THE ROYAL YACHT.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 10998, 22 June 1901, Page 8

THE ROYAL YACHT.

DESCRIPTION OF THE OPHIR- • THE APARTMENTS" OF THE NW*', AND DUCHESS. ' , The Orient liner Opliir. -winch irtf «* % tooted to convey the Duke and Dn<**» of Cornwall and York an their rO, T e & t Z ' •An*9tra!ia, and other colonic?, irhil* *W tj tie latest or tie'largest of the Orient G«?*. j. f patiy's fleet, b»th a yew ana a KWJOT • vessel. Outside and inside she <bas beea--. traneformsd, and it. is claimed the*^ »*-' iVinoa awl Princess have ever tca«e»e*f. -*; under coEditicos so lusuriou's as haw : Duke and Duchess of Cornwall ajid on their visit to the coloniss. - «; THJC DINING SALOON. .'« f Practically the <Jnlv prort of the eWp ~; -' which, reraatn* as it was wkwi the veeed ~- ' •was a Shier steanmig to th« Bast api Anß* __«'_- trali-a. is the grjafc dining saloon. The »-. > corations in this a-partment remain «eb«* i."-, fore, SLnd ; aTe of an ornate character. Xfl*saloon is lighted by large square ,Trind»tf* at the siJe«. a-tid v lofr.r doms filfed witJi , ■"/ stained gi'VK. 'lltib dome ha* an outer n»f ,-.-- ~ ol p/wc-td ststi, iujd bftwoeo tba ajasr aw», ' tlie outer ivois iaanja ans fitted/ -t ■

th jaw a, very-effective and subdued Undor the awhedi spaces at each of the dome are tl»e shields of. Great to and of the four leading Australian r&uis* supported by figures representing fr'2J£ industries. At the forward end is lv- band Tbe floor "° f *"* 8&loon is *•'**«*** *** TnTl "y surrounded wd border of the same mate■i'"jjj ;, The chairs are- copies of an old Chip£fcle nodci, a»d all the upholstery is of fatfsl K»rlct. T3ie arrangement of the 2S is euch that they nu*? be partly disZfal in the wings, leaving a centre Uible twenty-six, or may be farmed into • 'juDjeedwte to *eat up to fifty-six. They ac «bo be extended from a width of four w to five TJie panelling is in rose i satin "woods, and the whole effect is *& «sd y«* quick 1\ " powiWe to form Aβ djotag saloon into a concert room, and -MOrife it with a stage. The part aft ofl 5# dome leads itself naturally to ' •eoteetoge with wing and centre etf'te, i .'SSe '^ I * c * o< V two the goto deck cabins. The trunk of "tie dome ftgnfi p proeoenium, and, as the curtains .mI (2»e rtage —i ft sections —aw' on board, j »n(jaf ifjll convert the aatloon into the ' <rf concert rooms or theatres. AttSilSj^ apartment*communicate with jmfltJjHj end the dining saloon in such fartfrw that it is not necessary to pass on to tfk».«pen «**&. XHE ROYAL APARTMENTS. j}»e whole of the upi>er deck acconunojttfcii has been taken over for Royal apartgeaUSf and hoe been divided into two, the poke having the starboard eide and the poebess tlfe ?° rt - &}.<& fuite ie complete, jpini to U» emailest detail, and consists of n bathroom, dressing-room, bedroom, and fjtiing'-room. You enter by way* of the jfecttiDf-rooin, which, except for tie carpet, it perfectly white, White walls, white furslUtti, and white marble washstand, with fare and there & glitter of a silver bar or Jiandle. A small white "swing-bed" is the chief pieco of furniture in the Duke's bedjotfa, and at the head of the bed hang two Jirge photographs. One represents the ' Jfetoc««s of Wales carrying a small Prince . and under it is written in <toe«Q Alexandra's handwriting, "Granny lid Baby." Tbe second portrait represents the Duchess. Through the bedroom you Kech the private sitting-room, a cool and delightfully cosy room, furnished in light oak end sage-green leather. There is a most interesting family portrait gallery in the Dukft's ritting-room, consisting of very fine ebetograpbs and engravings. The photograph that "possesses the most supremely p*tMtie interest is one made during the last fijßtoer. It is of the late Queen and the foggf,.children of tire Duke and Duchsss of Ooresrall and York. It was taken in the ". ejMHwiir, and ki the Queen's own band it is fcecribed "V.R.I. and her great-grandchil- ! inn of York.—Osborae, August, 1900." A i Urge portrait of the late Queen fills the post ; of 'honour, but above the Chesterfield couch : there is a charming photograph, of Queen Alexandra, representing the Queen in a particularly youthful and graceful attitude; the -head droops somewhat, but the eyes ; ere coyly, laughingly raised. The inscription, "Oid Mother Dear" is a pleasing suggestion cif the home life of our Royal family. Nearly al the portraits in this 1 room ore signed/ in frolicsome mood. Here is a flue likeness of Princess Charles of Den- . mark, signed "Harry"; Princess Victoria g'rvea the name by" which «he ia called at I noma, " Toria" ; the Dowager-Empress -of Russia signs "ilimay" j and the Gear has in- !'. scribed an excttHent photograph of himself '<■ which ia "short" for Nicholas '' 11.. Cifar of aS the Ruasios. The private rooms of the Duchess of Cornwall are in size exactly similar to those of the Duke. The furniture, also, is of the . fame style, except tktfc a fine brass bed* stead taxes the place of the Duke's email whita swing- bed, that the window curtains ,< . we more lacerlike, and that the plain oak and ,-. Heather of the sitting-room are nere smooth, With: inlaid satinwood of a goJden yellow, ; nnd soft silks, and brocades. The cabins in which the suite are lodged ore, for the t most part, remarkably epaoione, airy, and Tb> bedstead is conetructed in »Uver-pbt» «netal; the hangings are of chioU, In delicate-tonea. In tfie Docfaese'e dreoing-room, the baeine and the ewers are .. of oevx, ciuiously translucent and beautiful, _ tad them is no end to the little contrivances I*~ bf way of additional comfort. Her boudoir, ,''. a'«eiy pretty room, is in a subdned tinge , . of green, with wdSs and ceiling enamelled -V> bl%Wie, and finely Igwred satinwood furni- ;-. tare, Special attention bea been paid, not ;,- only to heating apparatus, electric and other, but aJeo to cooling maahinery, and / 'each room has a beeswing fan in the centre of the - ceiling, -worked by electricity, which is rightly considered a great improvement .7 in the old-fwehiotted punkah. All'the pri- -' ; ' t»t» rooms are covered with- Saxony carpets. :-. Utey are of soft delicate green, witn a ',- tiatple marginal band of darker tint, and fere beta designed to accord with the «*ne- . Ml eobtme of tfecoratioti. They are laid up- » a foundation of thick native cork, and - ta* eoroWnation »f the two semi-elastic Jwjfow prodhwee a most agreeable and reet- ,■, iw nnpreaeion. The furniture inAhese β^art- : W»bi las been specially designed and mazmwrtawd, and ia eeeurefy fitted. Everything »«l the best J&igliah make; there is no- , "Sag m.the ship on which foreign labour of toy kmd has been employed, and, conthe Ophdr is a travelling proof « national artietio taete, ingenuity, and r: Www of the workers.

