MAURETANIA’S “M”

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18758, 15 July 1935, Page 4

MAURETANIA’S “M”

SOLD FOR £ll LINER SALE ENDS SOUTH A DIP.) TON, May 24. Mauretania’s sale ended to-day when the fittings of the bridge, chart room, captain’s and officers’ cabins and the lifeboats and flags were sold. The old liner lay just ahead of the Olympic; she is to be moved tomorrow morning, with a faint wisp of smoke coining from her after funnel. A steady trickle of people came all morning'and well into tho afternoon until 450 had climbed tho gangway and crowded into the sale room. The auctioneer got through 550 lots. The sale was governed by sentiment in many parts. For instance, bunks went for a-shilling or two, but; nine lifebuoys with Mauretania- on them were valued at £5 to eight guineas each. LETTER BY LETTER Something went wrong with the sentiment when it came to the chart room, however —£7 is scarcely the sum you might expect the chart table with all its associations to fetch. Particularly when a set of four flags forming the ship’s number went for eight guineas. The lifeboats did not sell very well. They wont at seven to twonty-one guineas. They were probably worth £250 new. Each brass letter was offered separately from the name on the starboard bow. Each of the ten letters went to an hotel proprietor for £ls. The letters on the port bow went to various people. A woman bought the “M” for £ll. After the sale auctioneers and buyers rose to sing “God Save the King.” The Mauretania is sold up. The rest is for the shipbreakers.