OUR GIANT HUN SHIP

Hokitika Guardian, 20 February 1920, Page 3

OUR GIANT HUN SHIP

THE S.S. IMPEIIATOR REACHES SOUTHAMPTON. ! 3,777 ON BOARD. “ DRY ” VOYAGE FROM UNITED /STATES. I SOUTHAMPTON, Dec. 18. t The Imperator, the second largest vessel yet completed, docked here today after her first trip across the Atlantic under the British flag. “ Imperator, Hamburg,” still sprawls across her stern in great letters, but the Red Ensign is at the main. She is one of the vessels surrendered by the Germans after the armistice. Southampton’s dock berths are built on a spacious scale, but no single one could accommodate this vessel. Two lin'd to be allocated, and then it took the cleverest seamen in the employ of the Ctinnrd Company to get her safely alongside without mishap. Herded by six fussing tugs, the liner approached the dock-mouth just before ten o’clock. A south-west gale caught and slewed the ship just its the tugs had manoeuvred her into position' 1 for entering the dock stern first. The tugs pulled and pushed, and one little vessel, fretting foul of a hawser, had its bridge railing smashed, lifeboat davits swept away, and funnel damaged. More hawsers were run out, hut two brand-new four-inch Manilla ropes snapped like threads, and a steel hawser broke under the strain. Still more hawsers were run ashore, and eventually, held head and stern by about 20 cables, tlie Imperator came safely to rest at the quayside, though missing the pier head by only about six feet. The first living thing to come ashore was the ship’s black cat, which, totally unmoved by the “ shooings ” of the bystanders, made for happy hunting grounds in the dock warehouses. ,

This was the end of what many passengers describe as an adventurous voy age. They tell how one morning when well out in the Atlantic, and with the weather all that could be desired, the ship took a noticeable list to port. But the captain (Capt. C. A. Smith, C.8.E., R.X.8., late capt. of the Aquitania) denied that anything untoward had occurred, and apart from slow steaming due to bad quality American coal the voyage was quite uneventful “Of course,” lie said, “she wants over-

hauling.”

These were the only reasons he advanced for the ship, which was announced to arrive on Wednesday, being four days iate. She took 11 days to do a voyage she was expected to complete in seven.

There were 3,777 on board — 982 were crew, 590 saloon passengers, 539 second-class, and 1,666 third-class. When the Imperator was built the exKaiser selected her for Ids pleasure trips and a special suite was built for liim. There was great competition for this suite, even at £I,OOO, but tlie company would not lq§se it. Owing to a mishap in his own suite, Prince Michel Murat was transferred to the Emperor’s suite for (he last three days of tlie trip.

Owing to tlie shortage of clercal staff in tlie vessel the offers of help bv saloon passengers, both men and women, headed by Mr Ernest- G. Schiff, the millionaire, were gratefully accepted. The Imperator was “dry” as tlie American authorities refused to release any intoxicants from bond. Among tlie eatables consumed on the voyage were:— Meat, 75,00011)8.; fish. 27,7001b5; tea, l,4001bs; sugar, 16,000lbs;fruit 4,6001b5; jam, 2,5001b5; flour 107,6001bs ; potatoes, 40 tons; eggs 89,000: fowls, 894; chickens, 1,490; squabs 2,500; turkeys, 400; geese, 196; sausages, s,oooibs; milk, 2,000 gals.; icecream, 2,500 boxes. LARGEST LINER AT WORK. WONDERFUL SWIMMING BATH The Imperator, 52,000 tons, the larges tliner in commission, was formerly owned by the German-Hamburg-Ame-rika Company. Under the terms of tlie armistice she was surrendered to the Allies and temporarily handed over to the United States Shipping Board for the transport of troops. While the Peace Conference was decid ing on the disposal of the liner there was a- proposal that she should be given to the United States as compensation for the German-Americnn tankers allotted to France and Great Britain. Eventually the United States delegates gave way on this point and she lias been handed over to Great Britain. The Cunard Line is working her for the Ministry of Shipping. Owing to coal shortage and other troubles, the liner was idle in New York harbour for 124 days, while the United States paid £2,000 a day rent for the wharf at which she was docked. The funnelling of the Imperator on May 23rd, 1912, by the ex-Kaiser was preceded by several hitches. Her trial trip was delayed more than a year. When the vessel did start, however, she made the journey from Hamburg to New York in six days and five hours. She has a wonderful swimming bath copied from the one at the Royal A.uto_ mobile Club and extraordinarily large lounges and restaurants. •