News from 1930 Maiden Voyage of Britannic III

[Mark Baber]

The New York Times, 25 June 1930

NEW BRITANNIC TESTED
---
Big Motor Liner Will Sail for New York From Liverpool Tomorrow
---
The new White Star motor liner Britannic, which will sail tomorrow from
Liverpool to New York on her maiden trip, completed her trial trip
Monday, according to a cablegram received yesterday at the offices of
the line at 1 Broadway. The mechanical equipment of the vessel operated
smoothly and with a complete absence of vibration, thus settling the
most serious problem of the owners.

The Britannic is the largest British-built motor ship and the first
White Star liner to be equipped with Diesel engines. Officials of the
line said the ship lived up to expectations in her trip around the Isle
of Man with a party of 250 shipping men and guests, including Sir
Bertram Hayes, who commanded the first Britannic, a four-masted
barkentine, built in 1874, and Commodore C. A. Bartlett, who commanded
the second Britannic, which was built in 1914 and taken over for war
service as a hospital ship before completion.

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[Mark Baber]

The New York Times, 1 July 1930

BRITANNIC DUE MONDAY
---
White Star Liner Makes Maiden Trip Here With 510 Passengers
---
The White Star liner Britannic, largest cabin liner in the world, was at
sea yesterday en route to New York on her maiden trip, scheduled to dock
here Monday morning according to messages received yesterday at the
offices of the International Mercantile Marine Company, agents of the
line.

After a send-off at Liverpool Saturday afternoon, which was described as
the "greatest send-off known at Merserside," [sic] the Britannic
proceeded to Belfast and Glasgow to take mails, passengers and freight
aboard, and then put off on her trip to New York. She is carrying 510
passengers, of whom 212 are in cabin class, 161 in tourist third class
and 137 in third class.

The ship is equipped with Diesel electric engines and is the largest of
her kind in the British merchant fleet. She is carrying 1,130 tons of
Diesel fuel oil for the trip. She will not stop at Boston on this trip,
although her itinerary will include Liverpool, Queenstown and Boston
when she has completed her maiden voyage.

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[Mark Baber]

The New York Times, 5 July 1930

SIGHTSEERS TO PAY TO VISIT BRITANNIC
---
Fee of $1 Will Be Charged Tuesday When Public Inspects New Liner
---
SHIP DUE HERE MONDAY
---
Entertainments Planned Aboard England's Largest Motor Vessel for Agents,
Shippers and Press
---
Sight-seers who throng newly arrived ships will be obliged to pay to
satisfy their curiosity when the White Star liner Britannic, largest
cabin liner in the world and the largest motor vessel in the British
fleet, arrives at her pier next week. Visitors will be admitted for $1,
according to announcement made yesterday. The money thus collected will
be distributed among various seamen's charities.

The experience of the International Mercantile Marine Company, agents of
the White Star Line, in handling crowds of visitors to new ships
prompted the company to bar all who are not willing to pay, with the
exception of persons to whom special passes are issued. These include
representatives of the press, shippers, steamship agents and others who
have been invited as guests of the company.

When the California of the Panama Pacific Line, which is operated by the
International Mercantile Marine in the intercoastal trade, was turned
over to the public for inspection the loss to the company amounted to
several hundred dollars. Damage was done the ship by cigarettes dropped
on expensive rugs and by careless treatment of furniture.

Many of those who will visit the Britannic will come from the Middle
West and the Pacific Coast as guests of the owners, including agents and
shippers. Representatives of the press of New York, Boston and other
cities of New York State and New England will be the guests of the
company at dinner Monday night aboard the ship at Pier 60, North River.
About 500 persons will attend.

The ship will be open for public inspection Tuesday from 10 A. M. to 6
P. M. The accommodations of all classes will be available for
inspection and stewards will serve as guides. The galleys, the public
rooms and other sections of special interest to travelers and engineers
will be open. The ship is propelled by Diesel engines and her
performance under conditions in transatlantic travel has increased
interest in her on the part of American shipping men.

The freight department of the International Mercantile Marine will
conduct the inspection on Wednesday. Shippers from many parts of the
country have been invited to New York as guests of the company. The
ship will be open for inspection throughout the day and a buffet
luncheon will be served. Agents of the line will be guests of the line
Thursday. They have been brought to New York from many distant points.
On Thursday night they will be guests at a dinner aboard the ship.
About 600 will attend. Both of the ship's dining rooms will be open and
a section of the deck will also serve as a dining room. After dinner
the agents will be guests of the line at the Astor Hotel roof.

