SHIPS & THE SEA

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 151, 27 June 1914, Page 14

SHIPS & THE SEA

THE VATERLAND. The trials of the Vatarland last week (says Fairplay of 7th May) have proved an unqualified ducoess. A severe programme was completed without a hitch, the runs being taken off the Norwegian, coast. Tho machinery comprises Parsona turbines on four f shaf ts, taking steam from boilers of modified Yarrow type, and over 90,000 s.h.p. was recorded with everything opened out. The maximum speed attained equalled 26.28 knots, and tho mean speed at full power was about 25.6 knots, results which inuet be a source of deep satisfaction to Mosbrs. Blohm and Voss, who have built and engihed this great vessel. The fact now becomes auparent that the Vaterland, notwithstanding her huge displacement of rather more than 58,000 tons, is among the fastest merchant vessels afloat. This is a factor which has not hitherto been recognised, since with so great a potentiality for fepoed the Vaterland might, if tho owners were so disposed, venture a cut at the Atlantic blue riband. Looking up the trials of the Lusitania (29th July-lst August, 1907) I Gnd that the fastest trip (Corse wall Light tc the Longsliip) wt\» run off at the rate of 26.4 knots, the power being round about 65,000 s.h.p. and the displacement, say, 38,000. The Mauretania (on tho same course a few months later) made tho run between, the lights at the rate of 27.36 knots. Viewing these figures, it can be seen that the Vateriand is not merely a luxuriously appointed vessel of great displacement and moderate pace, but is a ship capablo of high sea speed. As the Vaterland and Acmitania ar« scheduled to make their maiden voyages this month, it may be interesting (says a writer in Fairplay) to have some particu. lais of the insurances. It is understood that the Vaterland cost about £1,725,000 to build. She is valued for insurance purposes at £1,150,000. She is insured on tho ordinary terms of policy covering all risks, but I understand there is a clause by which underwriters pay only tho excess of £12,500 (?) all claims each round voyage. The Aquitania was insured on builders' risk policies for £1,250,000, which amount was increased to £1,350,000 from 24th April last. This policy covers delivery in the Mersey after her 48 hours' trial in open sea. The Cunard Company hay« insured her on a value of only £800,000, at 2 per cent, on the basis of claims being payable in excess of £100,000 each round voyage. This, of course, leaves a considerable amount to be covered against total loss only. I h«ar that total loss reinsurers have had to pay as much as 50s per cent., from which it will be seen that the market ie fairly stiff when lurge amount* on ft nretclasb risk of this character have to bo covered. A 'RUM" YARN. I remember an inetanco where two hot* ties ( of rum saved the lives of a whole ship's company. Tho circumstances were these. We were bound to Now York from Jamaica in January, 1859, in a- Email brig, and had boon out forty-fire days. w» wero nearly out of food, and exhaustion from constant pumping, as the vessol Was leaking badly. Wo were all (ton in number) sitting on tho cabin floor waiting till the vessel should become water-logged and founder, caring little how soon. The caplain, a iKjryous little Down-Easter, was hunting round in nooka and corners, believing he could faca death more resignedly if ho cotild find a chow of tobacco. la his search he camo across two bottle* of Jamaica rum, which he had hidden and forgotten. It took but a moment to pull «nit tho corks and pass the stuff around. Two or three good gwiga put new life into us, after which we went on deck, and m a short time throw overboard our deck load, which consisted of thirty tona of logwood, which brought tho leak out of bhe water, so that we wero ablo to free the ship in a few hours. Most of our sails wero blown away, but wo were fortunato enough to havo a south-oast gale set in the noxtday, which enabled vis in twentyfour hours to 6ight Sandy Hook and a tug at the same time. This was the closest shave tho J3o'en ovqr had. I h&Te been told since that Jamaica rum would not savo mo a second time.— GiL.N, in the New York Marine Journal. ' CHINESE PIRATES ARRESTED. Captain R. H. Sandeman, agent of the Imperial Merchant Scrvico Guild at Canton, reports (states a, Home Exchange) that active measures hayo beon taken in oonneotion with tho piracy that occurred on board tho Norwegian steamer Childar, when tho captain and officers were mado prisoners, the British mail ransacked, and tho property of all on board, including a number of passengers, looted. The charaolor of tho piratical attack may bo judged from the fact that 112 pirates havo beon arrested. Captain Sandeman gave details of tho manner in which tho pirates wero captured. Firtly, tho Chinese military police learned that four mon woro seen with property belonging to tho Childar'i crow, and they were arrested. Evidently from these four men information wa# obtained as to tho whereabouts of tho pirates' stronghold, as this was subsequently discovered at a small village neat- Swatow. Eventually, after a number of Chinese soldiers had boon killed and wounded, the village was captured, and 110 pirates wero made prisoners. Two of them subsequently died from wounds. Tho prisoners were conveyed to Canton, where, adds Captain bandoman, they will havo little inorcy shown them by the Chines* authorities, m they will probably bo shot as soon ts they arrive. Ono or two of tho pirates have been captured in British territory by British police, but they will only bo sentenced to imprisonment for a few years. It ig surmised that this band of pirates is in way connected with tho band which made tho attack on the Tai-On, that resulted in so many lives being lost. The now quadruple screw turbine steamer Calprarian sailed from tho Mersey on her initial voyage early last month. This palatial liner completed tho all-turbino service between Liverpool and Canada, the other vessels being the Alsatian, sister ship to tho Lalgarian, and the Victoria/ and Virginian, triple-screw turbine steamers. Tho Panama, Canal was opened to the traffio of the World on 11th May without ceremony of any kind <6ays the' Seamen's Journal), when the Pennsylvania, 5000 tons, of the Pacifio Mail Steamship Line, passed to Cristobal empty to tnke aboard a cargo for New York. - Lighters were loading sugar at the Balboa docks, and a ] tug was to tow this Pennsylvania to the Atlantic sido of the canal. The Contra Costa, the largest ferry j boat in tho world, was launched by the Southern Pacific Company at its shipyard m West Oakland, Cal.. oir> 16th May. Ihe big ferry steamer will ply between Port Go&fca and Benicia to supplement the eeryico of tho eteamor Solano. It was built in Oakland, and the machinery and boilers were constructed at Sacramento. Ihe following figures give some idea of tho vessel's great size : — Length over guards, 433 ft 4iti; length over transom, 420 ft. It« beam moulded is 66ft 6in ; depth .moulded, 19ft sin ; depth amidships, 19ft Gin. It will carry four train tracks, with a capacity of thttty-six freight cars and two engines, or twenty-four passenger cars and two engines. For safety there are fourteen bulkheads,, any pup of which might be punctured without sinking the vessel. Two million board feet of lumber, thirty tons 6pikes, seventy-six tons round ' iron, and 16,000 trenails entered into its building. There are single timbers measuring 26in by 66ft, and others 18in by 116 ft. The engines are. below the level of the main deck, thus giving ample room for track space above. Two cots of engines propel a paddle wheel on each side, so that the boat can be swung around on its own length in case of need by roversing one wheel while the other is whirling 'forward. Four sets of boilers of the Scotch dryback type sitpplv steam. The steamer burns oil, and is lighted by dectncify.