A MODERN LINER.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 13 August 1924, Page 7

A MODERN LINER.

FITTINGS OF THE AOHANGL DESIGN AND FURNISHINGS. LUXURIOUS TRAVELLING. . ' LONDON, July 18. There is, oi' course, much lo do bei’oie the tuiou Company's new liner, the Aorangi, is ready to take to the open seas. It is anticipated she will be ready to hand over to the owners at the end of the year. In the meantime the work is sufficiently advanced to give a very fair idea of what the interior of the palatial vessel will be _nere is a. oeautiful- model of the ship jn the New Zealand Pavilion at Wembley, and this is an object of admiration by all visitors, whether or not they are technically interested in shipping-

\\ ith her two tall -masts and two powerful looking funnels, she will have the stateliness of a huge steam yacht, coupled with the spaciousness of a modern West End hotel. Practically no thought or expense has been spared ip the design and furnishings of her firstclass public rooms to combine the dignity of historical beriod decoration with the comfort and hygienic practices of the preesnt day, and the standard set up recently by high-class liners for luxurious comfort in travelling on deep sea voyages has been more than maintained. The first-class dining saloon is a handsome and spacious apartment, designed after the period of Louis XVI., with carefully arranged panelling painted in varying shades of Trianon grey colour. The well opening above is surrounded by a fine gilded wrought iron balustrading, with a large decorated tapestry panel after . the manner of “Boucher,” while the room itself, with its handsome sideboard of beautiful veneered walnut with decorative mirror above, its period style chairs, richly covered, stylish curtains, and pelmets to the windows, wall mirrors, rubbertiled floor, and handsomely designed ceiling, gives a note of dignity and pleasing detail.

The remainder of the extensive range of first-class public rooms are grouped together with through communication on the promenade deck. One of the largest and best-appointed of these rooms is the first-class lounge hall, which is no less than 64ft in length bv 43ft Gin broad, and of unusually dignified height, with a handsome gallery above. The Georgian scheme of decoration of this room has been artistically carried out with well-propor-tioned panelling and bus been painted in varying shades of green with gilded relief. An open staircase of a particularly impressive character ascends from the after end bf the lounge to the gallery above, where there are recessed settees, wrought iron balustrading and beautiful skylight. A fine oil painting of the Aorangi, or Mount Cook, is to be incorporated in the panelling at the half londing of this staircase. The adjoining first-class smoEe-room, 34ft long by 2oft wide, is designed after the Jacobean period with a central, well .skylight- rather originally treated with bold carved roof trusses with heraldic shields. The stone fireplace is placed in an inglenook at the fore end, and the antique furnished oak furniture harmonises with the grey-toned oak finish of the wall panelling, old English tiled floor of /rubber, chairs and table's of a very substantial character, modelled after good examples of the period, and appropriate pieces of armour. The two first-class verandah cafes have been, treated more as garden cafes. They are open to the principal promenade deck, decorated with treillage work on the walls and roof, and are to have comfortable cane chaiys, tables and other furnishings. LADIES’ ROOM AND NURSERY. A quiet i>hase 0 f the Louis XVI. 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-end, is one of the chief features of this room, while furniture of French walnut front good period models, handsomely upholstered, elaborately brocaded silk curtains, a heav-ily-carpeted floor, ornamental skylight, and a fine selection of historical French prints on the walls, complete the effect of a Louis XVI. salon. A handsomely panelled room, near the firstclass dining saloon, forms an" attractive auxiliary dining-room for private parties wishing the privacy of a separate room, and also serves as a children’s dining-room during the day. There is a large nursery with a novel scheme of decoration, equipped in every respect for the amusement of the younger generation.

A well-Lighted writing room, tastefully decorated on the same lines 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 t*q tripled with a very complete assortment of mechanical gymnastic mac-nines and hand exercisers for the benefit of passengers generally, and particularly for professional sportsmen travelling on this route, complete the public rooms for the first-class.

