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Novel Features Distinguish New Liner Excalibur—In Service out of New York ing Arthur’s K gleaming sword, “the blade so. bright that men are blinded by _ it” given him by the lady of the lake, who knew “a subtler magic than his own’— Excatipur! This is the magical name _ bestowed upon the latest arrival among the ships of the American mer- chant marine. We greet her. “And slowly an- swer’d Arthur from the barge: “The old order changeth, yielding place to new.’”’ This vessel the first of four sister ships building for the American Ex- port lines, by the New York Shipbuild- ing Co. to the designs of George G. Sharp, New York naval architect, has now entered service joining a fleet of some 39 vessels plying between the North Atlantic, Mediterranean and Black sea ports, one of the outstand- ing fleets of the shipping world. She marks an important step in the de- velopment of the new American mer- chant marine. The general charac- teristics were determined by H. E. Frick, vice president and _ general manager of the Export Steamship Corp. and the operating staff, based on practical experience covering years of operation in this trade. It is agree- able to note that throughout the con- struction of the Excarimur and her sister ships a fine spirit of co-opera- tion existed between the shipbuilder, owner and naval architect which is reflected in the excellence of the work. Order Placed in 1929 The order for the construction of these four intermediate passenger and freight vessels awarded Aug. 31, 1929, constituted one of the largest single contracts for new ships signed in this country since the pre-war slump, and marked the beginning of a new era in American shipbuilding. Granting of a government loan covering three- fourths of the total cost of the ships, is substantial proof of the value of the Jones-White act in providing finan- cial assistance to American shipown- ers for building new tonnage in Amer- ican shipyards. The christening of the Excarmour on Aug. 5, 1930, was of nation-wide inter- 22 est. It was the launching not only of a ship but of a program signifying America’s determination to regain her rightful place on the oceans of the world. Mrs. Herbert Hoover officiated as sponsor and christened the ship. More than a decade had passed since the occasion of the launching of a vessel had been honored by so dis- tinguished a guest. An interesting coincidence was the fact that on the same day, just twelve years before, Mrs. Woodrow Wilson acted as spon- sor at the christening of the QUIST- conck, the first vessel launched at Hog Island. The Export Steamship Corp. took over the nucleus of the line it is now operating from the shipping board in The Steamship Excalibur General Particulars OWNED asi cei ye oceans Export Steamship Corp. Builders. sek a New York Shipbuilding Co. iauncheds ain cst ca iekws veces Aug. 5, 1930 ROR EEE dc Se ws 1 cask bs nlawess Dec. 15, 1930 Classification........ American Bureau of Shippin ength overall, feet, inches............e00- 475 6 Length between perpendiculars, ft., in...... 450 0 DSCC At SOA. KNOL s: os ee oo akis cca bora bcs ok 16 Deadweight; total; tonds<c<<ceicseckoi ce. s 9300 Gross*tonnage coos cs osha oaks hk Oa la oe ck 9350 PE PONN ARG Briss cic 00 a soak sche wie cielace oe weed aie 5600 Passenger capacity, first class............+.+: 152 Refrigerated space cubic feet.........ecens 32,000 PIN APIVO so. ok ow os ingle Screw-Turbine Gears Reduction gears....... single, built by Falk Corp. ersonnel officers and crew. ....ccccceccccccce Gyro compass and Gyro pilot...........6. Sperry MARINE REvVIEw—February, 1931 1920, a time when it required cour. age to invest money in Ameri- can shipping ven. tures, for, while the matter of government aid had long been talked about, there was then no definite assurance that the needed legislation would ever be enacted. Severe competi- tion faced the new company from the start, Today the com- pany is one. of the largest operators of American flag tonnage. Its mail contracts will eventually call for a total of eight new ships of which the EXcALisvR is the first to enter service, Single Screw Geared Turbine The Excarisur is a single screw, geared turbine steamer of flush deck type. Outstanding: features are the Sharply raked stem and light ellipti- cal stern, the after body of unusual design resulting in a remarkable ab- sence of vibration. The vessel is fitted with a contra rudder. A well balanced profile is lined by two raking masts and a broad oval shaped funnel. All these features combine in giving the vessel a smart and powerful ap- pearance. The hull is built of steel throughout under special survey of the American Bureau of Shipping to the highest rating of this society and is constructed in accordance with the provisions of the International con- ference on safety of life at sea recent- ly concluded in London. She also con- forms to the latest requirements of the United States steamboat inspec- tion service, the public health depart- ment of the government and the New York board of fire underwriters. In addition, she has been designed to conform to the navy department’s re- quirements for auxiliary cruisers. The vessels are designed for a con- tract speed of 16 knots. On the trial trip of the Excarmur a maximum speed of 18 knots was obtained. Ten transverse bulkheads provide a high safety factor making her 4 two-compartment vessel well in excess of the latest International convention requirements for the safety of life at sea. All passenger accommodation bulkheads are of steel or asbestos veneered. The spacing of transverse