,' ,;/ THE DRAWING-BOOM. ■,'.' *A SPeat *al might be written abont the ' E7?.?'* will g- roon » of the Ophir. It is a *2™»™t apartment, 1200 sauare feet in atuate on the promenade deck, and v <;« »Ppro«be«! from either the private suites ■ * tfae dnuog-room. This room is panelled • «,«>»«wooa and eatinwood, exqirisitely inISLJS! » Btinwood Sheraton furniture is , v w?6oirtered xn a special design of Woe silk StJJ***' with a white pattern, which wa« Sk&rifcJ** *** and woven »J»psrtalfielde. The two shafts that pass ~.*g»gl» the room have been covered with 'ffITT , J*** Pol,nd: the e,dee are hung a .;."2* wecteon of bleck-and-wbite pictures «J»»oia York House end other Royal resi'23?!L. One °/ theße ' which is P l * o ** im- . «wtehr outside the apartment, is of par- . w*( interest, and has, it k stated, never ' «EL!' o|ri !r . lt is ft keautafußy-drawn '• ■. ?V»port»it of Queen Victoria,.showing *£«iT ***■?.•* **» appeared in the early ' SSL #^L re A gn with the ribbon «t *& 2fc J? J 3 * Oart « r - The soft camel- .- 2™* 8m »>?; °«P*t» of quite new deW, *M specially woven from Messrs War- ■ ; tZt*!?^? I*,!1* , !- • should aiso •» mentioned *• *£J^7L Kirtt T ITi S' Toom »ft n library •• 600 volumes, which, while it con- : ; gtos • few no veU, i» j argely made of " oolonial and Imperial *HB SMOKING ROOM AND OTHER : . .v,, APARTMENTS. JS"^ 4 *^ , ot tfae drawing-room, on «de of the grand staircaat, a« ' two ,« W« Amidships, and, therefor*, aft of JJe drawing-room and the dome of the din- ' .ing «alooa, * th* amoking-room, a most ' # Srr , * **?** tf» who* width of ! , toesmp. ««covered with gMenoortacine I & desks, p inbud oak, modek of comfort aS » eonventence, and in imitation of those n«<? I r ; i ;} _ Jtth a *obdaed shade of green morocco. I2u ww*" l *", •J^ *»» anointments include i c*rd t»blee and bookcases. The latter, by #•«* wgeoioee Mraagemeat, can be mdSy r,.,«*weted into a large table for the eonveni-i'-i& of the Bo 3 ral on **» «*«se««« of i; aorried funetioue, «oclt a* wiH probably be |i. of fnequent oocurreaoe. H.u Of the apartment for the equerries and jy "»*•• n«d only be said that they are comItwrtftw and airy, and that the servants are P? t r* eHT Accommodated » ac to be readily §,- r Within call. . t|. Tj»» are special rooms for all sorts and of things. One room *c set apaH I? m the medals which are to be distributed #MMk&* varionß States. Two special attendmnr **• m ot tbl» treasury. Anog«<* room holds noting but the presents *""■ Roy,a vuntors are taking with pg«rt. Wardrobes by the doeen are Mm!* etoog the wall., and the place allotHB^* : !?* vaJl * t », for th* perfonaaaoe of KStLSk o*"*0*"* irea * li<i ** *"«• «twmglj, for *

