A FLOATING PALACE

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 75, 29 March 1926, Page 9

A FLOATING PALACE

MILLIONAIRE'S STEAM YACHT AT

WELLINGTON,

Lying gracefully at anchor off KaiWarra Bight, the steam yacht Surprise added yet. a new touch of beauty to "Wellington Harbour yesterday. Sho had arrived the previous evening from Australian waters, the visit to Wellington being another stage in a world tour ■which is being madefy the owner of the yacht, .Mr. Godfrey H. Williams, his wife, and two daughters. The voyage began when the Surprise left Southampton on 28th November lu3t, and; since that date calla have been made "at Lc Havre, Vigo (Spain), Lisbon, Tangier, Algecims, Gibraltar, Algiers, Port Said, Ismailia, Suez, Port Sudan, -Aden, Colombo, South Cocos Island, > Fremantle, and Beauty Point (Tasmania). r Mr. Williams, the owner of the Surprise, is a Welsh millionaire, with his homo at Aberpergwm. His estate includes extensive holdings in coal mines. He bought the Surprise in 1923, and had her completely overhauled, and ho has been living aboard the yacht more or- less over sinec.

Elaborately furnished and fitted with every modern convenience, the Surprise is a veritable floating palace. She was originally built for an American millionaire, but later passed into the hands of tho late King1 Leopold. The staterooms are1, the acmo of comfort, with steam-heating appliances and' berthrooms. ,The Surprise, which is British built, is 27 years old. She carries a crew of. fifty all told, and is capable of milking 14' knots. Captain- A. P. King is in charge of the Surprise, and his officers are: — Chief, Miv W. J. Parker; second, Mr. E. 0. Litster; third, Mr. G. P. Head; chief engineer. Mr. James Marshall; second, Mr. T. K. Surtcca; third, Mr. E. E. Johnston; ship's surgeon, Dr. 1. E. Walsh. ./ ' Mr. Williams intends to spend some time in trout-fishing and 'deer-stalking and it is possible that the Surprise will remain at Wellington for somo time. Prom New Zealand she will procoed to Sydney and the Par Bast.