MAURETANIA SALE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20648, 24 June 1935, Page 1

MAURETANIA SALE.

Famous Liner’s Fittings Disposed of. NOVEL PLAN FOR HOTEL. LONDON, May 20. Although the famous liner Mauretania’s next vo3'age 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.” During the eight days’ auction of her furniture and appointments the largest bu3*er was a London cigar merchant and hotel owner, Mr Watler 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 he 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 bow and stern, which Mr Martin bought for £213. .He also paid £l2O for twenty of the thirty lots from the captain’s quarters, which realised nea4sj\- £2OO. Two-guinea Models. This was on the most interesting dav of the whole sale, since among its 550 lots were most of the objects which people might be expected to want for their associations rather than, their use —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 smokerooms, and even dealers let sentiment add guineas to their bids. On the auctioneer’s table stood two small glass-cased models of the Mauretania, and more are to be made from her timbers for those willing to pay two guineas for such a remembrance. The auctioneer 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 ten and a half guineas to a Mrs Raynes. of Finchley, who said she Xvould give it to her thirteen-3*ear-old son, with whom ships are a passion. Sir Edward Cunard, a great-grandson of the company’s founder, bought a wardrobe. Then a London engineer, Mr Douglas Sessions, bought the chartroom complete for £3O, with the idea of incorporating it in a new house. Afterwards he paid £6 10s for +he two “A’s” of the starboard bow lettering, which was sold letter by letter. Of these he will make a gong. The 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. Sandrev, Llovd’s agent for the Scilly Isles, who said' he had no idea what he would do with his purchases. Old Ship’s Bell. 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 bargain prices. They cost £250 to £3OO to build. They were knocked down to various bidders at from seven to t*jent3'-one guineas. Mr Sandrey paid sixty-five 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 be 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 chair and began the National Anthem Everybody joined in the words. They were sounding through the ship fol the last time.