RED FUNNEL FLEET.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 52, 25 November 1907, Page 9

RED FUNNEL FLEET.

a story l , progress: . ; ; The people <)f,. l tbc-.Uo)i\iino.n.'takefpardon-able pride in tbavuvagnlfiboiit Union. Conipiiny st-oa mors, :■ aiul" , every oie\v-""a'BliicVe-' irient of tho progressive red funnel liiie I; is heralded by all Sii'd'• sundry- 1 -iis b'victory in _\vlnch ho or she- ili!is"'a' jiorsonal , - interest. ; " '.•'.-' tlio.'MaramWfytihe : l:itost : -:iddiiidli to the-fleet, sft-dpt-gfAcefnlly,;into; the, harbour on her miiri^ijn^f the,;sixteenth'new stcajji'ijr aided Compaiiy's list during,the; past ,tw.o,.years;:, .Much has already booh published- concorrting-'.'this' , fine vessel, and ='siifiicc -it' to say .sTio'"is'"al triumph of tliiy ,sliipbuifd<fi ;, s V art,;'.' aiid " 'aii; improvement seen,,before -iii.the waters which b'n);p.,.'pra<ii.<sd.i t!w...!Uflj.jtJifVCpmpany's fleet '.■•:•■:',:•!"•■ ] EARLt.HiSTbRYj"';' The infant' , days of;'tho'now •■ prosperous company are worth briefly recalling.' The beginning was modest,,.and dates back to 1875, when operation's' , were "commenced with, three steamers;:tbo' ; lai>gcst' i a"f'Avhfeh' : (lid"ifo(; exceed. 500 tons gro , ss.': ; iAway , 'ba-e l k iji'4B62,' the Golden Agcy ; a stcanier .was the one and ■only-reprcsenta'tive bfsteam' , marine in Dunediii.-.-In 1375 tliero'iWrd'five' steamers, and .it.-Avas-about tlia't'- time" that Sir James Mills, ;,thTi piekentiM.ie'aVV of'"'the" rod funnel flcet,';'JQiired''thff--o^llj)liny;>; , a"nd acquired .the ■ fleet of/the' 1 Ha"rbeur;:-St«am : Company, ;known as tho>r;Bqa'ut'iful. StftY, - Mfwehy' .Taupo, Maori-,;...LiDfti-"'"Brbce.*. ■'& Another , ?year ..saw the New Zealand." Steam' Shipping, Cpni,-: . pany swallowed>!upiin l ."the Tfiiion-'Coriipany, and in 1878 eyes , were , easb/fur'theii nfk'ln, and the ofci'"Mes'sr's: : M'Mcckan, Bla6Ki\"qo'd, : "'aJ)d' ■ l Cb;.j-*a4-7pur-: -chased. Tho C6mpa'riy.waß -, begfaiiirng' tV :, fe"el' its? strength, wtU'igradually <n ■ bettei-r- , class' of vessel made:thrir ap])earaiieej'-s()'mo" ofowhich', including the .fEa-ravl'e'ra" and "tire: 'Hiiuroto, , aro still in commissioiv. , "" Tlfe 'bTiildiiigJpro-' gramme of the eomnic.iicedin 1879, i when the Rotomahanai- still'holding her-'own-to-tlay- in the ferry.'. servicc,'.V-was ; bflilf-lfy. Messrs.. Denny ■-■'Bros;, f tof:-Dumbartion.:!."' i Tbo building of. this'. ,, veteran , "of ')nans' i ' , iHm'di , ed ferry trips, was notable \in this respoofc'yitbatj it was tho first occasion on..wjiiqlv.mild steel was used in the , 'cdris'truetioii 6f"a trading vessel. The Black Diamondrjcolliers were : purchased in 1885;; andvtwojyoars; later-;tho' colliers belonging;.;'toi(lthe..i.GfeymouthoCoal Company and .the wore taken over.; .isq, , .--yo.arsbycycaii,. thoo'red'. funnels have multiplied)?- until!4he.,i present magnificent■_ fleets three of whiclrafe.-.still under-. of a total tonnage of .142,017 tons, has been brought together.?-; Nor is the-:.end-yet, insight.. The Company's , .immediate,.:; pro-.-■gramme, as outlined J'.V>. Sir.;' James ;Mills,.-. includes the buildin§-.r.o]E-; additifliml steamers: to meet the extension of '.and. to replace .the,70.00 ton, sixteen.knofc^tqaiuor;for::the;Vancouver: service; a .4000 ,t<Jn (i thirteen'knot.-steamcr.' for tho Island-trade,'-of same; typo as the Atua, but cargo steamer, building at Port Glasgow, ±o{ -.tljij..' same type as the Wajhora, dead weight 8500 tons, sea. speed" oToVeii'-Tmots; also a cargo steamer of the,;turrpt;. :l typo, the,.first of its class ever,..tricd,.hy.tlifj.-TJnipii.c.Coiu-pany, .being built at Sunderland.i-jThQ turret steamer is a. very popular typo ■with. , -some owners at Home. .-It % is.claimed;!tha.t : ,in dead, weight, capacity; .< gn:.a r giveji. turret boats offer advantages not ppssossed; by other J v'. ../.: ...,->• iA renewal Cprnpany's . Vancouver-, service contrac,fc.j|for,', ,two. .. y'ear's". ( sociired on coiiyjt-ipn. t-?»e Mtojiyjera' was; replaced with. i).,jriQWv s,tearaer N . ,'TIMp? done, a ship ab.(wit]l.p,op,.tdns largcr'tbajV tlio;Miowora being.,)),l,ij]t ~on, the Clyde..' .Moan-, time a moyemofl't-.js",-'pii foot .to 'establish?: a faster. service tpf-takq'.the place ofi tb'jsV.prosont one. ■Tho,'(iir.opHsals.,aj:o jipw'.Jjeing!, laid, before a committee.api^inted'.b, J | [ijjjj.b i r.ialGovernment./ ;r"; 7 : rf^o Q , '' lvi ', /; ; ',i\

