SALE OF MAURETANIA

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 28 June 1935, Page 11

SALE OF MAURETANIA

FAMOUS LINER’S FITTINGS NOVEL PLAN FOR AN HOTEL SOUVENIRS REALISE £15,000 Although the famous liner Mauretania’s next voyage from Southampton docks is to her funeral at Rosyth, the sting may be taken from her death by a scheme both novel and romantic, writes a special correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph,” London. During the eight days’ auction of her furniture and appointments the largest buyer was a London cigar merchant and hotel owner, Mr Walter Martin. Of the 3500 lots, something like 1000, including all the panelling of the public rooms, were bought by Mr Martin. When interviewed at the end of the sale ho did not deny that, he thought of building in Guernsey a Hotel Mauretania, in which would be placed much of the liner’s woodwork and fittings. , If the scheme matures, the hotel’s nameplates will be formed of the 2ft brass lettering from the ship’s port how and stern, which Mr Martin bought for £213. He also paid £l2O for 20 of the 30 lots from the captain’s quarters, which realised nearly £2OO. TWO-GUINEA MODELS This was on the most interesting day of the sale, since among its 550 lots were most of the objects which people might be expected to want for their associations rather than their US e_the bell, the wheel, the boats, the flags and the instruments. Hitherto the bidding had been mat-ter-of-fact, among about 200 people. But on this day 500 crowded the tourist smokeroom, and even dealers let sentiment add guineas to their bids. On the auctioneer’s table stood two small glass-cased models of the tania,.and more are to be made from her timbers for those w-illing to pay two guineas each for such a remembrance. The nutioneer appealed quite frankly to the sentiment of final things—■ “The last day • • a famous ship . . the Blue Riband . . . .” But at first the hearts of his audience showed little inclination to get the better of their heads. A dealer secured all the pine panelling of the third-class dining saloon for £2O, and an offer of 10s for as many bunks brought from the auctioneer the disgusted comment: “And some people want souvenirs of the Mauretania!” THE CAPTAIN’S CHAIR. Ten lanterns went at about a pound apiece, and Mr Martin was able to get 500 coat-hangers for £2. It was the captain’s cabins that .started reason’s abdication. People competed keenly for the armchair in which Sir Arthur Rostron, the Mauretania’s commander, most often sat. At last it went for 10.] guineas to a Airs Raynes, of Finchley, who said she would give it to her 13-year-old son, with whom ships are a passion.

Sir Edward Cunard, a great-gi-and-sen of the company’s founder, bought a wardrobe. Then a London engineer, Mr Douglas Sessions, bought the chart room complete for £3O, with the idea of incorporating it in a. new house. Afterwards he paid £6 10s for the two “A’s” of the .starboard bow lettering, which was sold letter by letter. Of these he will make a gong. Tho Mauretania’s set of code flags was split into sixes for the benefit of souvenir-hunters, but the whole set was bought by another considerable bidder, Mr H. J. W. Sandrey, Lloyd’s agent for the Scilly Isles, who said he hda no idea what he would do with his purchases. OLD SHIP’ SBELL. A Mr J. S. Williamson, of Kirkcudbright, paid £3 15s for a small house flag because he took his honeymoon on the Mauretania. The lifeboats—too big for sentimental, and too expensive to convert to practical purposes went at bargai nprieos. They cost £250 to £3CO to build. They were knocked down to various bidders at from 7 to 21 guineas. Mr Sandrey paid 6-3 guineas for the ship’s bell. Lifebuoys were about five pounds apiece. The letter “M” will hang in the home of a Reading seed merchant, who made several trips in the Mauretania. The “N” is to bo sent to the Salisbury house of a former purser.

It was late in the afternoon before the dispersal, which has brought in £15,000, ended with a. proper moment of emotion. Mr Sandrey stood on a chai rand began the National Anthem. Everybody joined in the words. They were sounding through the ship for the last time.