Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-03-26
BIT OF ROYAL SENTIMENTss !.
Costly Woodwork and Fittings of
Queen Victoria's Old Yacht.

ONDON, March 6.-No longer capa-
bic Of playing any part in that
- maratime pageantry by which
Britannia proclalms she rules the
waves, the ancient steam yacht VIC"
toria and Albert, favorlte ship of the
late queen. Is to be cremated by the
kings command. Her entire hull and
all her costly woodwork, furniture ana
interior fittings are to be consigned to
the flames, while all her machinery and
metal work is to be smashed and pull
verified. till only the yachts memory
will be left,
The famous vessel, to which fleets In
Vulnerable have numbered salutations,
and the flags of all the nations have
been lowered in homage, now lies at
Portsmouth dockyard, undergoing de-
molltlon In preparation for her august
end Her masts and machinery have
already been removed, and while work.
men are ripping out tlmbers' planklng
and bulkheads special policemen Keep
vigIlant watch that no scrap of her may
be snatched by souvenir hunters from
the huge bonfres that are being built
ND I'm the dock OF material taken from
the vessel,
on the occasion of his recent visit to
Portsmouth, the king took his farewell
of her and issued the command Tor her
destruction But before she fell into
the hands OF the dockyard officials to
be annihilated, some mementos OF her
were distributed among the members
OF the royal family and q few Others
found a permanent Judgment at Wind
sor castle. Admiral Fullerton, who so
long commanded her as the queens
skipper" was also presented with a
souvenir OF her.
Nearly half century ago the vessel
was launched from Pembroke DOCK
yard, To the queen. In her carrier
days, she was much more than yacht,
she was veritable floating nome,
where she could enjoy with Prince al,
bert a seclusion she would hardly ma
ashore. All the Internal arrangements
and scheme OF decoration were design
ed by the prince consort himself IN CON
junction with the queen, down to the
pattern OF white chintS, dotted win
moss rose buds that covered the walls
OF the royal apartments. These includ,.
ed "A MUSHROOM and schooroom ana
nerusery for the royal children. SO in
innate were the associations OF the yes
sci with her husbands memory that at
his death she issued strict orders that
everything on board should be main
talned In the same condition as when
he lived.
When the designs for the present
royal yacht Victoria and Albert, were
being drawn up, the queen at first pro-
posed that the new craft should be
called the Balmoral, being 10th TO the
last that the vessel she was so deeply
attached to should share her name with
a newer ship, even her own royal yacht
Of the future,
Fitting IL was, that the last voyage
Of the old vessel should have been made
on that sorrowful February afternoon.
three years ago when with King Ed
ward on board, she followed the re-
mains Of Queen Victoria, borne by the
little Alberta, through the fleet at Spit
head,
And equally fitting, It seems that
now, her mission finished, Instead Of
being allowed to rot in some mud fiat,
she should expire In a burnt offering
10 the memory OF her beloved mistress,
England will understand the fllal feel
Ing which prompts this act on King I'd
wards part and no carping criticism
will be heard on the score that she
might have been sold for some thous-
and pounds In solid cash.