ANOTHER BIG CUNARDER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8541, 23 September 1907, Page 5

ANOTHER BIG CUNARDER.

THE MAURETANIA. Received September 22, 4.20 p.m. LONDON, September 21. The new Cunard liner, Mauretania, has completed the builder's preliminary tests, and the behaviour of the vessel at sea is said to have been completely satisfactory. The official speed trials will be made later.

(Writing of the Mauretania. a sister ship, by the way; to the Lusitaniu, which has just broken the record across the Atlantic, a London comspondent says:—"When leaving the ways, the Mauretania weighed 16,500 tons, a launching weight which has only been approached, but not equalled, by that of the sister ship, the Lusitania. About 26,000 steel plates were used in the shell, decks, bulkheads, castings, etc.,of the vessel, many of them weighing from four to five tons. Over 4,000,000 rivets have been worked in to the vessel, weighing about 500 tons. The main frames and beams, placed end on, would extend about 30 miles. The rudder weights 65 tons. The total weight of the main castings, including rudder, stem bai*, stern frame, and propeller brackets, exceeds 200 tons. As an indication of the dimensions of the auxiliaries of the new liner, we may instance the chain cables. These are the largest ever made for the uss of a ship. Each of the iron links is 24 Jin in length, and 3|in in diameter at the smallest part. The lower anchors weigh 10 tons each. Accommodation is provided for 560 first-class, 500 second -class, and 1,400 third-class passengers, and a crew of 800. The propelling machinery will consist of two highpressure and two low-pressui'e' turbines, each having a separate shaft driving one propeller, so that there will be four propellers. Steam will be supplied from 23 double-ended, and two single-ended, boilers, having 192 furnaces in all. The Mauretania is to be available as an armed cruiser, and will carry 12 quick-firing guns. No cruiser afloat could catch her.")

CHH| United