THE SHIP HERSELF, To teavellei*. «tya a Iwmionr dent, the Ophir i* known, as onei^tne most oomfortaWe Jinera Ist being, «#« tftew is a ahip running upon wfctoo JSore tnougiit for the safety of"paasenger#h"*s- been expended I <fe> <not know has itthat the vessel will, alter>tbe -Royal cruise, become State t>roperty/f» » yacht, and should events justify JS** forecast the purolwseTS will be wortffy of oongratulateon. The vessel is practftwly unemkable. ,She is, one might say./huge lifeboat A cellular doubiu botiw* extends almost frotn stem to stern./The double bottom is divided by a Continuous w-Utertight centre line divjsioas and a further divided fore and aft numerooe watertight compartments. JSeing a twin-screw boat, she has two independent sets of triple expansion engssMvand two independent boiler rooms, eaobjroem watertight, and with other watertight compartments between them. Thus, jfcould, one eet of boiler and engine rooms Tja .put out of action by any means, the other, which wouM be still intact, would, bring the ship on hex course at abo\it threequarter speed. The arrangement of the watertight compo>rtm«nts is such that if amy two davisious were thrown open to the aea, the Ophir would have sufficient surplus buoyancy to enable her to float with perfect safety. .Iα ordinary times 900 tons of water ballast can, be pumped into the cellular bottom, and immersion and stability can thus be preserved while , the coals and nrovisioßs are bekng consumed. The chip fulfils all the requirements of the Admiralty for an armed oru&ser. Were her hold, as well as her bunkers, filled with coal, she could be driven at eighteen knots for 14,000 miles, or at a cruising speed of ten knots per hour for 130 consecutive days. Her fire-extinguishing and pumping arrangements a*e Tery perfect. The main and lower d*cks are fitted with pipes for discharging steam into any compartinsnt. Above tbe main deck evety compartment has nozzles for attaching fire-hose, and there is a total steam power capable of discharging 7500 tone of water per hour. The ship has'six decks, and the shade, or boat, deck ia 30ft* over the water-line. It acts as an awning for the promenade deck, at the forward end of which is the navigating bridge. The promenade deck is 252 ft long and 51ft wide. OFPICEKS AND OREW. . Tbe Ophir cairries a complement of about •twenty-seven Eoyal Naval officers, 125 bluejackctf, 100 marines, thirty-seven bandsmen, and twenty boys, seven engineer officers. With other staffs and ratinge, the number, all told, on board, is about 525. Die engine room staff has been provided by the Orient Company, who ako undertook, the victuaHiing of >the sMp throughout the tour. The officers of the merchant service in the Ophir hay c all been commissioned as of tbe Royal Naval Reserve. The complement of etokera fttraialied by the ownera of the Oaient pewnpeny was withdrawn in consequence of difiicnlties having arisen, and their places were taken by Royal Naval stokers. Commodore A. L. Wiiisloe, who wat with tfhe Duke of Cornwall and York in his last cruise in the cruiser Orescent, is in command, and tha other officers are Commander Rosslyn Wemyss, Commander P. Nelson Ward, Lieutenant W. Ruck Keene, Lieotenant R. A. Norton, Lieutenant C. M. Ori<rhtoa Maitland, lieutenant the Hon. H. Meadie, Lieutenant the Hon. S. M. A. J. Hay, Sub-lieutenant G. A. Wells, Sub-Lku-tenant J. H. Bainbtridge, Sub-Lieutenaut'G. ! Sauiin, Sub-Lieutenant J. B. Wi».t«irlow, Major C. Oiarke, R.M.L.1., Lieuteavaait G. L. Baikes, R.M.A., Lkratenant H. F. I Stockky, R.M.L.1., Staff-Paymasfter E. W. ,Hadiey,-'MrVW. Gask, eecretery, AssistAntPaymaster G. A. Sxiller, Staff-Surgeon H. S. Macnamara, Surgeon R. .Hill, Engineer S. M. G. Bryer, CJbaplain the Rev. H. S. ' Wood, Gusaner Mr A. Tartou, Boatswain J. Paddon, Carpenter "W.Banbury', SeiiioT Boatswain M. Allen, and Air Wright, the bandmaster, Royal Marine Xught Ty" a '' n^vv ,