Ships and the Sea

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 79, 3 April 1926, Page 24

Ships and the Sea

, Big Italian Motor-liners. Good progress is being made with tho two 23-500-ton motor-liners, Saturnia and Urania, building in Italy for the Cosulich Shipping Company, of Trieste. The keel of the Saturnia was laid in May, 1925, and she was launched from the Monfalcone Yard of the Cantiere Navale Triestino on 29th December last. The construction of the hull, ia well forward, says the '"Shipping World," and as the fittings, and machinery are also far advanced towards completion her fitting out should be rapid. It is expected that the launching of the Urania will take place next month. : The Saturnia and her sister ship are being built to. International Convention and.-British Board of Trade requirements and to the classification of Lloyd's Register and the Begistro Itaiiano. They are each about 631f.,4in in length by 79ft 6in beam by 45ft 6in. They will carry four classes of passengers —first, second, "economic" second, and third—there being accommodation for a total of nearly 3000 passengers and crew. Both vessels incorporate tho Duet Keel system of construction for 200 ft of their length. The hull is divided into ten watertight compartments, and is constructed of SiemensMartin steel. The propelling machinery of the Saturnia consists of two ightc'ylinder fourcycle double-acting Diesel engines of the Biimeister and Wain typo. They have been constructed-at Trieste by the Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino, and are capable of developing a total of 24,000 h.p. A duplicate set is to be installed in the Urania. The designs and construction of both; hull and machinery arid all other technical matters, including the general arrangemerits of the ships, are being supervised by the well-known British consultants, Messrs. James M. Dewar and A. T. Wall. .'":■■< Loss of the Dunbar. The popular idea throughout Australia has always been that the Dunbar was lost because her captain had somehow mistaken the small indentation called the Gap for the wide entrance to Port Jackson. For this there does not, on examination, appear to be either truth or probability, says a writer in the "World's News." The captain may have attempted to ruu into the port on such a night, because he knew from the leeway the ship was making that she could not possibly weather tho land, but must inevitably be blown ashore and wrecked within a few hours. Consequently, his only chance for safety was to run into port and anchor. Had he continued only one mile further to the northward before rounding for tho entrance, he would have taken his ship safely in, and this slight error in reckoning was probably duo to the current setting to S.S.W. Tho "Australian Encyclopedia" gives these facts, and it i 3 as well that the popular idea maintained by many people even up to this day should be set right. It is only fair to add thati at the inquest, on 24th August, 1557, the jury found that "there may have been an error in judgment in the vessel being so close to the shore at night, in such bad weather, but they do not attach any blame to Captain i Green, or his officers for the loss, of tho

jpunbar." However, that error- in judgment led to the loss of 121 lives, a stout ship, and much valuable cargo. Wreck of the Laristan. . "We regret very rhuch.that our continued attempts to rescue these poor men were not crowned with better "success." In those words, says the London "Daily Telegraph," the captain of the North German Lloyd liner Bremen, which arrived at Queenstown on 2nd February, summed up.the story of the gallant attempt. of the Bremen's crew to save the lives of men of. the British ship Laristan, which sank /during an Atlantic storm. Six members of the crew were saved but the remaining twenty-five were lost. Captain B. Wurpts the Bremen's commander, who received a civic welcome at Queenstown, said they received, the Laristan's "5.0.5." on 25th January, and steamed as fast as possible for the position given, showing blue lights and firing rockets continuously. They reached, the Laristan at 5 a.m. on 26th January. The narrative continues:"lt was an absolute impossibility to man a boat in this high Foa and swell. We prepared bur cannon to shoot some lines over, also some lines with life rings, reserve and throwing lines, and storm' ladders and boats.. A crew for. rescuing was ready in case there might have been even a faint possibility of lowering a boat. The only hope of success was to fetch the people over to' its with; lines, because the storm and the. sea continued with the same fury. Hail and snow squalls followed each other.., We continuously tried to_ get near the ship. We succeeded twice with the cannon and twice with the lines and life rings. The Laristan had on the starboard side .1 boat clear, and she was requested by us to fasten a line to it so we could try to get the boat under our stern, because to get the boat alongside would have wrecked it. The line was fastened, and very much to our disappointment only seven men got into the boat. We got the boat behind the stern and took six men in on our ropes. One man was washed off by the high sea and drowned. The carpenter of the Laristan, who. was also in the boat, and already had a line around his body, was also washed off and swung up and downi in the high waves, but we succeeded in getting him in. The rope of the boat got tangle. 1, in one of our propellers, and broke lose, and in that way the boat drifted away. We tried several times' again to get near the ship to shoot lines and ropes with life rings, and we succeded twice in this effort. To our regret the men of the Laristan did not avail themselves of this opportunity. Meanwhile wo had again long snow squalls with flxtremcly heavy winds, and;sooa darkness fell. We stayed near the ship. Tho last time we saw the ship was 6.12 p.m. There was another prolonged snow squall, and-then the air became clear for a while. There was nothing to be seen of the ship and a wireless call did not receive any answer. We remained during tho whole night near tho place, and when daylight came we noticed a great many pieces of the steamer, doors, staircases, etc., From this fact we concluded that the steamer sank during the night. We regret very much that our continued attempts to rescue those poor meju , Were not crowned with better success. "■