Mark Baber
RIP
The Times, 13 November 1931
NEW WHITE STAR LINER
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THE GEORGIC LAUNCHED
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The second motor passenger vessel for the White Star Line, the Georgic,
was launched by Harland and Wolff, Limited, at Belfast yesterday.
The launch was witnessed by thousands of people, some of the notable
spectators being Lord Craigavon, Northern Ireland Prime Minister; Mr. H.
M. Pollock, Minister of Finance; Sir Dawson Bates, Minister of Home
Affairs; and Mr. J. Milne Barbour, Minister of Commerce. The White Star
Line was represented by Mr. E. Wharton, assistant superintendent
engineer, who was accompanied by Mr. F. E. Rebbeck, chairman and
managing director of Harland and Wolff, Limited, and Mr. Charles Payne,
joint managing director.
The Georgic is officially described as a duplicate of the Britannic, the
first motor passenger ship of the White Star Line, and is intended for
the regular service between Liverpool and New York. She is also of about
28,000 tons, but differs from her sister ship in a number of important
respects. In her design the developments which were incorporated in the
Britannic with marked success have been carried a step farther. The
Georgic has accommodation for 1,632 passengers in cabin, tourist, and
third class, and this accommodation, slightly greater than in the
Britannic, will be on the lines of the high standard already set in that
vessel. The decoration scheme is also different, for, in pronounced
contrast to that of the Britannic.which was a free version of the
classic, the Georgic's design is non-period, and the designers have been
allowed to give full expression to their interpretation of the modem
style.
The vessel is 680ft. in length and the motor engines of the Harland B.
and W. type develop 20,000 h.p. The liner has a powerful electric
installation for auxiliary and hotel work, the four Diesel-driven
generators having a combined output of 2,000kw. There is an equivalent
of over 7,030-watt lamps installed throughout the ship. All cooking will
be done by electricity.
Other noteworthy features are the swimming pool, tennis courts, and
elevators in the cabin class, children's play rooms and elevators in the
tourist class, and children's play rooms in the third-class
accommodation. There is also a spacious palm court arranged for dancing
and promenading undisturbed by the weather.
It may be recalled that the first Georgic, built in 1895, was sunk on
December 10, 1916, off the south of Ireland, by the German raider Moewe.
The raider pulled up the ship first by shelling and then boarded her,
putting high explosives in the engine room, which were exploded
electrically. This, however, was not sufficient to sink the ship, and
the enemy afterwards torpedoed her. It took them four hours to put her
down. The crew of the Georgic were taken off and landed in Germany. She
was homeward bound at the time from Philadelphia to Brest with 1,200
horses and about 10,000 barrels of oil.
-30-
NEW WHITE STAR LINER
---
THE GEORGIC LAUNCHED
---
The second motor passenger vessel for the White Star Line, the Georgic,
was launched by Harland and Wolff, Limited, at Belfast yesterday.
The launch was witnessed by thousands of people, some of the notable
spectators being Lord Craigavon, Northern Ireland Prime Minister; Mr. H.
M. Pollock, Minister of Finance; Sir Dawson Bates, Minister of Home
Affairs; and Mr. J. Milne Barbour, Minister of Commerce. The White Star
Line was represented by Mr. E. Wharton, assistant superintendent
engineer, who was accompanied by Mr. F. E. Rebbeck, chairman and
managing director of Harland and Wolff, Limited, and Mr. Charles Payne,
joint managing director.
The Georgic is officially described as a duplicate of the Britannic, the
first motor passenger ship of the White Star Line, and is intended for
the regular service between Liverpool and New York. She is also of about
28,000 tons, but differs from her sister ship in a number of important
respects. In her design the developments which were incorporated in the
Britannic with marked success have been carried a step farther. The
Georgic has accommodation for 1,632 passengers in cabin, tourist, and
third class, and this accommodation, slightly greater than in the
Britannic, will be on the lines of the high standard already set in that
vessel. The decoration scheme is also different, for, in pronounced
contrast to that of the Britannic.which was a free version of the
classic, the Georgic's design is non-period, and the designers have been
allowed to give full expression to their interpretation of the modem
style.
The vessel is 680ft. in length and the motor engines of the Harland B.
and W. type develop 20,000 h.p. The liner has a powerful electric
installation for auxiliary and hotel work, the four Diesel-driven
generators having a combined output of 2,000kw. There is an equivalent
of over 7,030-watt lamps installed throughout the ship. All cooking will
be done by electricity.
Other noteworthy features are the swimming pool, tennis courts, and
elevators in the cabin class, children's play rooms and elevators in the
tourist class, and children's play rooms in the third-class
accommodation. There is also a spacious palm court arranged for dancing
and promenading undisturbed by the weather.
It may be recalled that the first Georgic, built in 1895, was sunk on
December 10, 1916, off the south of Ireland, by the German raider Moewe.
The raider pulled up the ship first by shelling and then boarded her,
putting high explosives in the engine room, which were exploded
electrically. This, however, was not sufficient to sink the ship, and
the enemy afterwards torpedoed her. It took them four hours to put her
down. The crew of the Georgic were taken off and landed in Germany. She
was homeward bound at the time from Philadelphia to Brest with 1,200
horses and about 10,000 barrels of oil.
-30-