NEW INTERCOLONIAL STEAMER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 50, 22 November 1907, Page 8

NEW INTERCOLONIAL STEAMER.

■MARAMA DUE TO-DAY. 'Now steamers for the Union Company i havo been descending on the Dominion with a regularity of late which betokens a marked progress in the affairs of tho company which is gradually pensioning off. its older boats and replacing them with new and up-to-date craft. Tho Marama is'said to bo a distinct acquisition to the already fine fleet, and lias just entered tho intercolonial service. She is duo hero this morning on her maiden trip, eji ■ route to Sydney from Dunedin. Captain Gibb is in command, and has with him tho following deck officers:—Chief, Mr. A. C. Showman ; second, Mr. H. C. Saunders; third, Mr. G. Ferguson; forirth, Mr. Bayer Spam. In tho engine department, Mr. A. Lowis retains tho position of chief engineer, his assistants being Messrs. W. Hayne (second), J. Patterson (third), M'lnnes (fourth). Maxwell (fifth), Luko. (sixth), Goddard (electrician), and , Gash (boilcrmaker); chief steward, Air. W. Lawson.

The Marama left Plymouth on Soptember 26, and arrived at Capetown on October 12. In this trip sho narrowly escaped establishing a record, hor time having only once been beaten. Durban was tho next port of call, thonco sho rosumed her voyage to Melbourne. Between Durban atid Melbourne tho Marama lowered all previous records, and Captain Gibb, on being questioned about this record-breaking, stated that she was never called upon to exert her full power, as coal consumption was a consideration.' Tho voyage from Mclbourno to Otago Heads was accomplished in 82 hours — an average speed of 16} knots.

The Marama is a steel twin-screw steamer, 420 ft. .long, 25ft. beam, and 34ft. moulded depth of hold, her tonnage being 6451 gross and 3952 tons net, and her loaded draught is ■ 23ft; 7in. Sho came into port drawing 19ft. and 15ft. respectively aft and forward, that being her draught in ballast trim. She is' built to the highest class of tho British Corporation classification by Messrs. Caird and Company, of Greenock,- this firm being tho builders of a largo number of tho P. and 0. Company's steamers. This is tho first vessel ■ built by them for the Union Company. In appearanco sho resembles the Manuka, but is larger than that vessel in every way, and her passenger accommodation is arranged, on the lines of that of the Maheno, which she exceeds in length by 20ft. Tho engines are by the builders, and her twin scrpws are drivon by two sets of four-crank triple expansion engines on tho Yarrow-Schlick-Tweedy balanced syßtem. There are, two cylinders at 29} - and 47iin. and four at 54in. diameter, the stroko being 48in. Steam is supplied from two smglo and two doublo steel boilers fitted • with Howden's forced draught. All the latest improvements aro embodied in her. construction, there being tho usual cellular doublo bottom fore and aft fitted for carrying the water" ballast, and also ample provision for the carrying of a plentiful supply of fresh water and other conveniences of modern passenger accommodation. : She is a singlefunnelled boat, with two masts, and is provided with two derricks and hydraulic rams at-each of her-five hatches. Tho builders of theMararaa informed Captain Gibb that they.had never sent, a finer vessel away from their yards. ' • ,