A MODERN LINER.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18141, 2 August 1924, Page 18

A MODERN LINER.

♦ FITTINGS OF THE AORANGL I LUXURIOUS TRAVELLING. j I (rsoit OCS OTt COESESIOSKESX.; LONDON, June 10. There is, of course, much to do before the Union Company's new liner, the Aorangi. is ready to take to tho ] open seas. It is anticipated she will j be ready to hand over to the ovmers at the end of tho Jn tbo mean- j time tho work is sufficiently advanced | to aive a very lair idea, of wlui.fc the interior of the palatial vessel will be. Ifaare is it- beautiful model of the. ship in the Now Zealand Pavilion Wemb- | Icy, and this is an object ot admnv..- j tion by all visitors whether or not xhey are technically interested in shipping. With her two tall mxists and two p.-jwerful looking funnels, she •will have the stateliness of a huge steam yacht, j coupler! ■with the spiciotAKCSs of 'iinodevn West Knd hotel. Practically | no thought or expense has been spared , in the design and furnishings of her | first-clnss "public rooms to eombino the i dignity of historical period decoration I with the comfort ancl hygienic prac- j tices of tlio present day, and the stan- j daj'd set up recently by high-ela&s ! liners for luxurious comiort in tnive!- i ling on deep sea voyages has been moro | lhaii maintained. j The iirst-elass dining saloon is a ; handsome and spacious apartment, designed after th» period of Louis .XVI. with carefully arranged panelling painted in varying shades of Trianon gvey colour. Tho well opening above is surrounded by a fine gilded wrought iro?i balustmding, with a- largo decorated tapestry twiiol after the manner of j ''Boucher," while the room itself. wii.it | its handsome sideboard of beautiful J voncerod walnut with deeoiatiyo mirror above, its period sty chairs richly covered, stylipji curtains and pelneis to tlio windows, wall mirrors, rubber tiled floor and hajidsomely designed ceiling, gives a note of dignity and pleasing detail. The remainder of tho extensive range of first-class public rooms aro grouped together with through commuriicxition on the promenade deck. One of the largest and best appointed of these rooms is the first-class lounge hall, which is no lefes than •Gift in length by 43ffc (3in broad, and of unusually dignified height with a handsome gallery above. The Georgian scheme cf decoration of this room has been artistically carried out with well-proportioned panelling and has been painted iu varying shades of green with gilded relief. An open staircase of a particularly imprcfeslvo character ascends from the after and of tho lounge t-o the gallery above, where there are lvscessed tot teeswrought iron bidustratiing awl a beautiful skylight. A line oil painting ot the Aorangi, or Mount Cook, is to be incorporated in tlio panelling at tho half landing of thia staircase. Tho adjoining first-class smok© _ room, Sift long by 25ft wide, is designed after the Jacobean period with a central welt skylight rather originally treated with boldly carved roof trusses with heraldic shields. The, stone fireplace: is placed in an ingleneuk at tlio" for© titid, and the antique furnished oak furniture hai-monisos with tho grey toned oak finish of the vail panelling, old English tiled floor of rubber, chairs and tables of a very substantia,! character modelled after good examples of the period, ajid appropriate pieces of amour. The two first-class verandah cafes have been treated more as garden cafes. They "•re open to the principal promenade deck, decorated with treiilage work on tho walls and roof, and are to liave comfortable enne chairs, tables and other furnishings.

