£115,000 PASSENGER LIST OF THE OLYMPIC. AERIAL MESSENGER. New York, June 28. Carrying the largest number of passengers in the history, of Transatlantic shipping, the new White Star liner Olympic sailed this afternoon for (Southanipton. She has 7:15 persons in the first-class, 495 in the second class, and 1100 in the steerage, who, with the crew, make the total number aboard approximately 3000. One of the newspapers, commenting on ">is record, says "a considerable part of the population of this village sails on the Olympic." "This village" means New New York, and a visit to the pier as the gigantic steamer was preparing to depart seemed to bear out the accuracy of the description.

In addition to the three thousand passengers and crew, there were at least two thousand persons bidding the others good-bye, making a scene never before witnessed on New York's water front. The press, of carriages and motor-cars at the entrance to the pier was so great, that a dozen policemen were necessary to preserve order.

The newspapers state that the to<ai passage money for the eastward trip amounts to £65,000, while the cost of operating the steamer for one round trip is £36,000. During the week the Olympic has Iveen here the commissariat department has been one of New York's business centres. The following quantities of food were taken aboard for consumption during the journey to England:—• Beef to the extent of 36,000M)5, 10,0001bs of mutton, 20001bs veal, 30001bs pork, 8000 chickens, 7000 fish, 2000 lobsters, 5000 guinea hens, four turtles, 8000 gallons milk, 100 gallons cream, BOOOlbs butter, 3000 eggs, 32 tons, potatoes, 1500 quarts ice cream, 220 barrels vegetables, 200 barrels flour, 770 boxes fruit.

Twelve thousand sightseers visited the Olympic during her stay in New York, each paying 2s. The money will go to the American and British seamen's charities.

An extraordinary incident occurred as the Olympic was passing through the lower bay. Mr. Thomas Sopwith, the English aviator, hovered over the steamer in his aeroplane and dropped! aboard a pair of spectacles carefully wrapped and addressed to Mr.'W. l/L Burpee, a prominent Philadelphia merchant.

Mr. Burpee had broken his spectacle* shortly before ■ sailing; and sent then to Wanamaker's store for repaira. Just before the Olympic sallied Mr. Barpee sent a wireless; message to Wanamaker's, which has a wireless installation on the roof, requesting that the spectacles be sent to him in London. Taking advantage of • Mr. Sopwith's ascent, Wanamaker's gent a wireless message to Mr. Burpee that the spectacles would be delivered by aeroplane. Mr. Sopwith was then engaged to make the delivery, which was safely accomplished.