A MODERN LINER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19240, 2 August 1924, Page 20

A MODERN LINER.

FITTINGS OF THE AOHANGI. DESIGN AND FURNISHINGS ■ LUXURIOUS TRAVELLING. {From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, Juno 19. There is, of course, much to do before tho Union Company’s new liner the Aorangi is ready to take to the open seas. It is anticipated she will bo 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. There is a beautiful model of the ship in tho New Zealand Pavilion at Wembley, and this is an object of admiration by all visitors whether or not they are technically interested.

With her two tall masts and two power-fid-looking funnels, she will have the stateliness of a huge steam yacht, coupled with the spaciousness of a modem West End hotel. Practically no thought of expense has been spared in the design and furnishings of her first-class public rooms to comae the dignity of historical period_ decoration with the comfort and hygienic practices of the present 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'l.ouis 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 stylo chairs richly covered, stylish curtains and pelmets to the windows, wall mirrors, rubber tiled 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 those rooms is the firstclass lounge hall .which is no less than 64ft in length by 43ft 6in 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-proportioned panelling, and has been painted in varying shades of green with gilded relief. An open staircase of a particularly impressive character ascends from the after end of the lounge to the gallery above, where there are recessed settees, wrought iron balustrading, and a beautiful skylight. A fine oil painting of the Aornngi, or Mount Hook, is to be incorporated in tho panelling at tho half landing of this staircase. The adjoining first-class smoko room, 34ft long by 25ft wide, is designed after the Jacobean period, with a central well skylight rather originally treated with boldly carved roof trusses with heraldic shields. The stone fireplace is placed in an inglenook at the fore end, and tho antique furnished oak furniture harmonises with the grey toned oak finish of the wall panelling. old English tiled floor of rubber, chairs and tables 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 troillage work on tho walls and roof, and are to have comfortable cane chairs, tables, and other furnishings. I, A DIES’ ROOM AND NURSERY.

A quiet phase of the Louis XVI style is adopted for the music-room or ladies’ room, 42 feet by 21 feet. 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 from good period models, handsomely upholstered, elaborately brocaded silk curtains, a heavilv carpeted floor, ornamental skylight, and a fine selection of historical French prints on tho walls, complete tho effect of a Louis XVI salon. A handsomely pannolled room, near the first-class dining saloon, forms an attractive auxiliary diningroom 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 tho 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, pannellod in teak, fitted with a special rubber tiled floor, and equipped with a very complete assortment of mechanical gymnastic machines ana hand exercisers for tho benefit of tho passengers generally and, particularly, for professional sportsmen travelling on this route, complete tho public rooms for tho first class.

The second-class public rooms consist of a large dining-saloon, a smoking-room, a general lounge, and a separate ladies’ room. They are commodious apartments, panelled .and decorated with the same care and fasto as the first class, and equipped with lino tiled floors, handsome and comfortable furniture, 'which ensure a pleasing dignity coupled with unusual luxury for the secondclass traveller. The third-class public rooms, consisting of a large dining saloon, a large smoking room, and a lounge, all pannelled in leak, are very much in advance in their decorations and furnishings of anything previously allotted on superliners to the third class. PRIVATE ACCOMMODATION.

Eight special cuhines-de-luxe, each with well-appointed marble-lined 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 “Elizabethan” suite, a “Queen Anno” suite, a “Rcgence” suite, a. “Sheraton” suite, and a “Jacobean” suite.

No less than 11 per cent, of the first class passengers will be accommodated in single berth cabins and 76 per cent, in two-berth cabins, the few remaining being accommodated in three-berth cabins. The convenience and comfort of family parties has been respected by tho introduction of communicating doors. The second class cabins, which are all superior in arrangement and furnishings to tho largo majority of 'first class cabins of many present ocean liners, provide accommodation principally in single and twoborth cabins. Some four-berth cabins are provided for family parties. Even in the third class greater privacy than hitherto has been obtained by the arrangement of u considerable number of two-berth cabins, no more (linn four persons being accommodate in any one room except in a few exceptional cases, while nil open emigrant sleeping accommodation has been eliminalcd.

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 o f spray and needle baths have been introduced for the comfort of first and second class passengers. Adjacent, to one of the main entrance halls an enquiry 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 cloak room is near the dining saloon, so that passengers may proceed without tho inconvenience of depositing their belongings in their respective cabins.

A largo area of promenade deck near tho first class verandah cafe lias 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 toe lounge during the voyage. Barbers’ shops, equipped with tho most modern electrical appliances, are provided not only for the first and second class passengers and crew, while a fully equipped darkroom is arranged for passengers wishing to pursue fheir hobbies in photography. A printing establishment equipped with modern electric-driven machinery, has boon provided to deal with the ship’s printing, passenger printing, and tho usual ship's magazine. x ADVANTAGES OF SCIENCE. Apart from the staff and service lifts, tyvo modern electric passenger lifts are fitted, communicating with all decks, including the boat deck. There loud speaking telephones and telegraphs for navigational purposes, all the numerous departments aro 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 shin a position each day, are installed in all the principal passenger spaces for 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 pi'essure oil system, and a large number of electrical appliances. Tho pantries also have been thoroughly equipped to avoid unnecessary labour, and on tho most up-to-date mechanical principles, including electrically driven dish-washing machines, and silver plate cleaning machinery. An ©xtensiwe bakery is also provided with electrically heated baker’s _ oven pastry oven, dough-mixing machines, provers, whisking machines, etc. The whole of the vessel has been heated by moans of a specially dosined low pressure steam heating system, under the control of the individual passenger, circulation being ensured bv a vacuum pump on the exhaust. Electric heaters have also been provided in various parts of the vessel. The ship also carries a quantity of cargo 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 un-to-date cargo appliances have been provided, together with new specially-designed steam-driven winches to ensure silent running to avoid tlm disturbance of passengers. The utmost skill and forethought has been given to the life-saving appliances.