ladies' Boom and Nursery. A quiet pb;ise of the Louis SVT. style is adopted for the music room or ladies' room, 42ft by 21ft. A fine mantelpiece of marble with gilt ormulu mounts, surmounted by a gilded mirror'at the fore j end is one of the chief features of this j room, while furniture of French walnut from good period models, handsomely upholstered, elaborately brocaded silk curtains, a heavily earppted floor, ornamental skylight, and a fine selection of historical French prints on the walls, complete tho effect cf a Louis XVI. salon. A handsomely penciled room, near the first-class dining saloon, forms an attractive auxiliary dining room for private parties wishing the privacy of a separate room, and also serves as n children's dining room during the day. j There is a largo nursery, with a novel scheme of decoration, equipped in every respeet for the amusement of the younger generation. A wcll-lightod writing room, tastefully decorated on the same linc3 as the music room, together with a conveniently placed, tastefully treated and well equipped ladies' dressing room, and also a light and airy gymnasium on the open deck, panelled in teak, fitted with a special rubber-tiled floor, and equipped with a very complete assortment of mechanical gymnastic machines and hand exercisers for tho benefit of the passengers generally and particularly for professional sportsmen travelling on this route, complete the public rooms for tho first-class. The second-class public rooms consist cf a large dining saloon, a smoking room, a general lounge and a separate ladies' room. They are commodious apartments, panelled and decorated wi{,h the same caro and taste as the first-class, and equipped with lino tiled floors, liaudsomo and comfortable furniture which ensure a pleasing dignity coupled with unusual luxury for the sec-ond-class traveller. The third-class public rooms, 1 consisting of a large dining I saloon, a large smoking room, and a j lounge, all panellad in teak, are very j mueh in advance in their decorations I ;uiii furnishings of anything previously i allotted on super-liners to tie third- | class. j Private Accommodation. j liignt special cabines-do-luxe, each j with well appointed marble lined bath- | rooms attached, are situated on the I principal promenade deck, panelled and ! luxuriously furnished in different period (styles (including asi "Empire" suite, an "Adam's" suite, a "Louis XVI." j suite, aii "Elizabethan" suite, a ! "Quocn Anne" auite, a "Kegence" i suite, a "Sheraton" suite, and a "Ja- ; cobean" suite. | No less than 11 per cent, of the iirst- ! class passengers will be accommodated i in singic-berth cabins, and 76 per cent. ! in tWA berth cabins, the few remaining I being accommodated in three-berth i cabins. The convenience and comfort i of family parties has been respected hy j the introduction of communr-a'ing j doom. J The second-class cabin.;. \i Likii ar? | all superior in arrangement and furfcSiii- < iugs to the large majority of lira*; -efc.-s j cabins of many prosem ocean linen. ' provide accommodation principally ii; ; single and two-berth cabin.®. Some four-b?rth cabins are provided for family parties. Even in "die third cl;v&» greater privacy than hitherto has bee.c • I'Maitien by the arrangeu'cni of a con number 02' two-berm <~\ i no more '-ban four persons bcinc ac'-oa - 1 mouaied iu 'uiy one room ia -i • tfi.v exceptional vases, \*hUo nr-cj. , uuiigryut sieopiag accoiamodaiioa h-js been eliminated, i Tho lavatory inid i.a;:iro..:u | ilati'ju or! the vessel hi-ve i >£«.••; ! lipou very generous ai.'d hyge.:.,.- ilu j wjiii Hied looatH, poredaij; r.:i, :,i> i i }'ul- aud eo.ii '.vruor .v'.i'vv-s-- ! 'vhi'e ft. i.uti'ber of sprrr. aad va-Ji". | fur i i: . j "f'itifori <•(' first an-.! pa.

sengers. Adjacent to one of the main entrance halls, an enquiry office for paissengcrs' information and mails has been provided, together with a shop for tho sale of newspapers, magazines, choeo'.-iies, sweetnscsis, tobuceo, and immediate necessities. A c'ock-romn is nc;ir the dining saloon, so thai passengers may proceed wiihoui lie ineon- j venianco of depositing their belongings \ in their respectivo cabins. A .largo area of promenade deck near lie rirst- 1 class verandah cafe lias b«e» allotted and equipped for open sir dancing whan in tropical waters, wbi]e arrangements have been made for providing i llim displays for a comprehensive cinema programme 5u the lounge uur ing ti:i» voyage. Barbers' shops, equipped with the most modern electric*! appliances, are j provided not only for tho lirjt and sec- i oiid-elass passengers, bat also for the third-class passengers au-1 crew, white a i'ciiy-cqulpped tlavk-room is arrange': for passengers wishing to pursue their hobbies in photography. A printing : establishment, equipped wii'a modern eJecrrie-drh en maciiiiic-ij. has been provided to deal with the ship's printing, passenger printing, and the usual ship's , magazine. Advantages of Science. AyuTi from tiic staff and service iift.*, two modern electric passenger lifts are • fitted, communicating with nil decks, iuclndiug the boat deck. Ther j are loud-speaking telephones and. telegraphs for navigational purposes, a'-l the numerous departments are connect- j ed with a complete telephone exchange system, and the wireless station is installed witli both continuous wave and spark instruments to cope with .navigai.ional messages, ship's business, passenger telegraph traflic, mid the receipt of Press news and broadcast programmes from shore stations. Elec-trically-operated clocks, which can bo regulated and corrected for longitude according to the ship's position each day, arc installed iu nil ibo principal passenger -spaces for all classes of passengers and staff and in some of the more elaborate cabins. Tlio kitchens have teen designed on the most up-io-uata lines, embodying cooking ranges lirc-cl by a low-pressure oil system, and a largo number of electrical appliances. The pantries also have been thoroughly equipped to avoid unnecessary labour, and on the most up-to-date mechanical principles, including electrically driven dishwasliing machines, und sUverplato cleaning machinery. An extensive bakery is also provided with electrically-heated baker's oven, pastry oven, dough-mixing machines, provers, whisking-tnachines, etc. The whole of tho vessel Las been heated by means of a specially designed low pressure steam heating system, Tinder the control of tho individual passenger, circulation being ensured b.v a vacuum pump on the exhaust. Meotrie heaters have also Tieen provided in various parts of tho .vessel. The ship also carries about 225,000 cubic feet of general cargo and parcels, and about 90j000 cubic, feet of refrigerated cargo, including fruit, meat, and dairy produce. Tho most up-to-dato cargo appliances have been provided, together with new specially, designed steamdriven winches to ensure silent running to avoid the disturbance of passengers. The utmost skill and forethought hxs been given to tho life-saving applii ances.