WORLD WONDER LINER

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume XXI, 18 April 1922, Page 4

WORLD WONDER LINER

The population of a small town could be housed on board the world’s wonder liner, the Majestic; for the vessel which is now nearing completion will be not only the largest afloat, but will outclass such monsters as the Olympic, Aquitania, and Mauretania.

Her amazing size may be judged from the fact that she will be able to carry over 5000 people, including 4100 passengers. If reared alongside the famous Woolworth building, the largest in the world, she would over-top the gilded spire by 164 ft. In every respect tire Majestic will be a floating palace. Heir tonnage ie 56,060, or almost as great as that of the whole of the one hundred and thirty-two ships that composed the Spanish Armada. And the space occupied by KeFcabins, state-rooms, and engines is equal to that of four hundred detached villas of eight rooms apiece.

Even the highest class hotel will be surpassed by her magnificent appointments. Apart from the huge restaurant, lounge, and library, there will be a swimming bath, cafes, tennis courts, a flower conservatory, a ballroom, card rooms, and a winter garden and stage. The swimming bath will contain more than one hundred and thirty tons of sea water; and there will also be Turkish and electric baths.

Electric lighting will be employed throughout the great vessel. Lifts, which run from keel to boat deck, have been installed, and there is one in the engineroom for the use of the crew. An electric switchboard will control 15,000 lights and ventilating fans. Then, too, there is a complete telephone installation. It will be an expensive matter to run a liner of this size. The cost of a round trip, it is estimated, will be something like £lOO,OOO.

For each voyage at least 150,0001 b of meat, 56,0001 b of fish, 70,0001 b of flour, and 16,0001 b of sugar will be required.

In addition, the larder must include about- 120,0001 b of potatoes, 10,0001 b of butter, 60001 b of tea and coffee, 80,000 eggs, 5000 gallons of milk, and an amazing amount of poultry, vegetables, fruit, and wines. There will be eight separate kitchens with seventy cooks, twenty-five bakers, and fifteen butchers, while “kosher’’ kitchens for Jewish travellers will be available.

The new liner, despite her great bulk, will be one of the fastest vessels afloat. Her gigantic engines are capable of driving her through the water at "a speed of about twenty-six knots (thirty miles) an hour, while in the course of a voyage she will use about 5700 tons of oil. The Majestic is one of the vessels which was taken over from the Germans. She was built in 1914, was named the Bismarck, and was bought from the Government by the White Star Line for something like a million pounds. When she sails from Plymouth to New York next April she will be under the command of Sir Bertram Hayes, whose career has been as romantic as that of the great liner he will control. At present in charge of the Olympic, he was born at Birkenhead and went to sea at the age of 16 on board a sailing barque.