New-York tribune., 1920-12-19
Steerage Ship
De Under
American Flao
Mount Clay's Passengers to
Have Run of Vessel and
Their Own Dining Rooms;
Concert Hall Is Provided
Old DiscomfOrts Ended
Rest Parlors and Smoking
Rooms for Immigrants
Are Among the Features

Steerage travel de luxe will be pro
vided by the steamship Mount Clay, of
the United American Lines, whose re-
conditioning has been completed at the
yards of the Morse Dry Dock and Re-
pair Company, Brooklyn. The Mount
Clay, formerly known as the DeKaib
is the former German commerce raider
Prinz Eitel Friedrich. She is scheduled
to sail for Hamburg on Christmas Day
All the old disconforts of steerage
travel will be done away with on the
Mount Clay. Instead Of being divided
into first, second and third class quar-
ters, the ship has been converted so
that all the passengers will have the
run of the entire ship, excepting, of
course, the bridge.
Instead of being piled up in hunks
at night and confined to limited quar-
ters in the daytime, the passengers on
the Mount Clay will, Cor the most part
sleep in cabins comparable to those OF
the first and second class travellers on
other vessels. They also will have the
use not only of the main deck out OF
the promenade deck, which completely
encircles the vessel, and of the boat
deck, customarily reserved for the first
cabin passengers.
Old Methods Revolution'zed
Reforms equally radical mark the ar
rangements for feeding the passengers
on the Mount Clay. Instead of the old
ration methods, all the passengers will
be accommodated in two large dining
rooms, and will be served regular
meals by stewards. The larger of these
dining rooms is located forward ON the
promenade deck and the other mme-
diately under it, on the main deck, the
two being connected by wide stair
case.
The larger dining room will be used
as an assembly hall for the holding Of
concerts and other entertainments open
to all passengers.
Other features include large leath-
er-uph olstered rest room for women
passengers and q smoking room
equipped with tables, cards and games
Other innovations for steerage passen-
gers are hot and cold shower baths.
Cabins for Passengers
There arc ninety cabins in which the
passengers will be accommodated, two
or four to the room, and those who
sleep in the regular steerage will have
individual metal cots. Special kosher
galleys have been provided where all
the food for Jewish passengers will be
prepared.
The vessel during her career as a
commerce raider is said to have ac-
counted for more than forty Allied
merchantmen. Forced to make port
for repairs and supplies, she slipped
through the Gordon of British warships
and made the harbor of Newport News
At that port she turned over the crews
Of seventeen vessels captured by her
Being unable to come out because
the English ships on the watch, the
Prince Eitel overstayed her time limit
and was nterned. When the United
States entered the war she was con-
vcrted into Il troopship, renamed the
De Kalb and performed notable ser
vice in carrying American soldiers and
supplies to and from French ports.
After the war the vessel was turned
over to the Shipping Board and for
some time lay in the Hudson. where.
on December IA, 1919, fire glutted the
interior. Soon aftcrward she was
bought by the United American Lines,
who decided to have her reconstructed
for the stcerage service between Ham
burg and New York.