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Ile de France Sails from Havre Sixth Largest Transatlantic Liner—Accommodations of Exceptional Luxury and Elegance—Represents Best Efforts of French Workmanship and Art by the rest of the world for outstanding accomplishments in engineering and in the arts and crafts. It is safe to say that nothing finer has been turned out than the new flagship of the French Line the ILE DE FrRANcE. All of the genius of the French in the technical and decorative fields has been applied to make this new transatlantic vessel the most comfortable, the most beau- tiful and the most luxurious liner afloat. The ILE pe FRANCE was built at the Chantier et Ateliers de Saint Nazaire, Penhoet. She was launched on March 14, 1926. This June she sailed for Havre, on her trial trip, from where on June 22, she was to sail on her maiden voyage to New York, arriving on June 28 or 29. General characteristics of the vessel F RANCE has long been recognized are: Length, 790 feet 6 inches; beam extreme 91 feet 10 inches; depth 70 feet 6 inches; displacement about 41,000 tons; deadweight 11,500 tons; gross tonnage 41,000 tons (a figure of 43,000 tons has also been quoted). In size she is the world’s sixth largest vessel. To man this giant liner 803 men are necessary including officers and crew. Accommodations are pro- vided for 1200 first and second class and for 600 third class in cabins. There are nine decks, five of which are continuous. The uppermost deck on which are stowed the life boats is 100 feet above the keel. The deck below the boat deck is a promenade deck. A double bottom is fitted throughout the entire length of the hull. The hull is also divided by 15 water tight bulkheads into 16 com- partments. In way of the boilers HE latest French liner, i Ile de France, recently completed at Chantiers et Ateliers, St. Nazaire, Pen- hoet, was scheduled to sail from Havre on her maiden voyage for New York on June 22 where she was due to arrive June 28. A large vessel, she is exceeded in size by only 5 other trans- atlantic liners. All the skill and painstaking care of the best French engi- neers, artists and crafts- men have been lavishly bestowed to make her the finest vessel afloat. and machinery space there are com- partments on each side for oil bunkers. These compartments in way of the vitals of the ship also serve as pro- tection. Should the vessel be dam- aged flooding will be checked both in the horizontal and in the vertical direction. Heeling of the ship in such a case can be prevented by transfer- ing fuel oil from one side to the other by means of two pumps which are always under pressure. As protection against fire a special steam smothering system has been fitted in the holds, boiler, and engine room. Two receiving apparatus, one on the bridge and the other in the engine room will receive 26 fire signals located to give alarm in com- partments where men are not con- stantly on duty. Life saving equip- ment is in excess of the reqirements ILE DE FRANCE—AT LEFT—ONE OF THE BOILER ROOMS—AT RIGHT—A CORNER OF THE ENGINE ROOM MARINE REVIEW—July, 1927 15