Floating Palace's Maiden Voyage.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 8 May 1914, Page 8

Floating Palace's Maiden Voyage.

WINTER GARDENS AND THEATRE IN MID-ATLANTIC. Luxuriousness seems to be the great point aimed at in the design and construction of modern liners. One of the latest examples is that of the Hamburg-American liner, Imperator, which recently left Cuxhaven on her maiden voyage to New York. Some of the luxuries with which the Tmperator has been fitted are : Winter Garden. Summer-houses. Theatre. Gymnasium.

Ritz Restaurant. Ball room. Telephones. Swimming and Turkish Baths. The vessel has been aptly described as an eleven-storeyed floating palace. Her dosplacement is 50,000 tons, and she can accommodate 5,000 passengers. The Royal Mail steamer, Empress of Asia, which left Liverpool recently for her first round-the-world tour, is another vessel which has been built on luxurious lines. She is the sister ship of the Empress of Russia, and was built for the Canadian Pacific Railway for the Japan and China passenger service. Her hulls are sub-divided by numerous water-tight bulkheads, so that any four compartments can be open to the sea or flooded and the vessel will remain -afloat. The vessel is a striking achievement in modern shipping. She is 590 feet in length, 68 feet in breadth, and 46 feet in depth, and of about 15,000 tons gross. Other vessels of the company in this service are only 6,000 tons. The outstanding feature of the ship is the size, design, and quality of the public rooms, parlour suites, special and ordinary state rooms, and the large proportion of secondclass and Asiatic accommodation. There is a large gymnasium on board, and the lounge smoking-room and dining saloon are artistically decorated.