The SS Kyle arrives into St John’s Harbour. ( First reporter interview )
The s.s. Kyle, Captain Stephenson, the New ships built for Reid Nfld Co at Newcastle-on-tyne England to run between St, Johns and Labrador ports arrived at an early house this morning. The ship left Newcastle on Saturday at 5pm and had very fine weather until Saturday night and Sunday when a hurricane of wind from the South East veering to the North West with heavy seas were expected and last evening and night in the making in for the land she had a very thick and hove up off the port all night. The Alilp proved herself to be a splendid sea boat. She did 12 knots on the run out and captain and crew are enthusiastic over her qualities as a sea boat and first class steamer. The Purser and Marconi operator, Messrs-March and Baxtor of the Reid Nfld Co. kindly showed a telegram representive through this splendid specimen of marine architecture this forenoon. The boat is undoubtedly a beauty in each respect and her creation seems to have reached the climax in all the handsome, luxuriant and staunch in vessels of the her class. It is almost enough to say that she is a replica of the Excellent Lintrose, though she is 35 feet shorter. The first place visited on board by our reporter was the music room forward of the ship. The beautiful apartment is done in a Birdseye maple polished in the natural color and as most luxuriously furnished. A feature in it being a grand piano of the same wood. The upholstery, carpets etc are in the same uniform color just aft the music room is the main saloon done in polished Mahogany. The doors are paneled in vari-colored plated glass; fancy tinted windows light the room and can accommodate 40 people at the tables. The settees, chairs of splendid upholstery and woodwork. The Pantry is just off the saloon and just forward of the over the saloon is the smoking room, a place in which one can enjoy the weed in the most comfortable and beautiful surroundings. The Captain and Chief officers room is excellently furnished and beautiful wrought are off this room and above this is the wheelhouse, flag rooms etc. The Marconi room is aft in the upper deck and is fitted with every appliance and furnished neatly and with and eye to the comfort of it official. Wireless has a radius of 150 miles. Below on the second deck are the washrooms, toilets, baths for ladies and gentlemen and theses display every comfort and convenience. The staterooms are veritable miniature palaces. The contain the 4 to 6 berth and are painted dead white on the ceiling and the rest enamel white. Each room has its own washbasin and a cunningly devised little ladder to take on to the top berth without the necessity of climbing up by the lower berth. There are also staterooms to accommodate parties of 6 on each side of the ship. The Ladies cabin amidships are also an apartment fitted in a sumptuous way with mirrors set about, handsome furniture and cork and cloth carpets. The men’s quarters very comfortable are forward and the steerage which is aft is a fine place containing good berths, beds and furniture and capable of accommodating 120 men and 40 women. The ship is well ventilated and lit throughout with electricity. In the Marconi room is a Morse lamp and telephones run right through the ship/ here six lifeboats are well build to suit the Board of Trade requirements and can carry 31 persons each. The ship is built with particular attention given to strength of structure for contact with ice. She has 5 watertight bulkheads and her tonnage is 1,055. net 548. She is 220 feet long, 32 feet beam, depth of 21 feet. Her engines are reciprocating three cylinders of 1580 horsepower. Today numbers of people inspected her and expressed the pleasure they felt on the viewing such a find ship.