Cargo For Antarctic Arrives

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30528, 25 August 1964, Page 20

Cargo For Antarctic Arrives

The arrival at Lyttelton yesterday morning of the American passenger freighter, Pioneer Surf, marked the beginning of this season’s Antarctic maritime support programme. In addition to 1180 tons of Antarctic-bound cargo for discharge at Lyttelton, the Pioneer Surf has 12 through passengers for Australia. The bulk of her cargo is normal freight for Australia. Included in the cargo which will be flown or shipped to McMurdo Sound, are food supplies, including a large quantity of prepacked and sealed meals in containers. These meals will keep Indefinitely and can be heat-

ed in a few moments. They include turkey and steak dinners.

Although the 19-year-old, 8373-ton Pioneer Surf is pay ing her first visit to Lyttelton, there are familiar faces aboard. Captain Robert Anderson, of Tennessee, has previously visited Lyttelton in the Pioneer Isle, and also in the Pioneer Gem. Mr Calvin Bonawitz, the chief engineer, was here only 18 months ago in the Pioneer Gem. Mr Bonawitz, a bachelor, who has been in the Atlantic Coast-Australia trade for several years, is a great admirer of New Zealand and thinks Hamner is one of the finest places he has ever seen. Captain Anderson said the voyage out was uneventful except for a mishap to a young passenger, Dennis Bla-

lock, aged 16, who fell and broke his right leg on Sunday. He was attended by the shipmaster, who set the leg and yesterday the youth was taken to hospital by ambulance. His parents are Mr and Mrs J. D. Blalock. Mr Blalock, who is an electronics engineer from Charlotte, North Carolina, is bound for Canberra with his family. Cargo for Australia and New Zealand was loaded at the Atlantic Coast ports of Philadelphia, Baltimore, Norfolk, New York, Davisville (Rhode Island), and Savannah, from where the Pioneer Surf sailed for Lyttelton on July 30. The Pioneer Surf is expected to sail for Brisbane this afternoon. The United States Lines

are now building five fast modern passenger freighters for their long-established Pacific trade. The line has 52 ships at present, the most familiar one being the Atlantic Blue Riband holder, the 12-year-old, 51-988 tons, United States. The new vessels will have a service speed of 23 knots and the first of these; the American Racer, a 13,300-ton vessel, was launched last May in Chester, Pennsylvania. The American Racer when completed, will be the most highly-automated cargo vessel in the American Merchant Marine. The technological advances in the new ship will be such that one officer will be able to operate the vessel by direct control from the' bridge.