STEAMER PERICLES SINKS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 781, 2 April 1910, Page 6

STEAMER PERICLES SINKS.

A VALUABLE'CARGO.' HUGE ABERDEEN LINER'S END. STRIKES A ROCK: PASSENGERS BEHAVE SPLENDIDLY.

BjTelerraph—Press A6sociation-Oopyrleht . * ' Sydney, April 1. ■ :News was received from Perth at an early tour this morning that the Aberdeen liner Pericles, 11,000 tons gross, had been sunk off Flinders Bay, just east of Cape Leeuwin. Tho crew and passengers are reported safe. It is understood they landed in the. vicinity of the Leeuwin lighthouse. The Pericles was Homeward bound,with a full complement of passengers and a valuable cargo from Brisbane, Sydney, Hobart, and Melbourne. ' Captain Simpson, commodore of tho Aberdeen fleet, was in command. , . i Bows well Under. Perth, April 1: ■The Pericles was noticed yostorday Afternoon six miles south, of Leeuwin lighthouse, flying signals of distress. --.. Her bo.ws were well under "and hor stern high out of the water. The boats were leaving loaded with women and children. ' ,'''.' The steamer gradually drifted closer in, struck a rock, and sank three miles off Cape Leeuwin. Meantime, : . all aboard had boon got safely in boats. A later report from Karridalo (which is connected by telophono with the Capo Leouwin lighthouse) states i that about, SO women and children passengers have arrived there from Flinders Bay, and. are receiving every attention. Every' house" in Karridalo is full if castaways.

, Women Behave, Well. ; The .women behaved splendidly, Thore w,as no panic or impediment to the work of rescued The passengers ' and crew, lost everything but what they stood in. All are in good health. . One boat put VrfE from the wreck with three bars, and no ping or rudder, and reached land. It was steered with an oar. ; . ! There are no details yet as to the cause of the disaster: The scene of the wreck is a remote unsettled part of the Western Australian coast.'. '■. , • A. steamer left Bunbury last night for Flinders Bay. She will take the castaways to. Fremantle. . . . '. THE CARGO. ORDER FOR A SISTEB SHIP. Sydney,- April i. The Pericles' Brisbane cargo included over. 13,000 carcasses of. mutton . and lamb, 1000 quarters of beef, and 16,000 boxes of batter.. ■'.'■. . The Sydney cargo included 5000 bales of wool, 10,800 carcasses of mutton and lamb, 15,000 ' boxes of butter, 1250 crates, of rabbits, and 250 tons ' of wheat. . ..' . ■ .., ■ Included in the Hobart cargo are over 35,000 cases. of apples and 1119 cases of preserves. . ) The Melbourne cargo included over 10,000 carcasses of mutton, 300 bales of wool, 424 tons of, wheat, and 1050 boxes of butter. ... It is a remarkable coincidence that only yesterday the. agents of the line were advised that an , order had been placed -for -the construction of a. sister ship to ■ the Pericles, to. be named' Themistocles.' ; ; . .... ■ London, March 31. The steamer Themistocles, a Bieter ship to the Pericles, now being built at Aberdeen, will make her maiden trip in February, 1911: She is being specially fitted for, the carriage of Australian'chilled beef. ■ '•''"

PASSENGERS EXPECTED TO-DAY. (Rec. April 1, 8.50 p.m.) Perth, "April 1. The steamer wath the Pericles's passengers is .expected to arrive to-mor-row. . •'■:'''■ (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Palmorston North, April 1. Oaptain W; F. Gardner, late of PaJmerstxm North, in a letter to friends hero,' stated His inteation of sailing for England by the Perioles; SHIP AND CARGO WORTH £750,000. (Rec April 1, 8.50 pjn.) Sydney, April 1. The Perielce was valued at a quarter of a million, sterling, and the cargo at half a nnffion. The insurance is divided betweea English and colonial offices. ' Tie maik lost indhde 50Ibs. of letters, and s}cwt. of other matter from Now Zealand. FULLY EQUrPPED MOMRN LINER. SUBMARINE SIGNALLING. On the occasion of the arrival of the Perioles on her first trip to Sydney, in August, 1908, the "Sydney Morning Herald" wrote:— "The arrival at Sydney of the new Aberdeen twin-screw liner Pericles, ot 11,000 tons, on her maiden voyage from London, will mark an important epoch jn the raDid dewJoameat of our oversea

shipping: trade. She is the largest vessel engaged in carrying saloon passengers between England and Australia by the Cape route, and is the first vessel specially built for this trade to be equipped with receivers for submarine signalling; The Pericles: was launched : from the yards of Harlaud and Wolff on JDeceinber 21 last year, and has been constructed under Lloyd's, survey for., the 100 Al class. She also conforms to tho Admiralty Transport Department and Board of 'i-Yade passenger regulations, and, generally speaking, her scantlings and fittings are considerably beyond the utmost requirements of these bodies. • •

"The one feature of the Pericles which will probably cause . disappointihont amongst those who have watched the progress of the line is her straight stem, which takes the place of the graceful clipper bows for which Aberdeen liners, both sail and steam, havo for so many years been famous. The new steamer is 500 ft. long,-.and 62ft in beam, and although'her great, size ensures her being very comfortable even in. heavy seas, additional . precautions . have ■ been taken against rolling by fitting bilge keels. Her motive power is provided by two sets'of quadruple expansion engines, balanced so as to prevent any.'vibration, and of ample power to ensure regular adherence to time-table dates.

