The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-11-05
MILLION AND A HALF
FOR 4. PADDLE WHEELER

ers, but inwardly, as floating hotel
she Is designed to surpass In luxury and
elegance many OF the finest OF the ocean
liners. There are six decks, exclusive
OF two breaks put In to secure direct
outside ventilation for inside state.roonns.
and altogether there are berth accon1nlo-
dations for 1920 people. including this
crew The Providence has twenty more
state.rooins than the Puritan. which, has
a larger number than any other boat
OF her class now In commission, and OF
those magnificent apartments known as
bridal rooms there are ten III all. five
or the saloon deck and four on the gal.
lery deck. An entirely new feature of
this steamer Is dome deck-house with
fifty stateroons riring above all the gu.
perstructure other sound boats carry.
q \ the Fall River liners with old Puri-
tan names severely simple though rich
style OF decoration was adopted; In the
Providence the decorations are all in the
ornate style Of the Renaissance. Gold
laid on groundwork OF cream Is the
color scheme which Is carried out with
great lavshEess in detail The effects
attained in panels, walls and ceilings are
possible largely through the Invention OF
q manufactured board-a sort OF artifl.s
& cial wood. SO to speak-which can be
made in very large pieces and Is not af-f
fected by atmospheric changes. SO that
IT will not Check or crack. This new
composition, having the further advan-
tage OF being fireproof, is employed IN
flat spaces to which decorations are to
be applied, such as the panelling Of the
main and gallery decks and the dome
"a that covers the grand saloon-a4 dome 80
feet wide and extending the whole length
OF the gallery deck. PCS feet. The ma.
.,ogany stairwayse and the galleries have.
5no az
OF the grand stairway is a large plate
glass mirror in place OF the paintings In
the Priscilla and the Puritan.
On the quarter deck arc the SIN oking
saloon, the ladies' parlor and the steam
er,s offices. The dining saloon is on the
lower deck aft and adjoining it is a pri-
vatc dining-roorn-a new feature Of tho
floating hotel. The richness OF the ,decos
3rattve effect will beSincrea sed BY a novel
. system cfslightssss by n. sans Of candcle-
bra on the Individual tables. There are
| 1900 incandescent lights in the different
parts Of the steamer. the current being
distributed by a two.wire system with
speclal insulation; and the lighting fix
lures have been made a part of the
scheme OF decoration. being set either in
clusters about the pillars or concealed
in the cornices.
The Providence is intended to make
something better than twenty miles an
Z hour She will have double inclined conf
pound engines of $500 horsepower. with
two finch high pressure cylinders and
two So inch low pressure cylinders, and a
piston stroke of nine feet. The engine
and boiler rooms are steel enclosures With
walls rising above rlle upper deck, and
are decked over with steel. giving the
ship still further protection against fire.
Special consideration has been given to
the plumbing and ventilation systems
which are surpassed In few hotels ashore,
and the steam heaung apparatus is TEST
& ed to maintain a7@temperature OF 65 de-
Erees throughout tho vessel In the coolest
weather.
~ Although the traffic OF New England
has developed the Long Island Sound
fleet. the Providence is said to be the
first Of the big Sound steamers to be
built here. Furthermore, she is the first
Fall River liner that has been built all.
In one place, the contracts for hull. en-
EiEes and homework having been sepa
rated heretofore. It Is expected that she
will be finished early IN the spring.