THE RANGITATA

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 140, 10 December 1929, Page 11

THE RANGITATA

TOUR OVER NEW SHIP

THE THREE CLASSES

COMFORTABLE TRAVEL

(From "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, Ist November. Having accomplished her trials satisfactorily, the New' Zealand Shipping Company's motor-ship, Bangitata, made a, fair passage from Glasgow to the ; Boyal Albert Dock with Captain J. L. B. Hunter (late of the Eotorua) in command. Those who mad© this first journey in tho ship were greatly pleas- ' ed with her behaviour and with the comfort she provides. •■■ Yesterday, under tho guidanco of-Mr. ?. J. Cornfoot (superintendent purser ■ if tho company) I had the privilege of nspecting the vessel and exploring even . hose parts which few ordinary pasgngers will over see. Standing beside io tail-shaft one may look along a undred feet of gleaming steel. Each c the two shafts with flywheel weighs 12 tons. A tour of tho engine-room jves one a respect, almost amounting ■ i reverence, for those people who consruct these marvellous power units. Jere are tho largest Diesel engines in \ lie world. Other ships have engines rhich produce a greater total power, •■ut.it is obtained with four propellers, ,nd four sets with smaller but more '.umerous cylinders. The engines in the 'Rangi" group of ships are twin sets vith five cylinders each. A piston veighs <tj tons, and each piston rod 1 ion 2 cwt. A spare piston is carried, md should it be necessary it can be . jlaced in position at sea in sx>ite of its veight of nearly five tons. '■■' The refrigerating machinery is in mother part of the ship. Electric cur- • peut is derived from tho main engineroom to drive three compressors. These lerve the six holds and all the ship's itorerooms. On the wall of tho chamber s an interesting instrument-with a lock-like dial. Numbers represent the arious cold or cool chambers. If a but■)n numbered, say 10, is pressed, a sedle above shows the exact temperatire in chamber 10, which, in this case, hppens to be the bacon chamber. The rfrigerating engineer can thus know a any moment the temperature in any p.rt of the ship which is connected Wth the refrigeration system. UP-TO-DATE STORES. No storeman or chief butcher pro- j lably has a nioro convenient larder to vork. There are separate cool or cold .hambers for beef, for mutton, for fish,! >oultry, cheese, eggs, vegetables, bacon, vino and beers. A plug in the door f each can be easily removed and the :emperature read. Or if anyone should! :8 so unfortunate as to be locked in ne of tho storerooms he can knock le plug outwards and shout for help. 1 addition to these cold chambers tere is a thawing room for meat with a electric apparatus for accomplishing tb defrosting process speedily. There isan ice-making room and a low tempcaturo cabinet for ice cream. There isa store for bonded goods, a general , iv store, and two cold stores for speeiil produce such as dry fish and plants wlieh are being carried to New Zealand for passengers or others. These two chambers are useful innovations. A small motor, set in motion once or twice & day, clears all the impure air from the numerous Btore chambers. While dealing with the "mysteries" of a new ship one might mention some of the stores that go to the feeding of the home-going New Zealanders. The j E?.r.git;lta has ii full complement of ' first and second-class passengers, but the- third class will not be full. Nevertheless, she will load for consumption on the voyage 60,0001b of New Zealand betS and mutton, GOOOIb of New Zealand butter, and 10,000 fresh eggs. Milk, by : the way, is producod each day from milk powder and butter—fresh from the j "iron cow." For the comfort and delectation of I passengers, there will bo on board 800 "bottistfof whisky, IC,SOO bottles of ale, - 4SOO Bass. 2400 stout, 6000 Guinness, i 2600 )arnoiiads, 2400 ginger ale, 3600 gisgw beer, 4SOO soda water, 3600 cider, and 24.00 botUes of tonic water.' -. These- 51,200 bottles do not include a quantity of wines and spirits other thsf. whisky. Tobacco for the use of paws-Tigers includes 205,000 cigarettes, j THE CABINS. They should be a fortunate group 5f passengers who will make their '.lotscward voyage in the first class <orapartments of the Bangitata on 21st November. One vital difference beweon the Bangitiki and the Bangitata i that in the latter ship, by reducing lie engine casing, the alleyways have | teen made straight. There is accommoeation for 110 first class passengers in • me and two-berth cabins. These have tedsteads,' oak or walnut dressing tables, a. bedside cabinet, a wardrobe, a sotteo, and a cane armchair. There are outer cabins and Beeby cabins. . They are arranged so that two may be ■ turned into a suite; and there are private bathrooms to serve either ono or two cabins according to tho .relationship of the inmates of the cabins. Hot and cold water is laid on to every . cabin. Second class cabins are exactly the same as the first in space and furnishings except for one thing. "Where there is a single bed in a first class compart- : ment there is, in a second class com- . partment, a bedstead with one bed above another. Where there are two beds in a first class cabin there are three in a second class. Third class cabins for 200 passengers contain 2, 4, and 6 berths respectively. There are two hand basins in the 6berth cabins and running cold water. Hot water is to be obtained in the public lavatories. Vi-springs are to be iound not only on the first and second c\ass beds, but also on all the third class. There is no laundry on board, but there are facilities for elotho3■washing in the third class lavatories and electric irons may be obtained by any passenger who desires the use of them. THIE.DS AND SECONDS. Third class passengers will have the use of two decks on the stern of the vessel. Slab hatches over all the holds insure greater deck space for all classes. The third class dining-room is a well-lighted, commodious compartment. Tables are for eight passengers. Armchairs have reversible seats—cane on one side and upholstered on the other, for hot or cold weather. The room is oak panelled. There is a pantry on each side of the room. The third class lounge takes up practically the full width of the ship —except for a narrow deck on each eide over which the casement windows look. There are cane armchairs and sofas, and upholstered seats all round, ■with bright loose covers. It is a very cheerful place. There is a ladies' room furnished with pink cano chairs. Adjacent to this is a nursery with miniature armchairs. The smoking-roojn, ■which strides the width of the ship, is also a fine compartment. The walls are of cedar ply-wood panels, and there is an ample supply of cano armchairs. One sometimes wonders why New Zealand ships have a second class at all. However, the companies appear to consider that the time has not yet arrived for doing away with it. There is a modesty in the space allotted to second class passengers which com-

