A FLOATING PALACE.

Shannon News, 4 May 1923, Page 2

A FLOATING PALACE.

LEVIATHAN REFLOATED. HUGE COST TO AMERICA. Soon the world’s second largest vessel will be seen in British waters as a passenger liner running from New York to European ports. This is the Leviathan, formerly the Vaterland of the Hamburg-American Company, which was seized by the United States in 1917 and, after having been used as a troop transport, has been refitted to enter 1 the passenger service of the United States Lines.

Reconditioning- of the enormous ship (which is 907 ft. long, 100 ft. beam and has a gross tonnage of G 5 634, compared with the White Star ’line Majestic’s 66,402) was estimated at 7 0 00,000 dollars. It has actually cost the United States Shipping Board which could find no company willing to take her off the Government’s hands, 5,500 000 dollars, or say, i'l 800,000. Altogether since she was taken away from the Germans the expense of the Leviathan to America has been £2,000,000, notwithstanding that for four years the huge hulk lay idle in the North River, New York, a mass of internal rust, decay and debris, inhabited by rats to such an extent that the watchmen put aboard could not live in her, and were forced to seek quarters ashore. Scores of cats were requistioned to fight the plague of rats. They were never seen again after being released on the decks, and not a scrap of leather or any othr material or sub« stance that hunger could drive the rats to eat was left aboard.

Poison gas had to be employed be fore a crew could man her to take her down to Newport News, Virginia. There, with no fewer than 1000 firms contributing, the ship has been transformed into a veritable palace, even surpassing in luxuriousness the appointments and accommodation which orginally made her the most sumptuous vessel afloat.