The second-class public irooms consist of a large dining saloon, a smokingroom, a general lounge, and a separate ladies’ room. They are commodious apartments, panelled and decorated with the sajne care and taste "as the first-class, and equiped with lino-tiled floors, handsome and comfortable furniture which ensure a pleasing dignity coupled with unusual luxury for the second-class -traveller. The third-class public rooms, consisting of a large dining saloon, a large smoking-room, and a lounge, all panelled in teak, are very much in advance in their decorations and furnishings or anything previously allotted on super-liners to the thirdclass. PRIVATE ACCOMMOJ>ATJON. Eight special cabinet-de-luxe, each with well-appointed marble-tiled bathrooms attached,: are situated on the principal promenade deck, panelled and luxuriously furnished in different period styles including an “Empire-” suite, an “Adam’s” suite, a “Louis XVI.” suite, an "Elizabethian” suite, a “Queen Anne” suite, a ‘‘Regenee” suite, a “Sheraton” suite, and a “Jacobean” suite. No less than 11 per cent, of the firstclass passengers will be accommodated in single-berth cabins and 7(5 per cent in two berth cabins, the few remaining being accommodated in 3-berth cabins. The convenience and comrort of family parties has been respected by the introduction of communicating doors. The second-class sabins, which are all superior in arrangement and furnishings to the large majority of firstclass cabins of many present ocean liners, provide accommodation princinallv in single and two-berth cabins. Some four-berth cabins are provided for family parties. liven in the third-class greater privacy than hitherto has been obtained by the arrangement of a considerable number of two-berth cabins; no more than four persons being accommodated in any one room except in a few exceptional cases, while all open I emigrant sle'eping accommodation, has been eliminated.

The lavatory and bathroom accommodation of the vessel have been designed upon very generous and hygienic lines, with tiled rooms, porcelain baths and constant hot and cold water services, while a number of spray and needle baths have been introduced for the comlorfc. of first and second-class passengers. Adjacent to one of the main entrance halls, an inquiry office for passengers’ information and mails has been provided, together with a shop for the sale of newspapers, magazines, chocolates, sweetmeats, tobacco, and immediate necessities. . A e’oak room - is near the dining silicon, so that passengers may proceed without the inconvenience of depositing their belongings in their respective cabins. A large area of promenade deck near the first-class verandah safe has been allotted and equipped for open-air dancing when in tropical waters, while arrangements have been made for providing film displays for a comprehensive cinema programme in the lounge during the voyage. Barbers’ shops, equipried with the most modern electrical appliances, are provided not only for the first and second-class passengers, but also for the third-class passengers and crew, while a fully equipped darkroom is arranged for passengers wishing to pursue their hobbies in photography. A printing establishment, equipped with modern electric-driven machinery, has been provided to deal with the ship’s printing, passenger printing and the usual ship’s magazine. ADVANTAGES OF SCIENCE.

Apart from the staff and service lifts, two modeni electric passenger lifts are fitted, communicating with all deeps, including the boat deck. There loud-speaking telephones and telegraphs for navigational purposes, all the numerous departments are connected with a complete telephone exchange system, and the wireless station, is installed with both continuous wave and spark instruments to cope with navigational messages, ship’s business, passenger telegraph traffic, and the receipt of Press news and broadcast programmes from shore stations. Electrically operated clocks, which can be regulated and corrected for longitude according to the ship’s position each day, are installed in all the principal passenger spaces foir all classes of passengers and staff, and in some of the more elaborate cabins. The kitchens have been designed on the most up-to-date lines, embodying cooking ranges fired by a low-pressure oil system, and aw large 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 dish-washing machines and silver-plate cleaning machinery. An extensive bakery is also provided with electrically 7 heated baker’s oven, pastry oven, dough mixer machines, provers, whisking machines, etc. The whole of the vessel has been heated by means of a specially designed low pressure steam heating system, under the control of the individual passenger, circulation being ensured by a vacuum pump on the exhaust. Electric heaters have also been provided in various parts of the vessel. The ship also carries a quontity of about 225,000 cubic feet of general cargo and parcels, and about 90,000 cubic feet of refrigerated cargo, including fruit, meat- and dairy produce ; special care being taken to ensure the most up-to-date 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 has been given to the life-saving appliances. '