The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-09-08

plete system of telephones in all parts
of the liner Is installed and as easily
as the passenger from his stateroom
sends his order to the stewards the
lookout far up In the crows nest for
ward tells the officers on the bridge
what is ahead.
To be unsuitable, SO that passengers
can be carried In perfect safety, the
marine architects designing the hull
made the top Of the vertical keel the
top mark for the double cellular bot
tom that extends not only beneath the
Lusltania, but we'll up on the bilges,
or turns of the bottom. so that in the
event of either of the great bilge keels
affixed to the outer skin being torn off
and the skin injured, the inrushing
waters would reach only the compart-
ments of the double bottom, and not
| the working and living parts of the
liner above. By the system of division
the Lustania Will have 175 water-tight
compartments, all connected with
powerful pumps.
| AS If all this precaution was not
enough. the lower deck, which is two
decks above the i<sde bottom. is made
absolutely watertight. The lower orlop
and orlop decks are below this divid-
| ing line. and above are the main.
upper shelter, promenade, upper prom
| enade and boat decks--nine decks in
| ALL
To cover in all of these frames and
| their subdivisions and the outside and
| inside skins of the liner more than
| $4,000 steel plates were used. the
largest being about forty feet in length
and weighing from four to five tons.
| To fasten all of these plates about
| 100000 rivets We're used, weighing
| five hundred tons. In the keel plate,
or the great backbone. are riyets eight
inches in length. weighing two and
| three quarters pounds each.
Floating Palace.
| The same Brobdignagian dimensions
apply to everything on the liner that
| goes into her construction or handling.
The main frames and beams placed
end to end would stretch thirty miles.
| The diameter of the rudder stock Is
| twenty-siX inches, of the best steel
available, and the rudder, of the bal
anced type below the water line.
weighs sixty-hve tons. The castings
for the stem, stern post shaft bracket
/ and rudder together weigh ESQ tons.
AS to the comfort OF the passengers,
the officials Of the line say the ruling
idea is a floating palace for the first
class passengers q first-rate hotel for
! those in the second cabin, and COM
! Portable sea home for the 1900 per-
sons IN the steerage. The last named
\ Will have berthed cabins, which a few
years ago We're considered good enough
/ for the tirst-class voyagers. The in
crensed room for those in the first
cabins will be particularly noticeable
| Roomlness is the watchword of the
4 ship.
j AT the dining hour passengers can
i chose between dining la carte In a
\ gold and white salon In the Empire
style, or table d'hote In a rich mahog-
any dining room where the tables are
arranged for parties as small as six
persons. Fireplaces with cheerful
burning Goals in stormy weather. and
windows shaped and curtained as In a
private residence remove the shiplike
look Inside.
There are regal suites for wealthy
passengers, which are the best exam
pies Of the decorators and upholster-
ers' SKILL These suites consist of a
receptton-room,s sitting-room. two bod
rooms and bath, Besides the regal
suites there are thirty-six ''grand'
staterooms, which have small dressing
X