GIANT LINER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22433, 1 June 1936, Page 11

GIANT LINER

LIFE ON BOARD Y3ESSEL

DESCRIPTIVE BROADCAST • . . OVER 2000 PASSENGERS ' : —r~" MANY NOTABLE FEATURES Life on board the Cunard liner Queen Mary, on her maiden voyage across the Atlantic Ocean, en route to New York, was described yesterday to listeners throughout the world -by a corps of British Broadcasting Corporation commentators stationed at 10 vantage points on the giant vessel. It was stated that over 2000 passenger# were on board. Listeners were conducted on a comprehensive tour of the liner, heard a. talking film in the main lounge on the promenade deck, and were transported to the large restaurant, where 17C> stewards ministered to the needs of 817' first-class passengers. The chief steward,, Mr. Jones, introduced the radio audieix-e to the chief chef, Monsieur Ricot, who presides over an all-electric kitchen and has five assistants and 200 cooks and pastry hands. Then, in quick: succeiision, listeners visited the tourist lounge, where the ship's band, under Mr. Henry Hall, was playing, the squash racquet courts and the animals' quarters, where passengers' pets ai*» cared for. Library and Shopping Bentr* A visit, was paid to the library, where the librarian, Mr. Watkinson, describee! the uplendid facilities available. B« said there were 3500 books in the firstclass library, 1500 in the tourist section and 1000 in the steerage library. The librarian taid there were many students travelling steerage who demanded serious reading, while lighter reading, such as detective stories, were easily the first preference of first-class passengers. Mr. Watkinson described the shopping centre, where "one can purchase anything from a needle to a Gains borough painting—even the special * dress tie you forgot to bring." The crew's quarters were described with pride by a member of the crew, who said the two-berth cabins and hot and cold water were among the noteworthy features of the liner. Another warmly praised the fire-fighting apparatus, and the Diesel-engined lifeboats, which could be launched in " a twinkling." The subdued roar of the Queen Mary's mighty turbines marked the approaching close of the broadcast, and a switch-over was made to a microphone on the bridge, where the commander, Sir Edgar Britten, spoke. "You have heard descriptions of the Queen Mavy, and life on board the great vessel," he said. "Everything is working very smoothly. The ship left on schedule. There is a north-easterly breeze, and our estimated position is latitude 46 degrees north, longitude £>3 degrees 18 minutes, and the average speed about 29 knots. " Every Modern Invention " "The Queen Mary is equipped with every modern invention. Here on the bridge is a self-steering wheel and wireless direction - finding equipment, capable of accurately determining the position of the vessel, even although she is in the densest fog and 200 miles off fihore. She has a sounding apparatus which gives the depth of under the vessel each second. The Queen Mary ; is absolutely free from vibration, and, ! indeed in the restaurant one cannot detect whether the craft is under wav or not. The vessel can travel at that high-rate of speed, and cany her passengers in that safety and comfort, which the present high-pressure iiviiijt of these days demands." Two notes from the ship's bell and : the boatswain's sonorous cry- of "All's j well" brought a memorable broadcastlo a close.

The broadcast, which was on short wave, was "picked up" by the Govern merit station at Rugby, England, and relayed by landline to the London studio of the British Broadcasting Corporation; to be rebroadenst by all the corporation's stations, including the Daventry short wave Empire, transmitters. Simultaneous broadcasts were made throughout the United States. Similar broadcasts will bo m'ade as the vessel arrives at New York.