THE IMPERATOR, ATLANTIC OCEAN LINER, “GIANTESS OF THE SEA”
That we may get a better idea of this great ocean steamship, she is taken with the great sky-scrapers of New York in the background, and especially that of the Woolworth Building,—the two most gigantic structures built by man in this generation. This picture was taken June 19. The length of the ship is 919 ft., beam 98 ft., height of bridge above the water 90 ft., gross tonnage 50,000. Five captains are required to command her, with Hans Ruser in charge. She has three wireless operators, who work eight hours a day each. Has nine decks, seven of which are for first-class passengers. Has a battery of six elevators, life-boats enough to accommodate more than 4,000 persons, and power launches to tow the life-boats. She has a complete telephone system from stateroom to stateroom, through a regular “central;” an imperial suite of twelve rooms with a private glass-enclosed promenade deck of its own for the use of the kaiser if he ever comes here, or any one else who can pay $1,000 a day for a six-day trip. Has a Ritz-Carlton restaurant, a grill-room, three private dining-rooms, and a public saloon; a garden with growing flowers and shrubbery; a theater, and a ballroom as large as that of the average New York hotel; an automatic device for dropping a life-raft overboard; and a special station for a lookout in the eagle figurehead at the bow. Of her five anchors the heaviest weighs 26,445 lbs., the lightest 4,960. She carries a crew of 1,180. She brought on her first trip 3,450 passengers, making a total of 4,630 souls. Her first trip was made in six days, 5 hours, and 14 minutes, and she started with the following provisions: 48,000 eggs, 121,000 lbs. of potatoes, 9,000 lbs. fish, 10,950 lbs. game and fowl, 12,500 quarts of milk, 400 lbs. tea, 7,000 lbs. coffee; and other things in proportion,—a great floating town. And yet, let God withdraw His hand, and let the wrath of the ocean be manifest through marine earthquake or otherwise, and the great floating palace would go down in an instant.