The Britannic is due to reach New York Monday morning.

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[Mark Baber]

The New York Times, 7 July 1930

FETE HERE AWAITS BRITANNIC TODAY
---
White Star's New 27,000-Ton Motorship Is Scheduled to Dock on 9 A. M.
---
AMBASSADOR TO MEET HER
---
P. A. S. Franklin Will Preside at Dinner to 300 on the Liner at Pier
Tonight
---
The White Star Line's new 27,000-ton motorship Britannic will arrive
this morning on her maiden eastbound [sic] voyage with 510 passengers
and will dock at Pier 60, North River, at West Nineteenth Street, at 9
o'clock. She will be dressed with bunting fore and aft over the two
masts and the two squat funnels and will receive welcoming blasts from
the whistles and sirens of the ferryboats, tugs and other harbor craft
as the latest addition to the North Atlantic passenger fleet.

Waiting at the pier will be Sir Ronald Lindsay, the British Ambassador,
who came from Washington yesterday to welcome the Britannic; Sir Harry
Gloster Armstrong, British Consul General in New York; P. A. S.
Franklin, president of the International Mercantile Marine Company; Vice
Presidents Frederick Toppin, J. H. Thomas and P. V. G. Mitchell, and
other officials of the company.

Captain Frederick F. Summers, master of the Britannic, was formerly of
the Albertic, and until a few months ago he was the staff captain of the
Majestic. He joined the company in 1899, at the age of 25, as junior
officer of the old Cufic.

The Britannic, which was built by Harland & Wolff in Belfast, has a
cruiser stern, straight stem with two pole masts and two big short
funnels. She is the world's largest cabin passenger vessel and
Britain's biggest motorship. She has accommodation for 1,550 passengers
in three classes, cabin tourist, third cabin and third class.

She is the third White Star vessel to bear the historic name Britannic,
the first of 50,000 [sic] tons, came out in 1874 and the second, of
47,000 tons, was sunk as a hospital ship off Zante, one of the Ionian
Islands, in the World War.

The new motorship has a lofty superstructure with ample deck space for
all classes and is 680 feet long with an 82-foot beam and a hold 44 feet
in depth.

The Britannic is powered by two huge Diesel engines capable of
generating 20,000 horsepower which can maintain an average speed of
seventeen knots.

All deck machinery and the many big ventilating fans throughout the ship
are driven by electricity, which also is used for cooking and baking.

The lifeboats are operated by twenty sets of quadrant type davits with
electric control. The public rooms are on the promenade deck and are
furnished in comfort.

The second function will be an informal dinner tonight in the main
dining saloon, for which 300 invitations have been sent out by Mr.
Franklin, who will be the chairman. After dinner a special
entertainment will be given on the roof garden for the guests of the
White Star Line.

From 10 A. M. to 6 P.M tomorrow the Britannic will be open for
inspection by the public at an admission fee of $1, which will be
devoted to seamen's charities. Tea will be served in the afternoon and
the ship's orchestra will give a musical program.

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[Mark Baber]

The New York Times, 8 July 1930

HARBOR WELCOMES THE NEW BRITANNIC
---
Huge Flag-Bedecked Motorship of the White Star Line Brings 505
Passengers
---
OFFICIALS AT THE PIER
---
Comfort and Steadiness of the Liner Are Praised---She Averaged Nearly 16
Knots
---
Gayly decked with multi-colored bunting and dazzling white in the bright
morning sun, the new White Star motorship Britannic, on her maiden
voyage, steamed up the harbor yesterday morning. Harbor craft greeted
her with shrill blasts of the sirens.

The Britannic crossed from Liverpool, via Belfast and Glasgow, in 7 days
13 hours and 35 minutes, at an average speed of just under sixteen
knots, which is a little less than the motorship will do when her
engines generate their full power, the officers said.

The Britannic was welcomed at the pier at the foot of West Nineteenth
Street at 8:30 A. M. by P. A. S. Franklin, president of the
International Mercantile Marine Company, and by Vice Presidents
Frederick Toppin, John H. Thomas and P. V. G. Mitchell and other
officials of the line. Sir Ronald Lindsay, the British Ambasssador, was
prevented from attending by the illness of Lady Lindsay. He sent a
telegram of regret to Mr. Franklin.

The new ship brought 505 passengers, who were enthusiastic over the
luxury, comfort and steadiness of the Britannic. They said there was an
utter absence of vibration and they praised the food and service.
Moving picture shows and orchestra music are provided for all classes.