pares unfavourably both with the first and the third accommodation. On the Rangitata, however, the deck space is good, the white panelled lounge, the oak smokeroom, and tiro white dining saloon with its tables for four and six are all very comfortable and artistic. The passengers will havo the doubtful satisfaction of looking down from their verandah deck to the third class passengers, while they will never see their more luxurious neighbours in the first class. FIRST CLASS PUBLIC ROOMS. As for the public rooms of the first class, they are excellent. There is the Adams drawing-room, with its grey painted grand piano and soft delightful armchairs. The casement windows overlook the full width of a lower deck. Over the mantelpiece is a picture of the Ruins of Bredrode Castle (after Hobbema, 1638-1704).

The first class lounge is furnished with pink and gold armchairs. Marble pillars are let into the walls. There is ail oak grand piano. The fireplace contains an electric fire disguised as glowing coals, and over the mantel is a picture of "The Embarkation of St. Ursula" (after Claude, 1600-1682). The room is in the Italian stylo. From the lounge- one passes through comfortable vestibules at each side to the smokeroom. Here there is an old-fashioned brick chimney place with glowing imitation coals. The loom is of walnut panelling and very homely. The tables aro of the old oak stylo and the armchairs are upholstered in red and gold. From here one- passes to the verandah cafe with its ferns and palms, and so to the sports deck.

Deck space for the first class could not be better. At each end of A deck the width is 78 feet, about eight feet wider than, the main body of the ship. Slab hatches again account for the generous deck space. THE OFFICERS. Beside Captain J. L. B. Hunter (so well known by New Zealand travellers) the staff consists of Mr. T. L. Maltby (chief officer), Mr. L. Griffith (second offier), Mr. G. Dibley (third officer), and Mr. C. L. Doughty (fourth officer), Mr, A. M. Bareley (chief engineer), Mr. M. Bearpark (second engineer), and Mr. B. C. Youngs (third engineer); Mr. C. E. Terry is chief wireless officer; Mr.' Cecil Brown, chief refrigerating engineer; Mr. Percy Bowen (for 17 years on the Rernuera), steward-in-chargc; and Mrs. Thompson (late of the Kotorua), first class stewardess.

An interesting part of the cargo which is being taken by the Eangitata is a submarine cable for the New Zealand Government. This weighs 250 tons. It was brought alongside the Eangitata by another vessel and paid into a specially constructed 30ft tank in one of the holds of the New Zealand. ship. After that it was covered with salt water. Another section of the cargo in 1600 tons of 45ft rails for the Government Eailways—looo tons for Auckland and 600 for Wellington. The vessel leaves London on 21st November.