THE LOONGANA.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 95, 19 October 1904, Page 4

THE LOONGANA.

The arrival of the turbine steamer Loongana tit Melbourne has created a- great deal of initereit in shipping ciroles. The Melbourne correspondent of the Sydney Herald says : — The Loongana is a "racy" looking vessel, having two funnels and two mast*, but is much "finer" about the bowa than the other Union Company's Btenmera. The voyage of the vessel proved most satisfactory, not the slightest hitch, occurring in the working of the engines throughout. It was productive •f several periods of heavy weather, which enabled the vessel to show her seafaring qualities. "Her steadiness was," said Captain Irivingstone, "remarkable, and in the region of the S.E. trades, where the winds and seas were- exceptionally severe, the vessel did not nhip a drop of water." 'The trip from'Greenioek—inchiding stoppages' at Port Said, Perim, Colombo, and Freemalitle— occupied 37 days, \but the actual steaming time of the voyage waa only 32 days 1 hbup and 24 mjnutes, representing an average speed , of IS knots. No attempt was made to drive the vessel, oidji two of- her four boilers being us*d. Between Greqnock a.nd 'Port/ Said, a distance of 3303 tniles, an average speed of 16 knots was registered. The beet daily record, was during the 24 hours immediately preceding her arrival, 410 miles /being covered in this time, for two days aiiir leaving Fremantle the Loon(and waa hanWred by strong head winds, and leas, but the rest of the passage was marked tiy pleasant conditions. Leaving the Western Australian port at 9 o'clock last Monday mornIng the vesqtl arrived off Wllliarastown at a quarter to 6 'o'clock this evening, thus accomplishing 7 the run in four days and eight boars, wb£h is a slightly better record than that of tho Howard Smith steamer Bombala between jke same ports.