' A^gO?itPARISON.r:-fo A i: ! :> «•,;-■■; The fleet of thp,;cQmpcniy.-,wp.s uiii.flf.tho following vessels, gf.ISBs: —ltotomahann,-' 17-27 ; r-tons 2003 tons; AVailiorbi ..2Qo3itons;*..\Vair»rapa,i 1786 tons;'Mancfpouri,, .17.83 2350 tons; ■Haur.dto l ':losßvtons-;;.-:.;-l l o;.Ana«; , -. 1052 tons; 109S tons; Eingurbbnia,.,lo96 'tons.;i ;.s'aka--puna, 930 tons';u,Eotoru , a, t :,92G.;,;.tpiis;:?H.erti, t)8o tons; Pengiiiri," 74SJ-.tons.; •;Hawfca,-,' ; 721 tons; Wanaka;'<>493- itohS'j.- Ohau,-'766i ; tons;; Tnupo, 766 tons^..Oinapero,,6ol:tons vTaiaroa, 4-38 tons; Mahinapua, .423. tons; Suva, 293 tons; Southerni rOross , ,' 2B2"toiis.; Beautifnl' Star, 177 tons;|-.Wfnihi,.-92 tdiis.- vIA-.'-good-many of tho foregoing);vessels,have.m'ade.colonial maritimo hist.ory," i .but ::a? (number roi; them jiro .still !dDing"'gooil- ser.vicof'inofebly the Rotomahaiia(t ..Tarawora/. iSranapburi, Haurpto, Tc Anau, .Ta'kapuiia,s,P,enguiii J "a|Kl. "Waihi. The Araivatn;-once a"brilliant mtei'*' colonial liner,' is 'nowodoing- diiby: asi<a. coalhulk in Wellington.) Jia-rbouny the-iSouthcrn-Cross was scuttled in the Straitssnot:'rn'ahy'months ago; _t|ip.llotor\ia,.and ; }V.aib(jra..aro trading in China' seas, '■ and'- wreck' iiud* , galo have accounted-,fo'r; the-7balance. i(i.= •!>.'■. ■'.:!

The fleet afloat.,.^!uti,buiWiu&,:to T .day..is > as, follows:— . ;v 4 .:>-.:•.:■.":'.' ■<•.'-;-::!.':

Marama, 6437»t0ns j-Aparimaj-. 5704-tons j Mahono; 5282 tqni5;;,,..Waih0ra;,.,;.4638!;,.'t0iis ;■ Manuka, 4505 .tons.;..,Mo«rakl, I-.4392: • tons;; Wainina, 3947--<tons; <<■ Moanay l -3915 rtoits; Warrimoo, 3529ni.tons>;>< 3lokoia,--3502 - tons;' Atua, 3444 tons';.-.M.orio'wai, 3433 .tons ;vWnikare, 3071 tons.yc Madrid 3000,\t«m3;:;. WJian-f gape, 2931 tons';<Navnay 2930 tons-; Mnrarosi,' 2598 tons; Loonganajn.244B.tons-; AVaniika/ 2422 tons; Rakanba,, 2246 .tons,;-. 2078 tons; Manapouri, 206p.:tons;- Morn's, 2027 tons; Tarawera/' 2003 tons; Kniapoa, 2003 tons; Komata, , '1994^tons!>■■; Haiiroto",' , 1938 torfs; KaitunaJ .1977.' 1945 tons; \Vaittt>r'i,-1919::tons; Karofi, 18fl3tons; 'liotomaluvmt; , 1777. : t0ns '1758 tons; Oonah, 1757. tbnsV Tai(!ri,'..l66S>tons;■ Te Anau, 1652 tonsj'.'Aralnlfk; Kakapo, 1521 '"ton's; .Taviunij'"T46s ■ ton's; Fukaki, 1444 toils ;''-Kam6na,?":l42s-. ,, ,t0f15t Karitane, 1376 'tons "'Flora, ; 1273;"toris'; Cor- J inna, 1271 tqnsj-KittaW,'. l347i'"tons;";Pateena, 1212 .tons'; ' Miipoiirikaj ! '1203 tons'; Poberua, 1175 tons"-"lWtpiti, , 1159 tons';"Kmi,' 1122 tons; Kbpnva', , ' '1091 'tbnsr;":' l K6ti\kn'; , 1054 tons;' Taka'puna;;-1036; tons;: 'fenguin,- , 824| tons; Hau]jiri', , '-' , 74B' ; ,'t(}nsv"' , 'R6saiiiqn(l - , : '721 tons; Waijiiur ; 6B4"toiis*', 'Maliinapuai'MCS , tons; Squall,''3Bo tori's jT'Wiiitcmata, "oUOD tons (building) j/lpfuaj , 4200.S6|i'sV(traildmg) ;'' Koromiko, .25OO't6ns-(buil(ling) : .'' 5p ' 1 "•-". '■"' "