THE MAURETANIA.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 264, 7 November 1932, Page 5

THE MAURETANIA.

TO VISIT AUCKLAND? FAMOUS ATLANTIC LINER. SUGGESTED WORLD CRUISE. It is possible that the Cunard liner Mauretania, one of the moet famous ships afloat, will visit Auckland next year in the course of a world cruise. No definite information is at present avail,able, but it is known that the owners of the vessel have recently been making inquiries as to the facilities available at this port. Should the Mauretania, whose gross tonnage is 30,696, come to Auckland she will be by far die largest passenger veseel to visit the port. The largest passenger liner which hae yet been seen here is the Cunard liner Carinthia, which has twice come to Auckland when making world pleasure cruises. The gross tonnage of the Carinthia is 20,277, the vessel being slightly larger than the same company's Franconia, which hae also visited this port when cruising with touriste. The gross tonnage of the Oceanic liners Mariposa and Monterey, the largest vessels to make regular calle at Auckland, is 18,018. The largest veseel that has ever come into the Waitemata is H.M.s. Hood, 42,000 tons displacement, which visited Auckland in 1924 as flagship of the British Special Service Squadron. Atlantic Greyhound. "I would say that the Mauretania is the most famous ship in the world today," said an Aucklander who knows much about the sea and ships. For 22 years she was the fastest ship in the Atlantic service and was entitled to hold the Blue Riband, a record that will probably never be beaten. In the 60 years between 1870 and 1930, the speed of the ship holding the Blue Riband, of the Atlantic incresaed from 14J knote to nearly 28 knots. Throughout that period the record was held by British built ships except for the ten years between 1897 arid 1907—a wonderful advertisement for British shipbuilding and marine engineering. The fact that the Mauretania held the record for over a third of the period makes her the most famous of all the Atlantic greyhounds. Twenty-five Years Old. The Mauretania, which waa built at Newcastle, England, made her maiden voyage in the North Atlantic service in 1907, and her advent gave the British flag a lead at sea which was never challenged until 22 years later. She did for the Merchant Navy, recently said a writer in "The Shipping World," what the Dreadnought, which was contemporary with her, did for the Royal Navy, for these ships demonstrated to the world the superb craftsmanship and technical skill of British naval architects, shipbuilders and marine engineers. To enable the Cunard Company to build the Mauretania and her sister, the Lusitania, which was torpedoed in the Irish Channel during the war with tragic loss of life, the Government of the day willingly lent the company £2,600,000 at 2| per cent. For a quarter of a century the Mauretania has been engaged in the Southampton, Chetbourg-New York service. ■ .

Speed of 26 Knots. With a waterline length of 770 ft, and an extreme breadth of 88ft, the Mauretan'ia developed a speed of 26.04 knote on her trials with a mean draught of 32ft 6in, her quadruple turbine machinery developing 79,600 shaft horse-power. She was originally designed for coal burning, and in September, 1910, she did a trip at an average speed of .26.06 knots. In 1921 she was converted from coal to oil burning, in 1924 the main turbines were thoroughly overhauled and new highpressure turbine rotor ends, casing sleeves and high and low pressure dummy casings and reblading operations were carried out, while in 1927 her overhauls included the fitting of some new propellers and the removal of tail shafts.

In August, 1929, this "Cutty Sark of Steam," as the "Times" called her, broke all her own previous records by crossing the Atlantic from Cherbourg to New York in four daye 22 hours 44 minutes, her average speed being 26.85 knots. That time cut three hours 50 minutes off her previous record.

A month, before the veteran ocean greyhound made her record voyage the German liner Bremen had wrested from her the blue riband of the Atlantic, which she had held for nearly 22 years. The Bremen an<l the Europa now hold the; records for both the west-bound and' east-bound crossings of the Atlantic. \ On the voyage which won her the riband i the Bremen crossed from Cherbourg breakwater to the Ambrose lightship in four days 17 hours 42 minutes, her average speed being over 27 knots. Her best day's run was 713 nautical miles, an average speed of 29.71 knots. A month later the Mauretania did 687 miles in 24 hours. As tne late Sir Alfred Yarrow pointed out at the time, the Mauretania hae less .length than the Bremen— and length is essential to speed—she does not possess water tube boilers, as does the German ship, and she was then 22 years old. Luxurious Appointments. With a straight stem, two maets and four large, elightly raking funnels, evenly spaced, the Mauretania is a most handsome vessel. Her hull is black, superstructure white and funnels red , , with black tops and three black bands. Despite her years, ehe is splendidly appointed, for her owners have kept her up to date. Recently, for instance, 100 of her staterooms were replanned and rebuilt. To-day it is claimed that her internal adornment compares favourably with anything that any other ship has to offer. The double-tiered dining saloon, decorated in Francois Premier style, wi fch its massive dome an 4 its fine carvings in a score of different varieties of wood, ie one of the most magnificent rooms to be found either ashore or afloat. The ballroom is another place of great size and splendour, while the Verandah Cafe, with, its ivy covered walls, is claimed to be reminiscent of the Orangery at Hampton Court. Panelled walls in grey sycamore and red-gold carving form the basie of the decorative style of the Louis Seize writing room and library, while the lounge is a striking example of an 18th century French salon.