THE S.S TEKOA.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7804, 6 March 1891, Page 4

THE S.S TEKOA.

The New Zealand Shipping Company's ■«6W cargo steamer Tekoa arrived in Hobeon'a Bay on February lath, with 6500 tons mixed cargo from .London. Wβ take the following description of her from the Melbourne Argus: —Her consumption of coal is only twenty tons per day. but ou ( that she made the voyage to Adelaide, via the Cape, in ttfty-six days. Leaving Gravesend ou December 19th, she din«hsrKed the pilot off Eover December 21st, wad had a very rough passage through the Bay of Biscay. She oiled up her coal bankers at Tenerine on December 29th pad had strong S.E. trades to contend With until rounding the Cape of Good Hope, aud theuce westerly Kales across th*s luilian ocean, till the reached Adelaide on February lSth, The Tekoa is a long schoouer-ritcged craft, with a short poop, in which are the officers' quarters, while the engineers* quarters are under the bridge. The hull is of ateel, divided by bulkheads into corn part mc uts, end the decks are of the eatne metal, eotered with composition. The steamer WaebtttttAt fldrtiepool, by Jlcssrs Qr«y find Co., who aleo supplied the main euglßM and the pumpinx «e*x coanected

with the refrigerators, which are equal to stowing over 60,000 carcases of mutton. The relrigeratlDK machinery is by Messrs Haslam and Co., of Derby, and Weir's patent evaporator is also supplied. The vessel is 285 ft lonjr, with 4jft beam, by 26ft depth of hold, giving an internal measurement of 4050 tons, or with deductions for machinery and screw space, 2846 tons register The engines are of the triple expansion fcvpe, having cylinders of 27in, 43in, and 72in respectively, giving a 45in ttroke, and working up to 450 nominal or 6000 indicated horse-power. There are three large boilers, loaded to 1601b pressure, with four furnaces each, and on her trial trip the steamer is said to have made knots per hour. The average speed on the outward voyage was 10 knots. The steam steering gear is of the newest type, and she carries a good supply of boats. The deck machinery is specially constructed with a view to the rapid delivery of cargo, and includes powerful winches at every hatchway and strong derricks. She left Adelaide at 5 p.ua. oa .the 16th inst. ; passed Cape Northumberland at 6 p.m. on the 17th, and Cape Otway at 9 a.m. on the 18th ; reaching Port Phillip Heads at 4.30 p.un. ou the same day. Moderate S. and S.W. wiuds, with a high sea, were met with from Adelaide. The Tekoa discharged about 600 tons of cargo in Adelaide. She will discharge about yOOO tons for Melbourne, and will cake oa the same quantity to Sydney. Captain Stuart has the following officers under him: — Chief Officer, Mr G. W. Banks; second, Mr J. L. Barthop ; third, Mr W. R. Donald; purser, Mr Harvey. The main engine room is in charge of Mr E. Parsons, with Mr A. Tasher as second engineer, Mr E. G. Wooton as third, aud Mr H. Rogers as fourth. Sir W. Gordon and Mr W. North are the engineers of the refrigerating department. The vessel has arrived in port in excellent condition throughout.