Clydebank, Mar, 24.
id the tumultuous' cheering of ist trong of men, women and children brought to Clydeside by 60 special trains and a thousand mot cars and omnibuses, the giant Cunard-White Star liner Queen Mary, the biggest ship In the world, proceeded down-river to the sex this morning on her first voyage to Southampton.
Three rockets fired at 10.10 o'clock gave the signal that the new Leviathan of the Seven Seas had started from her fitting out berth in the ship yard of Messrs, John Brown & Ca, Ltd, Moving simest imperceptibly, the giant liner, shepherded by seven tugs which looked ike toy boats, entered the river at 10.25 am.
Flying the Blue Peter on her fore mast, the Red Ensign at the stern, the Queen Mary, under her own steam, started on her journey to the sca accompanied by four of the tugs, 'Threading her way down-tiver safely, she passed Bowling, which had Been dredged for a year in reparation for her down-river trip, at 1240 p.m, but the remainder of the Journey to' Greenock, where lifeboats and fuel were taken on, was completed in much quicker time.
Although the Queen Mary's average speed for normal service has been revealed as 29 knots, it is believed that she will attempt to maintain an average of 34 knols—the highest speed ever attained by a commercial ship—during her maiden voyage.
Even that, it is stated, will not be her maximum speed.' Driven all out, the 27 bollers and 16 turbines will be capable of thrusting the giant vessel through the "water at the Jequivatent of slightly more than 40 miles an hour.-
The Queen Mary will have two captains. The chief commander will be Sir Edgar Britten, commodore of the Cunard-White Star fleet, while Captain George Gibbons, who has been in command of the Aquitania, Berengaria and Majestic, will act as The giant Cunarder has been planned by the finest scientific brains in "Britain and has been built by skilled British workmen.
From her 35-ton propellers to the teacups in her great pantries, her building and fitting out have given work, directly to
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