Captain Frederick F. Summers, the master, said the ship encountered
rough weather and heavy rain on the first three days and the last half
of the voyage was misty. The Britannic handled well, he added.

Not only the cabin but the tourist third cabin passengers were able to
enjoy swims in the spacious Roman pool on the lower deck. Veteran
passenger agents who inspected the Britannic after her arrival said they
had never seen tourist third cabin accommodation so elaborately laid out
and furnished and with such practical arrangements for the serving and
cooking of the food. The third class has a smoking room, lounge,
library, bathrooms and an artistically decorated children's playroom.

A novel feature of the Britannic is a smoking room in the forward
funnel for the engineers, about six feet above the boat deck, along the
lines of a penthouse. The roof slopes like an inverted tent from the
top and has a small frosted skylight in the centre. It has decorated
wooden sides and affords ample space for the engineers to sit at tables
to play cards or read during their leisure hours. The deck officers
have a smoking room just below.

The principal public rooms are on the promenade deck. They are the
lounge, veranda café, gymnasium, smoking room and card room, which is
forward, with large square windows looking out over the sea. On the sun
deck there is a roof garden fitted with palms, shrubs and flowers where
passengers can lounge in easy-chairs and listen to the music after
dinner. The cabin dining room is decorated and furnished in the Louis
XIV style, white and gold, and is two decks high. The staterooms are
spacious and well furnished, with beds and hot and cold water in every
cabin, including the tourist third cabin and the third class.

All the rooms are ventilated with a special pure air system operated by
seventy-five electrically driven fans.

The public rooms on the promenade deck are all connected by a long
gallery, which can be used in wet weather as a sheltered promenade.

T. C. Tobin, the designer of the Britannic and a member of the staff of
Harland & Wolff who built the motorship in Belfast, was a passenger.

The Britannic will accommodate 1,550 passengers and a crew of 475 men,
100 fewer in the engine department than she would require as an ordinary
steamship. The motorship will sail at 11 A. M. Saturday for Liverpool
via Queenstown, and is expected to carry a full list in all classes.

The new 27,000-ton motorship will be open to inspection today from 10 A.
M. to 6 P. M. A charge of $1 will be made, which will be devoted to
seamen's charities.

The Britannic is 680 feet long, has a beam of 82 feet and her hold is 44
feet in depth.

A. Wharton is the chief engineer, C. H. Bate if the chief officer, Dr.
T. R. W. Atkins the senior surgeon, T. L. Evans the purser and E.
Masters the chief steward.

About 200 representatives of Eastern newspapers and news services were
the guests of the White Star Line last night aboard the Britannic. An
informal dinner in the ship's dining saloon followed a tour of
inspection of the ship, which took the guests from the engine room and
swimming pool to the sports deck and lounge.

Mr. Franklin, who presided, welcomed the guests on behalf of the White
Star Line and hailed the ship as a notable addition to the line's fleet.
He introduced Captain Summers, who also expressed a welcome. Replies
were made by F. T. Birchall of THE NEW YORK TIMES, John J. Egan of
Philadelphia, H. S. Adams, editor of The Spur; Robert Johnson, vice
president of Time; John L. Bogert, technical editor of The Marine
Journal; the Rev. Albert E. Smith of Baltimore, Charles F. McSorley of
the Maritime association of the Boston Chamber of Commerce and H. W.
Murkland of the Boston Traveler.

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[Mark Baber]

The New York Times, 9 July 1930

1,500 PAY TO SEE BRITANNIC
---
Hundreds of Others Are Guests of Line on New Vessel
---
Despite the admission fee of $1 charged to visitors to the new White
Star liner Britannic, it was estimated that about 1,500 persons called
yesterday and inspected the sleeping quarters and public rooms. In
addition, several hundred persons visited the ship as guests of the
line.

The visitors were taken through the ship by stewards and those who used
the lounge and smoking rooms were entertained by the ship's orchestra.
Among the visitors was Pierre de Malglaive, vice president of the French
Line, who will return to France in September to become second in command
of the French Line's world-wide organization. Mr. Malglaive was
outspoken in his praise of the new ship.

The freight department of the International Mercantile Marine Company,
agents of the White Star Line, will take command of the ship today and
will have as guests shippers from various parts of the country. The
liner will sail Saturday morning at 11:30 o'clock on her return trip to
England.

