The Jersey City news., 1898-09-27
REF|TTING THE PARIS.
Fast American Liner Los
ing Her War Like Dress
at a Grand Street
Wharf.

The fast American liner. the Paris,
known in the war as the Yale, lies at the
dock at the foot of Grand street with her
graceful nose Doked out over the yard
and her slick sides rubbing quietly
against the wharf She is being stripped
of her warlilSe appearance, and in few
weeks She will again be one of the white
winged messengers of peace carrying pas
sengers and merchandise to and from the
Old and New Worlds.
Few people have the slightest idea Of
the work required to be done before she
is ready to GO to sea again, and it speaks
wen Ter Jersey City that the men anu
ma "a l-.-a Tor 50 gigantic an unaertaklns
abused place. All Cay long there IS a sounu
OF hagnmerlnS and ear spiitttuS l4cAei
making conversation only possib.e VIZ %itn q
megaphone. Men run hither and thitner
scraping here. painting there, until there
won t be a square inch, inside or out.
from the keel 10 the truck, which hasn
received attention OF some sort
II sounded odd TO Jersey city News
representative who happened 70 pc pass
ing today the shops OF the James Eeh-
ly Repair and Supply Company, who nave
the contract for the work, to near It's
manager, Mr.. Harry Brinllman, shout 70
one Of the men on board OF the Paris -
Now be careful about Mary 2Andefsoh's
face Scrape it well and her arms. and
then ya,la want her painted and gilded.
When the Glasgow shipbuiders who
constructed the ship wanted figure on
the prow representing Paris they re-.
quested the gifted ana beautiful actress
to sit as the model. AS the figure was
painted during me war IKE sassy ane Iess 70 70
remove Mai'y's war paint and embellsh
her in white and gold. 1t may interest
some to know that the sister ship 70 the
Paris the New York, also bears Mary
Anderson's classic features on It's ngure-
head
The first thing to be done on the liner.
and that part of the work is being rap
idly carried out, was TO remove the war
paint. Masts, hull and every place cut
side on which 9 bit Of the gray eoioT h11
the exterior fittings and huh 70 the Wa
ter line so cleaned will then pc treated
to coat of black with a red heating;
the decks will be caulked. scraped ami
painted, the boilers scaled and cleaned
every bit of wood work torn out, replaced
painted and polished; engines .oyerna5nlea;; ssi;
and the inside of the vessel scraped ana
cleaned to her skin, as Mr. Brinkmah
tersely described it.
Add to all this cabins, staterooms ana
berths to be renovated, hardwood ht-
tings to be polished bathroom plumbing
TO be renewed, hundreds of side lights to
kbe taken out, cleaned and. n many eases
ways to be relaid with rubber thing, met
al to be renickeled; upholstering ana the
one hundred and one details of electric
to q be be- :, attended to, and dim idea of
what II IS to be done may be cleaned. The
vessel, in fact, when tdrned over TO rs
owners will be practically new boat.
fitted with the most recent improvements
and a coating home OF the most lux
urious kind.
on the upper deck. where the railing
was torn away Tor the gun platforms,
gangs OF men are removing the traces OF
the war devits, ironwork, ventilators and
all that vast collection Of things on
liners deck known as exterior nttlngs,
are being scraped and repainted. The
masts have received their old color ana
many of the venti1ators theirs Cables
viii be run out and tarred and the deck
flooring from stem to stern repainted.
Below no one dare say downstairs on
Ship men swarm all over and you
can't take a step without encounterirg
painter. a carpenter, or an artisan of
some class. They are in the main saloon
with its handsome dome and hardwood
fittings, exquisite. holdings. all OF wficn
are being carefully touched up lt VIII
be reupholstered and fitted with elegant
furniture Abaft midships where the roll
of the ship can scarcely be ~, IS the
birds-eye maple and rare woods now
being carefully repolished. The same is
the case in the library with its beautiful
panels. on which are carved the names OF
Moliere Voltaire and other famed men,
New carpets will be spread on the hoors
and first and second cabins and state
rooms will be fitted with modern APP
pliances and made as eosey and comfort
able as ingenious minds can devise
So en- it was throughout the vessel, and
guided by the interchangeable and energetic
Mr. Brinkman. his visitor peered into the
engine rooms. descended and ascended
dark and tortuous stairways, crossed
yawning holes leading to the very bowels
of the ship risked life and limb and
duclSing by clambering over the bow on
to the platform where Mary Anderson
was mutely submitting to the indignity
Of being scraped. The big task of re-
fitting the ship seemed to he herculean.
Come and see her in a few weeks and
you will see the prettest vessel afioat,
said Mr. Brnkrnan as his visitor removed
the paint from his hands, CRIME from his
face and coal dust from his eyes, when
they at last stood on the wharf.