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Introduction - On F Deck were four
large areas of 3rd Class accommodations, with more 3rd Class cabins than on any other
deck. 2nd Class passengers were also berthed here, the lowest deck on which their
permanent staterooms were located. The large 3rd Class Dining Saloon was located
amidships, along with the relatively small 3rd Class Galley and Pantries. Additional crew
accommodations were located forward, and amidships were the Engineers’ quarters as
well as accommodations for those crew members of the Victualling Department who were not
based on E Deck above. The Swimming Bath, Turkish Baths and Electric Bath were all located
on F Deck, as was as access to the Squash Racquet Court.
All areas between watertight bulkheads on F Deck had direct stairway
communication with the deck above, so that if it became necessary to close the watertight
doors an escape route would be available. Also on this deck were the rooms for the Sirocco
fans used to ventilate the stokeholds. The inclined pipes of the boiler room ash ejectors
terminated here . .
. (continued) |
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Image above, General Arrangement of Engineer’s Accommodations.
Illustration by Bruce Beveridge |
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Turkish Baths - Located on the
starboard side of the ship between frames 42F to 21F, just aft of the Swimming Bath, were
the Turkish Baths. These were accessible directly from the forward 1st Class staircase.
The Turkish Baths were available for ladies from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and for
gentlemen from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. Tickets were purchased from the Enquiry Office for $1.00
each.
A Turkish bath did not involve bathing by immersing oneself in a large body
of water, as in a swimming bath. Rather, it involved sitting or lying down in a series of
rooms of increasingly hot, dry air until the bather sweated profusely, followed by a cold
shower or a plunge in a cold pool; then being given a full body wash and massage (called
“shampooing” by the Victorians) and finally relaxing in a Cooling Room until the
body regained its normal temperature. This type of bath was not a true Turkish bath, but
rather a Victorian version of it which was somewhat different in its characteristics and
in fact drew inspiration from the Roman Baths of antiquity . . . (continued) |
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3rd Class
Dining Saloon - Located amidships, between WTBs G and J, was the 3rd Class Dining
Saloon. It extended the full width of the ship and had a total length of approximately 102
feet, with a seating accommodation of approximately 473 passengers. The saloon was divided
into forward and after sections by WTB H, with the result that the Dining Saloon was
actually two separate rooms. The forward room was reserved for women and families, and the
after room for single men. In addition to the two compartments created by the presence of
the athwartship watertight bulkhead, the forward and after compartments were also
partially divided along the centerline by the No. 3 and No. 2 boiler casings,
respectively, and their adjacent fan rooms. The companionway was in the center and had
four staircases, all leading up, and was the sole means by which 3rd Class passengers
accessed their Dining Saloon . . . (continued) |
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3rd Class
Galley and Pantries - The preparation of simple fare in large quantities was the
requirement of the 3rd Class Galley. Consequently, it did not require the numerous
specialty food storage and preparation rooms found in the 1st and 2nd Class Galley, nor
were the adjoining Pantries required to be as large or elaborately equipped as those on D
Deck. In fact, despite the immense size of the Dining Saloon and the large number of
passengers this facility served, the 3rd Class Galley - located to starboard of the No. 1
boiler casing - was smaller in size than the Baker’s Shop on D Deck. Additional rooms
adjoining the galley included a Potato Wash Place, a 3rd Class Bakery, a Bread Room, and a
room designated as a dog kennel. (Evidence indicates that there may have been a second
improvised kennel at the after end of the No. 4 Funnel deckhouse on the Boat Deck.) (continued) |
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Engineer’s accommodations - The
Engineers’ accommodations occupied the deck area on either side of the reciprocating
engine casing. On both port and starboard sides, a fore-and-aft passageway ran alongside
the reciprocating engine casing; athwartships corridors ran to those cabins which did not
open directly onto the passageway. Both corridors had stairwells leading to the working
crew passageway on E Deck above, the stairs on the starboard side leading to a narrow
passageway on E Deck that crossed the turbine engine casing to the port side, terminating
at a hinged watertight door that opened into Scotland Road.
For accessing the Engine Room, two doors in the reciprocating engine casing
on each side gave access to the Tank Top level below by way of gratings and ladders. The
fact that all the Engineering Department officers had their quarters here was not only
convenient, but ensured that in the event of an emergency that necessitated the closing of
the watertight doors, those off duty would not be delayed in returning to the Engine Room . . . (continued) |
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| Other topics in this chapter include: |
| Crew accommodations forward - 3rd Class accommodations forward -
Squash racquet court - Postal clerks’ cabins - Linen rooms - Swimming Bath - Electric
Bath - Attendants’ cabins and Clothes Pressing Room - Clothes Drying Rooms - Crew
accommodations - 2nd Class accommodations - 3rd Class accommodations aft - plus Dimensions
and Specifications |
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