The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1940-01-10
LUXURY LINERS
DISGUISED NOW
AS ''''DERELI!C15'
Mauritania, Norm dndie.
= Queen Mary Gather
Moss and Rust
BY GEORGE TUCKER

I Nv UEOn0E CSAAAAs
NEW YORK, Jan. 10.-The cargo
nets were slung and the lifting
cranes were hosting great crates
of materials from the Mauretainla
hold. She had crept in during the
night and attached herself to the
Cunard White Star docks at the
end of 50th Street-Pier 80, 1t is
called. Earlier that morning fleet
of armored cars had taken away
what was rumored to have been
cargo of gold, sent over by the Brit
ish.
The Mauretania is not an old
ship, but she looked like a dereEct
as she lay at docks edge. Her an
chors and her chains were rusty.
She had been painted dirty gray,
which had worn away in spots, so
that now she gave up the appear
ance of tramp that had arrived by
some mischance of rerouting at the
slip of gentleman's anchorage.
/ But there was no mistake. She
was made to look that way, on pur-
pose, SO that the eyes Of proving
submarine captains would have trou-
, BILE in seeing her against the back
ground of the sea.
On the other side of the pier, IN
the slip occupied by the two great
est oceanic liners afloat, lay the
Normandie and the Queen Mary.
There had been rumor that the
Queen Mary might slip out during
the night and try to get back TO
| the mother port, and though it was
no weather for a fireside adventurer
to be abroad in, went down to the
waterfront, just on the off-chance
that something would be afoot.
In her dull battleship gray she
looked like a ghost ship, but If she
intended to make a break for 1t,
there was much that needed to be
done. Her tunnels were covered.
Already the salt had caught her
great anchors. Her chains were rusty
and a great drift of river moss which
she had brought up from the bottom
trailed from her anchors to water
line. She rode high, which bespoke
of an empty hold. Her lifeboats-
nine rows on each side-were can
vas covered and locked.
AS 1 eyed her mighty prov Offi-
Ger 4447 eased up beside me.
showed him a card which asked that
all police help me in whichever way
is pcssible-a reporters card. That's
all right" he said, Ordinarily they
don't want strangers to stand around
! here" He was very nice, very cour-
teous.
= Pier 80 is city pier, and that is
why the citys police are on guard.
If anything happened to the
, Normandie or the Queen Mary, the
city would have to answer some en-
barrassing questions.
1 tried to count the portfolios
along the llmlCleSS Sizes VI uile s2''oSii
MARY. but gave it up after 70 had
been reached. There were too many,
and the distance too gray and Tar
A good guess is that the queen
Mary will sit tight until the END OF
the war. She and the Normandle
would be a Utopian prize for u
boat captain =, The Normano'e
looks even larger, as she has not
been painted, but remains in her
!, original plumage, gay sister OF the
waterfront.
But her decks are silent, her hold
empty, and the or d on OF police
around her impenetrable.
1t was getting colder by the min
ute. A concrete mixer rumbled past.
Two mounties clattered by, the yell
low P.D.'s on the blue Of their sad
die blankets glittering like jewels.
A dirty, empty, tramp barge swung
listlessly from her moorings.
Better move along now OFF,
Icer 4447 suggested gently.
] I hailed passing taxicab and was