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NEW P. AND O.i MAIL.
STEAMER.
Maiden Voyage of the
Moldavia.
The 3olddaria. the latest to' be come
pleted of the P. and O. Comipany's post
war mail steamers, left . Tilbury Dock
on her maiden voyage to Australia on
October 13. She bears the name of a
P. and O. steamer well known on the
Australian trade, which was lost in the
war, while employed as an armed mer
chant cruiser.
The new Moldavia presents a varis.
tion from the .type of previous ships
designed for the P. and O. Company's
Australian mail line. which will not les
sen her popularity with voyagers to and
from the southern Dominions. The
Naldera and -Narkunda, which bare bees
put into service within the last -two
years, are, as passenger steamers, lineal
descendents of their forerunners of the
"f!'- class, for. while exhibiting the best
qualities of their predecessors, they are
distinguished from them in that they -
embody the accumulated improvement in
design based upon experience in the ope
ration of the earlier ships, in gradually
increasing numbers, over a period of
seventeen years. While in the Naldera
and Narkunda. each approximately of
-16,000 tons gross, with a length of 605
feet. accommodation is provided on four
decks for. 688 first and second saloon
passengers, the Moldavia (and her sister.
the Mongolia), of the same tonnage and
length are designed for a-lesehr number,
their .berthing plan providing for. 22
first and 175" second class passengers, a
total of 397. on three decks. The chief
difference is that. while the main deck and
the three decks above it are, in the Naldera
to be devoted to passengers' various uses,
the new steamers carry all their pas
senger accomodation above the upper.
deck, ie., on the promenade, shade aid
shelter decks respectively.
The first and second saloon prome
nade decks afford ample spaces for games,:
dancing, or other forms of exercise or
entertainment On.the promenade deck
are the first-saloon music and smoking
room. The first-saloon music-room, sur
mounted by an oval-stained glass dome.
is panelled in finely figured grey wood
of delicate shade, with gilt decorated
enrichments. The furniture, consisting
of a grand piano and numerous . easy.
chairs and chesterfields, in.. - French.
polished mahogany, contrasts well with
the grey wood panelling. The first
saloon smoking-room is walled in .oak
of the earlier English period with mould
ings and small panels, surmounted by a
frieze in the half-timbered style.
Opening out from the after end of
the music-room is a well-furnished
verandah. open to the air at the sides,
but sheltered by the boat deck above.
where are the cabins and bathrooms of
the officers and engineers. Midway on
the shade-deck below there are placed,
port and starboard, ranges of ca
bins for. one or more occupants,
with an ample installation of bath
rooms, etc. Here, at the forward
end, are th epurser's cabin and office and
a spacious lounge or entrance hag: at
the after end are the surgeon's cabin.
the dispensary and hospital cabins: and
it may here be added that there is be-":
sides an isolation hospital, fitted -in
dependently for male and female patients
at the extreme after end of the prome
nade deck beneath the docking bridge.
Farther aft on the shade deck is the
broad second saloon promenade and the
second music and smoking rooms. The
smoking room walls are internally of
oak in small square panels. The second
music saloon, furnished . in French
polished mahogany, is finished and de
corated in two shades of light buff, with
an encased ceiling in fiat white decorated
with enriched mouldings.
On the forward portion of the shelter
deck, again, are first saloon cabins,, in
cluding single-berth cabins, with port
and starboard alleyways opening, aft, on
to the main companion- From the main
companion one passes aft to the fist
dining kaloon, which extends through
the width of the vessel, is lighted by
twenty large windows, and offers seat
ing for 228 diners at restaurant tables
arranged for two, four, eight or ten
persons. The panelling of this saloon
is finshed in Wedgwood blue with'
mouldings picked out in white, and is
supplemented by a frieze with ornament
etched in white. Large fluted mahogany
columns mounted with Corinthian capi
tals. which are furnished in old gold.
uphold a fine ceiling finished in flat white,
with enriched mouldings and casings.
The chairs of polished mahogany. are
upholstered in moroccan leather. Aft
on the same deck is the second dining
saloon where 180 persons may dine at
a sitting. The furniture is of French
polished mahogany upholstera in mo
quette.
Ample natural ventilation is prvided
throughout the ship and is reinforced by
a generous outfit of electrical ventilat
ing fans. in saloons, cabins and bath
rooms- . Horizontal and vertical sliding
watertight doors are fitted in the water
tight bulkheads below the shelter deck.
and these are so arranged that they mar
be worked by hand or by the Stone-ILoyd
hydraulic system. The Moldavia's holds
Sare' to a large extent insilated for the
carriage of refrigerated Australian pro
Sduce. She is capable of stowing 13.500
tons dead weight, and possesses large
cargo hatchways and an outfit of cargo
lifting gear, which includes -3 tubular
steel derricks, one of which is capable of
a lift of 30 tons. The vessel is propell
ed by twin-screwed double-reduction
geared turbine machinery, manufactur
ed by Messrs. Cammell. Laird and Co..
who have constructed the ship and the
engines from designs prepared in con
sultation with the P. and O. Company's
naval architect. Mr. C. G. Deane and
their superintendent-engineer. Mr.
Robert Lesaie. OBE.- She is command
ed by. Captain Ceil W. Burleigh, D.O,
... .m
$