"Tho Pericles is constructed on -the cellular double-bottom . principle, ; the double-bottom extending . the wholo length of the,ship, and is divided by eight watertight compartmonts, thus providing, ample safety even in the event of a serious ; 'collisionl' No fewer ''than four decks are'iitiliseu for'the accommodation of .saloon passengers," although only 100 are, carried, The dining, saloon, which,.is on tho main deck, is a broad .spacious, apartment extending, the full width of the ship. Large portholes are fitted for light and ventilation, while an auxiliary arrangement of fans :is also provided in order to ensure comfort and fresh air in-all weathers. 'Following the company's invariable custom, there is sufficient seating accommodation for all passengers to dine at one. sitting, even when the steamer is full, but n. new feature has been introduced in entirely eliminating large tables, replacing them with small ones on the restaurant principle,: which is now becoming bo popular , The predominating colour of the carpet, and upholstery r is crimson and the' floor polished: oak parquetry. The walls are of carved ' white-panelling, relieved with bold, and -with a dado of oai, and' the ceiling: is white.' ; ' The saloon, library, .and lounge are situated at tho forward.end of the.bridge deck, and are divided by a handsome glasa screen, ml ,-l°° m a separate entrance. Ihe library.is fitted up aS a reading'and ■writing room, and- is reserved for nonsmokers. The lounge is also sumptuously furnished, and in it smoking is ponnitted." s

Other Features. first-class smoking-room, which, like all other public rooms on this steamer, is of very largo size, is placed at the after-end of . the bridge deckhouse. The smoking-room, library, and lounge, and dock cabins are all fitted' with Messrs. Harland'and Wolff's type of open square windows, .which afford a great amonnit of light and' ventilation. Tins first-class staterooms are. situated on the awning aud bridge decks. Those on the awning-deck are mostly arranged on the popular tandein : principle;' so that there are no inside' rooms, •. each stateroom having dixeot 'light and ventilation from the outside. The staterooms in the deckhouse on the bridge deck are also all ■outside rooms, and are carticulaily light and airy/' being : nearly. IMt. in ' height, beam to beam. All the- rooms' are fitted with wardrobes, , and, contain' one,. two, and-three berths, and a feature which .wall appeal to travellers is , the roominess of the cabins. •.. •■■ ■. ' .

,"An account of the Pericles," however, would bo far from complete, unless mention were made, of the.exceptionally'comfortable third-class. accommodation, which snrpasaes anything of tho description in tho. trade. In this class there is accommodation for 250 passengers. The general room, smoking-room, and dining-room are comfortably fitted up. All the cabins are enclosed, and are provided with washbasins, electric light, etc.,, ond.;tne large number of rooms arranged for trso or four passengers will prove an acceptable feature of'the ship. The third-class cabins are all on.the'main deck, immediately aft of the dining-room, which extends, the ■whole width of the sfeainer. The smok-ing-room and general rooms are' on the awning-deck.

"Whilst preserving all the best characteristics of their earlier vessels, and retaining the single berth ■ cabin—which they wero the-first, to use in tho Aus-tralian-South African trade— the Abet deen Line owners have, in the shelter deck, tandem cabins, lounge, and small dining tables,' again led the van. Captain Alex. Simpson, formerly of the Moravian, is in command." A Full Complement. The disaster to the Aberdeen-White Star lker Pericles adOts another to the long liet of maritime troubles that made 1909 notorious among shipping folk. Only two years old, the Pericles ranks among the finest of modern steamships engaged m the trade between Australia and England, and was extolled by all thoso who had travelled by her. The Pericles left Brisbane on March 14,. Sydney on March IC, Melbourne on March 23, with a full complement of passengers and overy foot of cargo space occupied. 'Messrs. Dalgefcy and Co., the local agents,. received information to that effect before tho yeseel -left. Melbourne. . The 'dimensions of the Pericles (11,000 tone gross) -wore;— Length, 500 ft. Gin.; beam, 62ft. 3k.; depth, 31ft. lin.. The Pericles was fitted throughout with electricity, and was provided * with refrigerating machinery. She was the largest of ■the Aberdeen liners. The tonnages of Hieso vessels are as follow:—Poricles, 11,000 tons; Marathon,' GSOO tons; Miltiades, 6SOO tons; Moravian. W$ ton 64 tee. , .

[ ' The- Pericles was, : as stated above, fitted with the mew submarine belt recorder. This, of course, is only of service where bells arc fitted to buoys, or some other holding-gear off a coast, and would bo of little or no service on the Australian coast, where no such safeguards as yet exist. Wellington Passengers. The following passengers were booked by Messrs. Cook and Son, Wellington, to proceed by the Pericles on her interrupted voyage:—Mr. J. Fernandez (who was staving at the Otago Buffet, Lanibtoii Quay, before he sailed), Mr. J. A. Hunter, of 211 Willis Street; Mr. Amd Mrs. Warham, of -Roxburgh Street; Mr. A. E. Marris, of Garden Road, Wellington; Mr and Mrs H Stevenson, .Master H. Stevenson, and infant, Brooklyn. OTHER PASSENGERS. Auckland, April 1. The following" Auckland passengers booked through Thomae Cook and Son by the Pericles:—Mr. and Mrs. Bedshsvw, Mr. A. V. Dunseith, Mrs. E. Hicks (of Mercer), Mr. and Mrs. Withy (Parnell).