The U. S. S. Leviathan
The Leviathan is 954 feet long, 100 feet beam, and, when leaving New York, draws 41 feet 10 inches of water. Place her on Fifth Avenue and she would spread from 42d Street across 45th Street. Stand her on end alongside the Woolworth Building, and she would overtop the Woolworth Building more than 50 feet. She weighs 69,000 tons; more than twice the displacement of the world’s largest dreadnought.
She stows 8,700 tons of coal and carries 5,000 tons of fresh water. If we would be permitted to run her at the speed she is capable of, she would burn between 900 and 1,000 tons of coal a day. When we dock at Hoboken she must have eighteen tug boats to assist her. She can enter New York only on the high water, for the Ambrose Channel is not dredged deeper than 40 feet. She can move at Hoboken only on the slack water, for no amount of tugs could dock her at Hoboken while the tide is running. Before the armistice she carried ten loads of troops to Europe; about 4,500 officers and 100,000 men. Thus she has alone handled one-twentieth of the A. E. F. Twenty Leviathans alone could handle all the A. E. F. Alone, the Leviathan has placed in Europe more U. S. Troops than Meade commanded at the decisive battle—Gettysburg.
Her Engineering Department requires 12 officers and 950 men. Her Commissary Department requires 7 officers and 350 men. When you have roast beef they have to cut up 40 steers.
During the war, on the eastward voyage, the Commissary Department has fed 10,000 troops in 70 minutes, and at that permitting men to come back for the second.
Even if the East River were deep enough her funnels are six feet too high to go under the East River bridges.
Those on the bridge stand with their eyes 87 feet above water. Against submarines we had eight six-inch guns and a supply of depth charges always manned; but only twice have periscopes appeared, both times in her rear. Both times the destroyers bombed at them well.