MARINE TRADE.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18634, 8 March 1926, Page 14

MARINE TRADE.

NEW VESSELS FOR U.S.S. CO. ACCIDENT TO THE HORORATA. (raOM OXTB, OWN COHBISPOHDXKT.). , LONDON, January 21. A few days ago the newspapers published a statement regarding the New Zealand Shipping Company'b Hororata, which made it appear that the vessel was in serious difficulties and pending out messages of distress.. As a matter of fact, the messages sent out were meant only for other steamers in the vicinity, but the news services picked them up, and made much of them. The Hororata had travelled' from New Zealand by way o£ Cape .Horn. -. After-• crossing the Atlantic she entered the Mediterranean, and made for Genoa, encountering severe gales from the south. On arrval in the Gulf of Qenoa an accident happened to the steering gear. Had the vessel been well out to sea it is doubtful whether Captain E. T. Holland would have sent out any messages regarding .her condition, but the strong wind wag causing her to drift slowly towards the lee shore of Italy. As a precaution, therefore, Captain Holland wirelessed to_ ships in the vicinity giving particulars of his predicament, and then got on with the work ol "repair. In any case, the vessel haa twin serews, niul is thus capable of being manoeuvred without the rudder. Ninety minutes after the first piessage, however, the steering gear was repaired, and the Hororata went on to Genoa safelyA message was sent out saying that all was well, but this message seems to have been missed by the official wireless stations. ' It has been definitely fixed that the Hororata shall sail for New Zealand Again _ on April 9th, and- she will take out 750 assisted third-class passengers.Aftermath of Strike. , All the Australian and New Zealand shipping companies are now feeling the disastrous effects of the strike. For instance, tlie Rimutaka has recently arrived in England after being absent for 350 days. Thus it haa completed one round trip instead of three in the year. The Hurunui, Kaikoura, Tasmania, and Cornwall are laid up in Sydney harbour with crews on board being paid fujl time. These vessels have to remain in southern waters, otherwise there would not be enough ships available for nest season's meat. It will be some considerable time before the service is readjusted, and in the meantime the losses will continue to be folt. TT.S.S. Co.'* Fleet. An agreement has'just been signed for the construction of ». new. cargo vessel for the Union Steam Ship Company. ■ The builders are Messrs Napier and Miller, of _ Old KilPatrick, Glasgow. The vessel, _ which is'to be of 4200 tons dead-weight,. is for general service in New Zealand waters. She is to be 815 ft in length, 4oft in width, and 25ft in depth. The engines will be triple expansion, single screw, making a 6peed of 11 knots. There will be three cargo holds, and three cargo 'tweendecks. Special arrangements will be made for cased benzine, and the forecastle will be fitted for carrying live cattle. Officers will be accommodated in the bridge, the irew at the after end of the poop, and engineers, cooks, and stewards in the state house aft. The contract stipulates that the vessel shall be completed by July 31st this year. Another single screw, steel, cargo vessel o£ 1000 tons dead-weight is to be built for the Union Company by Messrs Cochrano and Son, of Selby, Yorkshire. This is for the Tasmanian trade. She will be 190 ft by 31ft by 15ft, and will have a speed of lot knots. The keel is now being laid, and the vessel is to be completed by the middle o£ Ma "'" Port of Southampton. A notable addition to the passenger trade will occur in February, when the Orient Line steamers will call at Southampton fortnightly, to land passengers from Australia. Cunard Line also will have an increased number of steamers at Southampton, the oa mania, Caronia, Lancastria, and Camcronia having been ordered south for the summe traffic. . They will load cargo, in London and embark passengers at Southamptonwill make the fourth, Cunard service from Southampton, as against one in the day before the war. New Motor Ships. A number of new vessels will be added to the various services which used J*™**™"? 4 ? as a port, the most notable of which will de the sister motor-ships, the Asturias and the Alcantara. The former vessel is duo to start on her maiden voyage to South Amer ica on February 26th, and her appearance will permit of the acceleration of the man service. Instead of a fortnightly service, a vessel will leave Southampton every ten days, and that period may be further reduced when the Alcantara is ready ~ Three other motor-ships will make maiden voyages from Southampton during the year. They are the Union-Castle liner Carnarvon | Castle, the Botterdam-Lloyd liner Indrapoera, and the P. C. Hooft, of the Nederland Line. The Indrapoera is scheduled to make her j first voyage-on February 12th. The Ham-burg-A'merika Line, which is now running in conjunction with the United American Line, Will place the Hamburg, on the Southampton run, snd it is possible that other companies will have new vessels ready before the end of the year.