TO LINER NIAGARA.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 152, 28 June 1915, Page 7

TO LINER NIAGARA.

PROPELLER BLADE LOST. TRIP ON TWO SCREW?. On the arrival of the R.M.5. Niagara from Vancouver this morning, i: was learned that ;>hc had met with a repetition of the aceklent that happened to her in March last, namely, the. loss of a blade from her centre propeller. The accident happened at noon on May 20, two days after the liner left Auckland for Suva, on her last northward run, and ever bince the Niagara lias been running on two screws only.

It will be remembered that on her run from Sydney to Auckland in March last the Niagara lost a blade from her centre screw, and in consequence had lo be taken into the Calliope Dock for the purpose of having a spare propeller fitted. This was accomplished without a hitch, although the liner fitted the dock with a matter of inches to spare. She made the trip to Vancouver in excellent trme. and also put up a good performance on the return journey. She ha 4 thus made a little more than one round trip on tOie spare propeller when it jrave way. When she reached Vancouver on June 4 the screw was unfastened by divers and taken aboard. It has yet to be decided whether a. new one will be fitted when the Niagara arrives at Sydney, but if is considered possible that tihe liner will make one more round trip with her wing propellers akme. On fhe run up to Vancouver she made, an average of lfi knots, and about, the same on the return trip. In the one case the drag of the. unused propeller was something of a hindrance, and, a*' the vessel was more dee.pl) , laden for the southward run. its removal did not improve lier speed. She was well able, however, to keep approximately to her time-f-able.

The Niagara landed a large quantity of mail matter and 53 passengers at Auckland this morning, and is now discharging 1,250 tons of cargo, including 16 motor cars and 1,000 sacks of Canadian flour. She is put down to sail at midnight for Sydney, and a large number of intending passengers have l-aken advantage of the intercolonial rales conceded for the trip across to Sydney.

The loss of idle blade causal severe vibration aboard the vessel for some seconds, until "the engineers were able to stop tho low-pressure turbine driving the centre shaft, but no damage resulted.