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[Mark Baber]

The New York Times, 10 July 1930

BRITANNIC NOT PRESSED
---
Captain Says Liner Cannot Go at Full Speed While Engines Are New
---
The new White Star liner Britannic, which arrived here Monday morning
after making a speed of about sixteen knots on her trip from England,
should improve this speed with the passing of time, in the opinion of
Captain G. E. Warner, commander of the Olympic, who visited her
yesterday.

Captain Warner explained that the ship's motors must undergo the same
preparatory process as those of an automobile. The Britannic is
operated by Diesel engines and is the largest British-owned ship of this
sort.

"She must be handled carefully for her first three trips," said Captain
Warner, and no attempt at speed must be tried. Just as the owner of a
new automobile holds his car down to twenty-five miles an hour or less
until the engine is broken in, so the Britannic must be eased along. I
have no doubt that she can make much better than sixteen knots once she
is prepared, but that time must remain a bit in the future."

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[Mark Baber]

The New York Times, 11 July 1930

Ship Men Dine on Britannic
---
About 650 agents of the International Mercantile Marine Company from
many parts of the country were guests of the company last night at
dinner aboard the new cabin liner Britannic, which is here on her maiden
trip. After an inspection of the ship they were taken to the Astor
Roof, where an entertainment was staged. The Britannic will start back
to England tomorrow.

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[Mark Baber]

The New York Times, 13 July 1930

FINDS PUBLIC EAGER TO SEE NEW LINER
---
White Star Management Reports 7,500 Visited Britannic on First Stay Here
---
The White Star Line was convinced yesterday that new York had not lost
its interest in new ships, whether they are flying the flag of the
United States or of foreign nations, when the new cabin liner Britannic
sailed from New York on the return leg of her maiden trip. During her
stay in New York she was visited by more than 7,500 persons, according
to officials of the International Mercantile Marine Company, agents of
the line.

The Britannic departed with about 1,300 passengers aboard, or about 200
less than capacity. She sailed with the 500 capacity in cabin and in
tourist, and in her third-class quarters she had about 300. The ship
came to New York with no great public preparation and the agents set a
price of $1 for all visitors except those to whom tickets were granted
by the owners. This measure was designed to keep away persons who were
not sufficiently interested in the new ship to pay to view her.

Despite this barrier, about 1,500 persons paid to view her, and other
groups included 150 representatives of newspapers of the East, 700
agents of the ship line from various parts of the country and groups of
shippers and friends of the line.

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[Mark Baber]

[MAB Note: This article concludes the coverage of Britannic's maiden
voyage.]

The New York Times, 13 July 1930

6,000 SEE BRITANNIC SAIL FOR LIVERPOOL
---
Piers Thronged as Motor Liner Starts on Her Maiden Voyage Eastward
---
KENLON OFF FOR IRELAND
---
Fire Chief and Family to Spend Six Weeks There---Ceylon Mission Teacher
Aboard
---
More than 6,000 persons saw the new White Star motor ship Britannic
leave yesterday on her maiden eastward voyage for Liverpool via
Queenstown with 1,250 passengers. The ship was made fast at Pier 60 and
most of the visitors were at Pier 59 and Pier 61 to watch the vessel
move out into the river. Another crowd of visitors on the Britannic was
so dense that she was delayed twenty minutes in sailing.

P. A. S. Franklin, president of the International Mercantile Marine
Company, and P. V. G. Mitchell, vice president, were at the pier to
thank Captain Frederick F. Summers, master of the ship and his officers
for the manner in which the visitors during the liner's stay had been
cared for. More than 6,000 meals were served.

Among the cabin passengers were Fire Chief John Kenlon accompanied by
his family. He said he was going to Ireland for a six-weeks' rest. T.
C. Tobin, designer of the Britannic, also was aboard.

Another passenger was Miss Lucy B. Clark, head of the kindergarten in
the Girls' School at Uduvil, Northern Ceylon, which she started in 1915
under the auspices of the Congregational Board of Foreign Missions. She
said there were one college, three secondary schools and ninety-four
preparatory schools in Northern Ceylon, with a total enrollment of
12,075 pupils. In addition there are two hospitals which treated 6,620
in-patients and 16, 219 dispensary patients last year.

Miss Clark, whose home is in Lockport, N. Y., added that the people in
Northern Ceylon, where the American Mission has established twenty-three
Congregational Churches, are higher caste Tamils than the race which
populates Southern India and superior to the Singhalese in Southern
India. She is a graduate of Buffalo State Teachers College.

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