Builder of Some Famous Ships Retiring

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 133, 8 June 1935, Page 9

Builder of Some Famous Ships Retiring

NEW CUNARDER WAS SIR THOMAS BELL’S GREATEST TRIUMPH

Sir Thomas Beil, who has supervised the building of some of tlio most famous ships afloat —his greatest triumph being the Queen Mary—recently announced his intention of retiring from business.

Sir Thomas, who is almost 70, is the managing director of Clydebank’s Admiralty shipyard. His life interests havo been shipbuilding and gardening.

Now that he is to finish with ships his timo will bo mostly spout in his garden at a new home he has built at Helensburgh. It commands a perfect view of the Firth of Cylde, and ho will see from his garden ships passing up and down the river, and the Queen Mary, on the day, a year from now, when she sails down the river under her own power, will pass near to the homo of the man who was responsible for her construction. For 26 years Sir Thomas Bell has been in supreme control, in Clydebank. Virtually he has been the first commander of all the ships he has built.

Some of his triumphs are: H.H.S. Hood, Great Britain’s mightiest battleship; the Empress of Britain, a sup-er-luxury liner; tlio Duchess of York; the Aquitauia, and the latest and greatest, the Queen Mary. Probably the greatest day in tho eventful career of the shipbuilder was when lie stood with the King, tho Queen, and tho l’riuce of Wales on September 26 last year and watched the great ship gliding into the river.

It was he who had arranged the perfect launch, and peoplo of Clydebank say that no one worked harder to get the ship started than the chief of the yard. Sir Thomas is a great-grandson of Henry Beil, who designed the Comet, the pioneer of steamships. lie was educated at King’s College School, and the Royal Naval Engineering College, Dcvonport.

Skeleton Mystery The mystery of a human skeleton found recently in a lime pit at Worthington, Leicestershire, deepened when three eye-sockets, and a small bone not belonging to the skeleton, were unearthed near the scene of tlio previous discovery. The North Leicestershire Coroner says that a medical examination of the skeleton reveals that it is that of a woman buried at last 10 years ago.

The latest discoveries arc also to be medically examined, and tlio police arc continuing their inquiries.

. The best thing a woman can keep to remind her of her wedding day is her husband.

While a large tanker motor-lorry was travelling along tho Great North Road, North Finchley, London, the valve at the back was wrenched off, 2000 gallons of molasses flowed down the road, and as a result, traffic was held up for some timo.

Tho speaker was opposed to women’s colleges, and was supporting the coeducational institutions of learning.

‘‘What will follow,” he thundered, "when wc take the girls away from our leading universities? ’’ A male voice from the rear spoilt up, "I will!”