THE S.S. WAIOTAHI.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 258, 30 October 1891, Page 4

THE S.S. WAIOTAHI.

NORTHERN S.S. COMPANY'S NEW .STEAMER. . '

ARRIVED FROM GLASGOW,

At an early hour this morning the new steel steamer Waiotalri, recently buiib on the Clyde to the order of the Northern s.s. Company, of Auckland, for the Bay of Plenty trade, arrived in port from Glasgow via other ports, after a rather tedious passago of one hundred and fchrSe days. She came to an anchorage off the Queenstreet Wharf, where she lay all day, and was inspected by quite a large number of interested spectators.

She is a small but shapely boafc, rigged as a lore-aud-aft schooner, and ib is expected that sho will prove to bo well adapted for her future trading sphere on the East Coast in the maize-carrying trade. Tho Waiotahi is a strongly built steel fcwin-sorew steamer of 278 tons gross and IG7 neb. She was builb by the Abercorn Shipbuilding Company, of Paisloy. She has been built of steel throughout, and has complied with the highesb class at Lloyd's. Messrs Hanna, Donald and VVilsonof Paisley, have fitted her with two sets o, compoundaurface-contloneingenginosofSOpf horse power collectively, with'an 18-inch stroke. Her dimensions are : Length, 125 ft; breadth, 25ffc; depth of hold, Bft 6in ; 300 tons gross. The vessel has very comfortable and roomy accommodation for twenty-six first-class passengers, the saloon being aft, as welL as all tho most modern appliances for the rapid loading and diecharging of cargo, and has boon built under the supervision of Mr Melntyre, consulting engineer. A successful trip was made on the Clyde, when the steamer made a speed of knots, carrying 115 tons dead weight on a draught of sfc 6in. She bears the well-known " white funnel " of the Northern Company, and has a bridge of 38 teot amidships and a quarter-deck of the same length. Tho oilicerd have very comfortable quarters, and everything on board is fitted up in excellent style. She will bo able to stow away a large cargo on a light draught of water. When loaded with coal on her passage out sho drew about 7 foet, bub when fully loaded with deadweight sho is expected to draw not much more than (5 feet. Har steaming rate is moderate. On tho passage out sho averaged SJ knots per hour.

Tho steamer has been named after tho river and district of Waiotahi in the Bay of Plenty. For the voyage out she carried a crew of 14 hands all told. Captain Isaac T. Wilson, who came out as master, formerly belonged to the s.s. Teizcrnha, of Kio. Tho voyage out occupied 103 days.

Captain Wilson reports that the Waiotahi left Glasgow for Auckland on July lSch witli a full supply of. coals, which lasted her to the Suez Canal. She arrived at Port Said on August 9th, coaled thore, called at Colombo (Ceylon) on September 4th, at Ifaravia on the 16th ulb., and arrived ab Thursday Island on the 7th inst., leaving again on the 9th, after coaling. Sho had fairly good weather to Thursday Inland, bhenco head winds and high seas to port, tho bifiozea being chiefly strong from tho South and S.S.E. Heavy seas wero oi'ton experienced, bub the litble craft kept remarkably dry, nnd proved herself a splondid soa-boab, being exceedingly steady and easily manageable. Captain R. Sopwibh piloted Captain , Wilson across from Thursday Island, tho passage from thisport occupying 21 days.

The Northern Company will lose no timo in putting her into active commission, and it is. intended to despatcli her on her maiden trip to Opotiki early next week. Capfc. Norbury, of the s.s. Glcnelg, on tho West Coast, will take charge of the Waiotahi, Capt. Austin, of the s.s. Douglas, taking the Gleiielg.