Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-02-23

S35,000,000 artistic monster OF
the briney deep, will pause on
L its maiden voyage in New York,
just like any circus, and Americans,
paying their individual farthing, will
collect in circus-like crowds to move
slowly up the gangplanks wander in
one-way traffic streams and see this
flve-ring, ocean-going attraction of
luxury, utility, speed, art and inno-
vaGion.
Minor officers and members of the
crew will serve as bankers and guides,
quiet-toned and reserved in their
claims, but with oceans of interesting
statistics to beguile the spectators.
They also will keep souvenir hunters
from taking things that aren't nailed
down.
The guide system, if it has the handi-
caps of the usual methods, will leave
the visitors on the flag end of the
groups unable to hear whether the
sailor says the ship carries 1000 pas
sengers or has 5000 portfolios. The
truth will be that the liner accom-
modates 5000 persons. including the
crew, and there are 1000 portfolios.
For such inaudibility cases, a brief
preview, largely statistical, is handy.
More doubtlessly will be read about
the ships attractions and conveniences
before it spends the first five days of
June in New York.
THERE are - decks, with a total
space of 1880 square feet. The
promenade deck alone is $50 feet long,
equal to the length of the Mauritania.
The dining room accommodates 800
people. 1t is the largest afoat.
The 2Oo,0 00-horsepower engines,
making possible an estimated four day
crossing, are cushioned, much like
automobile motors, to eliminate vi
bration.
The ship is 1913 feet long. If rested
on its stern beside the Empire State
Building, it would reach to the eighty
sixth story.
Ten miles of carpet cover the pas
sage-ways and rooms.
The sirens, capable of being heard
ten miles away, are barely audible on
board Accoustical science. provided
this feature by toning the horns two
octavles below middle GA"
There are 81 elevators on board.
Four of these serve the swimming pool
and baths, with express service from
the squash courts seven decks above.
Public rooms will be conditioned,
eliminating stormy sea air and blasts
from sun heated steel. Temperatures
and breeZes can be controlled indlvld-
ually in each stateroom.
Internationally-kn artists are
serving as decorators. The keynote of
their work is conservatism, rather than
ultra modern.
Notes of the dance orchestras will
be "tied" to the lights in such novel
way that high notes will increase their
brilliance, low notes soften them.
These facts are what the guides will
mention, along with much else.
SEA-TRAVEL luxury is a relative
term. Let's look back to 1882 and
get a picture of ocean voyages then.
The letter throws the Queen Mary
into vivid contrast:
Having escaped the end of the
world so confidently predicted for the
year 1881, I ventured on my first
Atlantic crossing in the Summer of
1882. was not quite %, and so with
youths thirst for speed-no new thing
assure you'll chose the Guion liner,
Alaska, 6,400 tons, the fastest ship of
her day. She could fight her way
across at an average of over l6 knots
Westbound, and II knots returning.
st embarked at Liverpool. My cabin
had electric nght-then quite now
city ashore-but hot water was sup
piled in cans. In essentials it was
not very different from the cabin of
Charles Dickens, 40 years earlier. I
shared it with two others, the vacant
berth forming our voyage
baggage store.
'The Alaska was graceful ship,
but before I reached New York seven
days later had nearly lost my ap-
petite for speed. She vibrated horri-
bly, everywhere, and Atlantic waves
made point of sweeping her prom
enade deck and smashing your chair
against any obstruction in its path.
Still, We were Jolly crowd on
board, apart from the 1nvalids,' who
scarcely left their cabins. Our fair