PROMENADING THE DECK.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVI, Issue 106, 31 October 1908, Page 12

PROMENADING THE DECK.

A novel feature introduced by Messrs. Harland and Wolff, Limited, on the Hoiland-Amerika liner Rotterdam and other big vessels now under construction consists of fitting on the promenade deck large plateglass windows, which may be lowered or closed at will. These windows are designed to supersede the old canvas screens for excluding draughts and excessive wind, which had the great disadvantage of completely shutting off the view and of causing annoyance by the noise which they made by flapping in the wind. . In the Rotterdam, the builders have placed about 150 of these windows, which a-re without frames, and arranged on taey-tongs, so that they can be lowered or raised with a minimum of exertion. To prevent any working or vibration by wind or other causes little eccentrics are fitted, and a, simple arrangement does away with any risk of the glass getting broken. These windows are not a new idea so far as railways are concerned, but Syren believes that Messrs. Harland and Wolff can lay claim to the credit of having adapted them to ships and overcoming the peculiar difficulties which such adaptation presented. The avrival of the ship Ester at Banda has (vrites an Australian paper) created considerable surprise in maritime circles. The vessel was considered to be hopelessly overdue. Nothing hadfbeen heard of her since she passed the Eddystone on 29th December last, and she had been in the market since the end of May. A few days before her arrival at Banda, on 16th August, was advised 96 per cent had been paid on the risk. The experience of the Ester's crew must have been something unique, for the vessel did not sight a ship for 230 days. • The length of the voyage is, of course, not a record by any means, but it serves to show the possibility in the present day of a sailing' ship making a long voyage without speaking another vessel. The Suez Canal Company has been strictly carrying out its programme for the extension of Port Said harbour and improving the facilities for loading and discharging cargoes. Three new basins on the eastern shore, with a depth of water of seven. metrea, will, it is stated by Fairplay, be reserved for coal and petroleum steamers, and on the western side '■he Sheril Basin is being enlarged and a new basin made. The following instructive extract from directions addressed to the pursers of P. and 0. boats finds place in the "Pocket Book" recently issued by that company. "It is not the- first object of your work to keep down expenditure, but it is your first duty to see a table of superior quality maintained on board your ship, and your passengers thoroughly well satisfied. It has seldom happened that a really good table was not an economical one, compared with one badly managed, but you must clearly understand that what we now instruct you to secure is, first, an excellent table, and secondly, to combine your efforts in that direction with due economy; and it is the wish of the directors that you should continually seek to improve the table arrangements on board your ship." Fivo mail steamers, of 12,000 tons each, are (according to a iLondon paper), now under cdnstruction for the Orient Steam Navigation Company for the purposes of the new Commonwealth mail contract. The first of them, it appears, is to be called the Otway, a name which recalls Cape Otway, nn important promontory on the Victorian coast. It is thus pretty clear that the Orient Company intends to adhere to the policy, now adopted for a good many years past, of giving ita steamships names which begin with the letter "O." Originally, of course, it placed iteelf under no surh limitation. One of the first steamships which it despatched from London to Austra-lia, in the year 1877, was, oddly enough, called the Lusitania. The Canadian Department of Marine reports that at tho end of 1907 there were 7528 vessels flying the Canadian flag, their total tonuago being §98,688 tons. Vessels built and registered in Canada during the year numbered 392, of 38,410 tons in all. Ontario -was tho chief producing centre, with 96 vessels aggregating 14,444 tons, Quebec coming second on the list with 50 vessels of 10,326 tons. In the whole list of Canadian-owned steamers there were at the end of 1907, 24 of a tonnage of over 3000, ihe largest being the 'Midland Pnnce, 6636 tons, of Collingwood, Ont. Four hundred and forty-two of H.M ships and other "craft of war" have, according to an Admiralty return, been in accidents during the period Ist January, 3901, to 27th May, 1908. In addition, 16 ships have been totally lost, the cost of these being £1,951,974— the cost of the Gladiator not being included in this amount. The number of lives lost as a result of accidents on board sliip is 408. The principal disasters recently were— Tiger, April, 1908, 35 lives lost ; Gala, April, 1908, one life lost; Gladiator, April 1908, 27 lives lost. The loss of the Montagu in 1906 accounted for £1,069,290 alone, but no lives were lost The Quail, in 1907, was cut in two during night manoeuvres. About 40ft of her forepart was cut completely away, but she reached port safely. In June, 1906, an explosion took place on tho Essex, one man being killed, and in the previous month torpedo-boat No. 56 capsized and sank off Damietta, seven men being drowned. In May of that torpedo-boat No. 84 was rammed, three men being killed, alid others injured; and in the same month an explosion occurred on H.M.S. Prince of Wales, three men being killed. In 1905 accidents occurreu involving 'H.M. ships Magnificent and Assistance. An analysis oi the Admiialty return shows that during the period named slightly over one accident a week has been reported. The number of lives lost is also slightly over ,oaq n, week,