THE INDRAVELLI.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 140, 15 June 1909, Page 6

THE INDRAVELLI.

LAST OF THE ALLEY LINE. At 2 o'clock this morning tlie steamer Indiavelli, which has been running for some time iv the New Zealand-Canadian trade under the auspices of the Alley Line, arrived in the stream from Vancouver, via Auckland and Suva. The vessel had a fine weather passage from Canada to Auckland, but met with strong gales on the New Zealand coast lasting till arrival at Wellington. She berthed at the Taranaki-street Wharf at 8 a.m. The Indravelli's cargo for Wellington comprises 310,000 ft of timber and about 50 tons of general merchandise. Upon completion of discharge, she leaves about the end of the week for Ljttelton aud Dunedin with tho balance. It was incorrectly reported, from Auckland that tb,e vessel was atterwards to take the loading berth in New Zealand and Australia for London,' but Captain Pileher states that the Indravelli is under orders to proceed from Dunedin to Newcastle for bunker coal, thence to the Philippine Islands to load for a destination not yet fixed upon. With the departure ol the Indravelli the Alley Line as a regular service between Canada and Nbw Zealand disappears. The opinion has been expressed that if Sew Zealand exporters interested themselves in the trade to a greater degree the return shipments from New Zealand would have justified the maintenance of the service. By studying the market demands at particular seasons in 1 Canada shippers of Now Zealand produce vould have found a profitable sale in sending their goods at opportune times. On tho last voyage of the Indravelli 1 from New Zealand to Canada she took 300 tons of onions, and these arc said to have realised in the Vancouver markets 20 dollars a ton more than onions grown in Canada.

The Spanish steamer Antonio Lopez, which was advised by cable yesterday as having been wrecked ofl/Fire Island, near New York, was tho New Zealand Shipping Company's old steamer Ruahine. Builo ill Ib9l, al the yards of W. Denny and Sons, at Dumbarton, the Ruahine armed in New Zealand on her mniden voyage the following year in charge of Captain Greenstreet. He also took her back to England, and then Captain Bone, now Marine Superintendent for the New Zealand Shipping Company, had command of her for 17 or IS voyages. Her next commander was Captain Majoss, who took the vessel Home from New Zealand for the last time about eight years ago prior to lier being sold to the Barcelona firm. Her new owneis employed her at first as a mail steamer between Spain and the Philippine Islands, and afterwards in the Barcelona-River Plate trade. A noteworthy facfc about the Ruahine is that she was among the first vessels to be fitted ■ttith quadruple expansion engines. In her early jears sbe was the "crack" steamer of the-companj's fleet, and, in fact, -was icgaided until the White Star liner Gothic made her appearance, as the finest vessel trading to Xew Zealand. When Captain Bone took charge of her she was the eighth largest bteamer afloat. She was two-maited, with a straight bow, and could steam at 11 knots. Her total tonnage was ■■ 5975 tons. Captain White-Parsons, of the Wakanui, which \ is at present in port, was for several years* chief officer of the Ruahiue. Mr. Walter Scott, chief officer of the Mararoa, has been gi anted a month's holiday leave, and lelt the ship yesterday at Lytteltou. Tlie Wairoa and Mohaka Steam Ship Company, Ltd., have placed an order with Messrs. T. 31. Lane and Sons, of Whangaroa, for a new vessel to replace the Tuhara, which was leceniJy wrecked at t,he Mania. The new vessel is to be a great improvement on the Tuhara, and, besides being of more tonnage, v ill be fitted with engines of increased horsepower in comparison with her size. The contract entered into stipulates that the vessel shall be ready to run her trial tiip on the 20th October. The Lyttelton Harbour Board's telephone sexvjee to the signal station at Adderley Head (states the Press) is once more in working older, the work of laying the new submarine cable across the harbour being finished on Satuiday. The old cable, which has given considerable trouble in the past, is to be lifted shortly, /it is intended to proceed with the work of laying another cable across the haibour almost immediately, hi order to connect the signal station with the Christchurch Telephone Exchange. When this work is completed it will be possible for any subscriber to get into direct communication with the heads, instead of, as formerly, through the Haibour Board's system. This innovation \ ill be a great boon to shipping people and to ull inleiested in the movements of shipping.