SHIPS AND THE SEA

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 73, 27 March 1909, Page 12

SHIPS AND THE SEA

LUSITANIA AND MAURETANIA. After the record eastward run of the Mauretania added interest attaches to the reappearance of the Lusitania. She has been out of the Cunard schedule for two or three weeks, undergoing overhaul. Nothing of a special character was required, as was the case with the Mauretania, whose propellers received great, attention. The Lusitania has come out of dry-dock vith a clean skin, and ready for hard work again. At the outeet, however, luck has not favoured her. When sailing from Liverpool on her first trip after docking she was detained in the Mersey, and was late in leaving Qneenstown. As, however, the timing is from Daunts Rock to the Ambrose lightship, it was hoped she might yet do well. It may be taken for granted that these two big Cunarders | will not only continue to set the pace on the Atlantic, but will maintain a healthy rivalry between themselves. What becomes of the boys who pass through the stationary training ships which dot our coasts? asks a London paper. The answer as regards three of them is given by their mother in an interesting letter which was read by Mr. P. H. Devitt at the annual meeting of the Marine Society. The communication was as follows: "My son W was trained on board the Warspite, 1902-3 ; went in Union-Castle boats and lonic as ordinary seaman, and then able seaman, and is now quartermaster in the steamer . He is about to go up for Iris examination as second mate. His eldest brother G , also trained in the Warspite, made several trips in the Union-Castle line, and then apprenticed himself. He is now going up for his captain's certificate. Another brother has the society's medal. He joined the Royal Navy, passed as seaman-gunner, j and is learning to be a diver. I am proud to say my boys have done credit to the society's training." Wireless telegraphy, though bound to be far more generally employed at sea after the lesson taught by the Republic, appears to experience considerable limitation by reason of tho absence of a univei-sal system. Mr. Emil Boas, general manager of the Hamburg-American Company in New York, has been telling a reporter that his company has to patronise two wireless telegraph concerns. " Our Atlas service, going between New York and the West Indies, is equipped with the United Wireless system, while our Transatlantic ships use the Marconi system. Now these two rival systems do not work together. You can imagine the inconvenience that results. Here is a case to illustrate Not l ong ago we took the Blucher out of our Transatlantic service and sent her into southern waters. Speaker Cannon was on board, and had made special arrangements to keep in touch with Washington. But, you see, the Blucher was equipped with the Marconi system, and the operator refused to communicate with stations belonging to the United Wireless." The really reassuring thing is that both the' companies named give orders that in cases of emergency all messages are to be accepted. "The shipyards, generally, at the present time," write Messrs. T. W. Tamplin and Co., in their annual circular, "present a forlorn spectacle of empty berths, to find a parallel to which we should have to go back to 1895. Much as we may regret that one of the most important industries of this country should be suffering to such an extent, we feel bound to say that the absence of building orders, is one step, and a most important one, towards an improvement in ireighfcs. Shipowners who wish to take an optimistic view say the shipping trade will improve when the general trade of the country improves. This is no doubt correct, but how long would the improvement last if, as in 1905, the shipyards should be again filled with orders for new steamers? The obvious result would be that within the following eighteen months the freight market would be flooded with surplus tonnage, and the shipping trade would have entered on a new period of depression." Additional evidence of New Zealand's | prosperity is shown by the fact^that the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company has despatched nine steamers, all fully freighted with wool, meat, and dairy produce, since the beginning ol January, all bound for London. The first on the list is the Aotea, which sailed from Wellington on sth January, followed by the Arawa, on 12th January. The Matatua- also sailed from Wellington on 19th January, and the Tainui on 28tn January. The Rangatira left Auckland on 3rd February, and the Karamea sailed' from Wellington on 6th February, followed by the lonic, on 25th February. The Pakeha sailed from Auckland on 26th February, and the Mamari from Lyttelton on 4th March. In addition to the foregoing, the Athenic sailed, from Wellington on 25th March ; the Kumara is to leave Wellington on 31st March, and the Delphic is also timed to sail for London, on the latter date from a port not yet definitely fixed. An interesting experience in wireless telegraphy which fell to the lot of the captain of the North German Lloyd liner KronpHnzessin Cecilie is recorded in the Shipping Gazette. He reports that on the voyage of his steamer from Bremen to Southampton, when off the North Hindev light on the mght of 2nd February the ship was in communication by Marconi with the Cunard steamship Caronia, which was then in the Mediterranean, the distance being about 837 miles, and the position of the Caronia about twenty miles south of Capri. Tho Asturias, the fifth and largest of the well-known "A" class of the Royal Mail Company's steamers, is taking a turn iv die Orient-Royal Mail service to Australia. She arrived a week or two ago ab Sydney. The Asturias has been employed for the greater part of the period since her launch, in the Royal Mail Company's »nail and passengei service to South America, where she has proved a highly popular vessel. This, however, will nob be her first visit to Australia, where, as one of the latest specimens of British marine architecture, her advent on the first occasion created quite a sensation. It is said that Marconi's Wireless Telegraph Company, Limited, has been instructed to equip with the Marconi wireless systeni the following nine Norddeutscher Lloyd vessels : — Koenig Albert, Friedrich del Grosse, Prinzess Alice, Barbarossa, Koenigen Luise, Prinzess Irene, Rhein, Main, and Neckar. The lesson of the RepublicFlorida disaster nas evidently been speedily learned — by German shipping companies. What about our own? asks an English shipping journal. The discovery of a yellow streak in the Gulf Stream was reported by Capj tain Pederson, of the Norwegian steamer Karen, which arrived at New York on 14th January from Porto Cabello. When crossing the current 100 miles off the Cape of Virginia, the captain said he passed through a streak of yellow water three miles wide and extending beyond the horizon, both north-east and south-west. The appearance of the water was like that of a muddy river, and is believed to have been, due to a submarine earthquake in the vicinity, A sample of the yellow water was secured by Captain Pederson, and submitted to scientists at New.. York for examination..