The following is a more detailed description of the vessel, her passenger and crew accommodation, and her machinery.
Watertight compartments.
The following table shows the decks to which the bulkheads extended, and the numbers of doors in them: -
Bulkhead letter.
Extends up to under side of Deck.
Engine and boiler spaces (all controlled from bridge).
Orlop to G deck.
F to E deck.
E to D deck.
A
C
-
-
-
-
B
D
-
-
-
-
C
E
-
-
1
-
D
E
* 1
-
1
-
E
E
†1
-
1-
-
F
E
†1
-
2
-
G
E
†1
-
1-
-
H
E
†1
-
2
-
J
E
†1
-
2
-
K
D
1
-
-
2
L
D
1
-
-
2
M
D
1
-
1
2
N
D
1
1
1
2
O
D
1
-
-
1
P
D
-
-
-
-
* There was another watertight door at the after end of the watertight passage through the bunker immediately aft of "D" bulkhead. This door and the one on the "D" bulkhead formed a double protection to the forward boiler room.
† The watertight doors for these bulkheads were not on them, but were at the end of a watertight passage (about 9 feet long), leading from the bulkhead through the bunker into the compartment.
The following table shows the actual contents of each separate watertight compartment. The compartments are shown in the left column, the contents of each compartment being read off horizontally. The contents of each watertight compartment is separately given in the deck space in which it is: -
W. T. compt.
Length of each W T compt. In fore and aft direction.
Hold.
Orlop to G deck.
G to F deck.
F to E deck.
E to D deck.
Bow to A
46 ft.
Forepeak tank - not used except for trimming ship
Forepeak storeroom
Forepeak storeroom
Forepeak storeroom
Forepeak storeroom
A - B
45 ft.
Cargo
Cargo
Living spaces for firemen, etc.
Living spaces for firemen
Living spaces for firemen
B - C
51 ft.
Do.
Do.
3rd class passenger accommodation
3rd class passenger accommodation
3rd class passenger accommodation
C - D
51 ft.
Alternatively coal and cargo
Luggage and mails
Baggage, squash rackets and 3rd class passengers
3rd class passenger accommodation
3rd class passenger accommodation
D - E
54 ft.
No. 6 boiler-room
No. 6 boiler-room
Coal and boiler casing
3rd class passenger accommodation
3rd class passenger accommodation
E - F
57 ft.
No. 5 do.
No. 5 do.
Coal bunker and boiler casing and swimming bath
Linen rooms and swimming bath
3rd class passenger accommodation
F - G
57 ft.
No. 4 do.
No. 4 do.
Coal bunker and boiler casing
Stewards, Turkish baths, etc.
1st class passenger accommodation
G - H
57 ft.
No. 3 do.
No. 3 do.
Coal bunker and boiler casing
3rd class saloon
1st class passenger accommodation
H - J
60 ft.
No. 2 do.
No. 2 do.
Coal bunker and boiler casing
3rd class saloon
1st class and stewards
J - K
36 ft.
No. 1 do.
No. 1 do.
Coal bunker and boiler casing
3rd class galley, stewards, etc.
1st and 2nd class and stewards
K - L
69 ft.
Recipg. Engine
room
Recipg. Engine
room
Recipg. Engine room casing, work shop and engineers' stores
Engineers' and Recipg. Engine casing
1st class
L - M
57 ft.
Turbine engine
room
Turbine engine
room
Turbine engine room casing and small stewards str
2nd class and turbine eng. Room casing
1st class and stewards
M - N
63 ft.
Electric engine room
Provisions and electric engine casing
Provisions
2nd class
1st class and engineers' mess, &c.
N - O
54 ft.
Tunnel
Refrigerated cargo
3rd class
2nd class
2nd class and stewards, &c.
O - P
57 ft.
Do.
Cargo
3rd class
3rd class
2nd and 3rd class
P to stern.
36 ft.
After peak tank for trimming ship
After peak tank for trimming ship
Stores
Stores
Stores
The vessel was constructed under survey of the British Board of Trade for a passenger certificate, and also to comply with the American Immigration Laws
Steam was supplied from six entirely independent groups of boilers in six separate watertight compartments. The after boiler room, No. 1, contained five single-ended boilers. Four other boiler rooms, Nos. 2, 3, 4 and 5, each contained five double-ended boilers. The forward boiler room, No. 6, contained four double-ended boilers. The reciprocating engines and most of the auxiliary machinery were in a seventh separate watertight compartment aft of the boilers; the low-pressure turbine, the main condensers and the thrust blocks of the reciprocating engine were in an eighth separate watertight compartment. The main electrical machinery was in a ninth separate watertight compartment immediately abaft the turbine engine room. Two emergency steam-driven dynamos were placed on the D deck, 21 ft. above the level of the load waterline. These dynamos were arranged to take their supply of steam from any of the three of the boiler rooms Nos. 2, 3 and 5, and were intended to be available in the event of the main dynamo room being flooded.
The ship was equipped with the following: -
(1) Wireless telegraphy.
(2) Submarine signalling.
(3) Electric lights and power systems.
(4) Telephones for communication between the different working positions in the vessel. In addition to the telephones, the means of communication included engine and docking telegraphs, and duplicate or emergency engine room telegraph, to be used in the event of any accident to the ordinary telegraph.
(5) Three electric elevators for taking passengers in the first class up to A deck, immediately below the Boat deck, and one in the second class for taking passengers up to the Boat deck.
(6) Four electrically-driven boat winches on the Boat deck for hauling up the boats.
(7) Life-saving appliances to the requirements of the Board of Trade, including boats and lifebelts.
(8) Steam whistles on the two foremost funnels, worked on the Willett-Bruce system of automatic control.
(9) Navigation appliances, including Kelvin's patent sounding machines for finding the depth of water under the ship without stopping; Walker's taffrail log for determining the speed of the ship; and flash signal lamps fitted above the shelters at each end of the navigating bridge for Morse signalling with other ships.
