A GIANT WORK

Evening Star, Issue 21292, 22 December 1932, Page 7

A GIANT WORK

CLEANING A LINEN DONE AT HIGH SPEED When an ocean liner goes into dry clock for a spring clean there is set in operation a day and night plan, every small detail of which has been schemed and; timed by estimators and engineers with the precision necessary for the launching of a battlefield attack, says a London paper. Nowhere is it more true that time is money. Perhaps 1,000 men are engaged in this work of refurnishing an ocean greyhound, and the, cost may be anything between £3,000 aiid £4,000 a day. Hence work is rushed at top speed throughout the twenty-four hours. Millions of pounds are spent every year on , the spring cleaning of big liners, and the work, has a magnitude which is rarely appreciated by the layman. Tile hull plates of one transatlantic greyhound are equivalent to a pavement eight miles long and three feet wide; every inch of that area has to be scrubbed thoroughly before being painted. The operation consumes no less than 12,0001 b of paint. The average housewife cannot fail to be overawed when she learns what an overhaul of, one of the big liner’s linen departments means. Anything up to 150,000 pieces of linen may be carried, two-thirds of this linen being in regular use. In the spring cleaning there is, of course, a great turning over and sorting out of this linen. Thousands of pillow slips,, sheets, and blankets may be condemned—nearly 2,500 pairs of curtains will be changed. Ten thousands pounds of soap are used on the annual cleaning operations. Scrubbing, dusting, and scouring brushes are plied tirelessly—6oo of them. Four hundred brooms sweep up every speck of dirt and dust lurking in stray corners. And all the while painters and decorators are busy using up some 6,000 gallons of paint and over 100 books of gold leaf. The entire style of interior decoration may be changed, ivory finish, for example, giving way to modernistic style in this or that public room. The furniture may be completely changed to keep in tune with such changed style. This work of refurnishing does not end with the business of changed colours and decorations. The march of progress frequently calls for permanent structural alterations. One vessel installed a system of shore-to-shore wireless telephone communication. Another vessel capped this by installing a two-way wireless telephone service for the use of its wealthy patrons. A French line conceived the idea of equipping one of its famous vessels with an aeroplane catapult; and the idea was instantly countered by a rival line. It has been conjectured by those in a position to gauge the trend of development in these matters that the day is fast approaching when no crack liner will be without its own special aeroplane and airman, carried aboard for the service of any passenger having urgent need of it. One ocean liner has a luxurious lounge nearly 90ft square and provided with n dance floor capable of accommodating 100'couples. The furnishings include a carpet which cost £I,OOO. Apart from other mechanical matters, there is also undertaken in this overhaul a thorough examination of all life-saving equipment. Davits are tested, lifeboats painted, and their lockers restocked with matches, flares, water in airtight cans, food in tins, and fresh signalling apparatus.