NORTHUMBERLAND.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 28, 2 February 1928, Page 8

NORTHUMBERLAND.

REPAIRS PASS EXPERTS.

AUCKLAND WORK PRAISED.

ENGLAND FULLY SATISFIED.

A striking tribute to the standanl of New Zealand workmanship is afforded by the Federal Line's steamer Northumberland, which arrived in Auckland last

evening after a trip Home.

It will bo remembered that, in January of last year, the Northumberland struck a sunken rock, as yet uncharted, on her voyage from Auckland to Napier. She was pulled up "all standing," and it was feared that she might founder, but hasty repairs served their purpose in helping her to limp back, a very lame duck, to Auckland. Here repairs were carried out, Calliope Dock having to be enlarged by blasting, owing to the fact that the Northumberland has a cruiser stern.

Meanwhile the authorities were troubled as to how she met with her mishap, and event j.vlly the whole matter became the subject of a nautical inquirv in the Magistrate's Court at Auckland. After searching investigation into the evidence of the ship's officers, and also the silent evidence of the ship's charts and log book, Captain Broughton and his colleagues were exonerated of all blame and acquitted of responsibility for the mishap. Captain Broughton has since been ap;>ointed Marine Superintendent of the company at Liverpool. Since that time the Government steamer Tutanekai has made a search of the locality, but found nothing, and next month the sloops Laburnum and Veronica and the minesweeper Wakakura are to take soundings over a wider area. The contract for the repairs was let to Messrs. Mason Bros., of Auckland, who completed the work in about two months. Six new plates were put in, and four, which were bent, were taken out and straightened. Twenty-one steel frames were also put in position, and eight tons of rivets were used to fasten them. The engineers praised the work highly, but there was a feeling on the waterfront that English experts would not be satisfied with local work. A few weeks later the Northumberland arrived in England, and was docked to carry out minor repairs which had not becij- necessary for the vovage. An opportunity thus arose for "inspection of the repairs to the hulL The plating was found to be up to the best standard of workmanship in British shipvards, and no further attention was needed.