PORT OF WELLINGTON THE ILE DE FRANCE

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 11, 14 January 1928, Page 24

PORT OF WELLINGTON

THE ILE DE FRANCE

A BROKEN WEEK There have been no events of interest on the Wellington waterfront this week other than the arrival of the German tramp steamer Kerston Miles, sister-ship to the Karpfanger, from Auckland on Monday to commence ilis-L-lmrgc of cpso oil from Port Arthur, und the watersiders' picnic which was held on Wednesday. On that day the work of loading and discharging of vessels was suspended. Liverpool cargo amounting to 2656 tons was brought by the Hertford, which arrived on Monday from Auckland to continue discharge. After discharging a quantity of cargo from Liverpool the Huntingdon sailed on .\[onday for Lyttelton and Port Chalmers to complete. I The Waihemo, from Eastern ports, l via Auckland, arrived <;n Tuesday morning, and after discharging genoral cargo, kapok, and sugar sailed tho same day for southern ports to put out the remainder of her cargo. A large shipment of general cargo, including 380 tons of gasoline, was brought by the Wairuna, which arrived at Wellington on Thursday from Auckland. The intercolonial steamer Qlimaroa was the only overseas passenger vessel to arrive at Wellington during the week, and after loading she sailed on Friday on her return trip to Sydney. The largest cargo to bo discharged was 8830 tons of crude oil from the Otokia, which arrived on Tuesday from San Luis direct. To continue Homeward^ loading the Port Sydney, from Napier, arrived on Thursday afternoon, and the Tamaroa sailed for Auckland to fill up.

A Long Tow. With the Westralia in tow, the former interstate steamer Inga left Sydney recently for Eabaul—a 2000-milo journey. She will leave the Westralia there, to be used as a storage hulk for copra and then continue to the Solomon Islands, to enter the copra trade. Both vessels were bought in Sydney recently by W. E. Carpenter and Co., Ltd., the Wostralia from Huddart, Parker, Ltd., and the Inga from James Patrick and Co. The engines have been removed from the former vessel, and she is now lying in Kerosene Bay. Flag Discrimination. The United States Postal authorities are pressing to the utmost their policy of flag discrimination in the forwarding of the mails to places on this side of the Atlantic, states the "Shipping World." Unless letters are clearly marked to go by a particular liner, they are hold back, sometimes for several days, in order that they may be dispatched by an American vessel. During the winter months, the delays are peculiarly annoying, and sometimes even expensive, and correspondents in the United States should be warned clearly to mark their correspondence for the next outgoing swift liner. The attempt of the American Postal authorities to swell the mail despatched in national ships in order to impress Congress is, of course, regarded with peculiar disfavour in this country, where the next ship out of port gets the waiting mails whatever her nationality. Malolo In Commission. The new Matson liner Malolo, which sustained seriom- damage from a collision in fog with the Norwegian steamer Jacob Christensen during her trial trip in May last, left New York on 27th October for San Francisco on her maiden voyage. After her arrival at San Francisco she entered her scheduled service between that port and Honolulu. The Matson Line claims that the ship will average a speed of 23 knots under favourable conditions. New Vacuum Oil Tanker. Particulars of the Vacuum Oil Company's new single-screw tank steamer Zahra, which will probably be used for the carriage of bulk oil from America to Australian ports, have been received in Sydney, states the "Daily Telegraph." The Zahra was launched from the ship yards of Messrs. Harland and Wolff, Ltd., England. Sho has been classed 100A1 by Lloyds, and has been, specially constructed for the carriage of bulk petroleum, with forecastle, raised quarter deck, and expansion trunk between. For discharging cargo two horizontal steam duplex pumps of 80 tons per hour capacity are installed in her pump room. Her engines are of triple expansion type, and will give an average sea speed of ten knots. New Pilot Boat. For some time it has been felt that the Timaru Harbour Board staff was labouring under certain disadvantages in connection with the equipment placed at its disposal, especially in connection with the pilot launch, which had done service over many years, reports the "Timaru Post." In her prime the Elsie Evans was a highly useful launch, equal to every occasion, but she is out of date, and some time ago the board decided that the time had arrived when she should be replaced by a vessel more in keeping with pre-sent-day requirements. The new launch, which has been appropriately christened tne Pilot, is a handsome . cruiser-built vessel, measuring 42ft in length, 10ft beam, 4ft Bin moulded depth, and 4ft draught. Sho is a wooden vessel, kauri being used in her construction throughout, with the exception of the decking, which is of teak. The engine, which is a Kelvin of 30 horse-power, is housed in a fireproof compartment, separating it from the chart-room and sleeping quarters, and is capable of logging ten knots per hour. It has a self-emptying cockpit, a marked improvement on vessels not so equipped. It is provided with electric light throughout. There is sleeping accommodation for two me a aboard, the bunks being for'aid.

Pulverised Coal. When the bridge telegraph in the steamer Mercer, or> Sunday morning, Bth November, 1927, rang "finished with engines" at the termination of a 420-mile voyage from Baltimore to New York, it also rang up a new record of engineering achievement given to the world by the United States of America, for to this vessel belongs the honour of being tho first sea-going steamship to generate steam by means of pulverised coal, states the "Shipping World." The Mercer has proved unquestionably that marine typo boilers may bo operated with pulverised coal as readily as with fuel oil, anil at a total fuel cost very appreciably less than existing oil fuel burning ships, and with an increased boiler efficiency and c smaller fire room personnel than the present coal burning vessels. During the last decade there has developed a rapidly accelerating tendency in the United States in the use of pulverised coal in shore plants. The growiug interest in internal-combustion engines for marine use has further stimulated the efforts of the advocates of steam power to the development of steam generation at a cost that will counterbalance the smaller fuel consumption of the Diesel type engine, and it is through the use of pulverised coal and higher boiler pressures and superheat that those advocates o:f steam expect the fulfilment of their desires. Tho Mercer left the ship-repairers' yard at Baltimore on 4th November, and proceeded to sea, arriving in New York on 6th November, and docked at tho Shipping Board Pier at Hoboken, N.J. With only two boilers in operation burning pulverised coal throughout the trip, no difficulty was encountered in maintaining the full boiler pressure of 2101b of steam even when tho turbine was operating with all nozzles open and the propeller turning 95 revolutions. The running time, not correcting for the time taken up in swinging the ship at sea for adjusting compasses, gave an average speed of

11.8 knots. No difficulty was experienced in holding steady steam during the stand by and docking operations. Many New Ships. Seven 10,000-ton steamers are to be built by the Nipjjon Yusen Kaisha under the company's five-year term construction programme. Three of the vessels are to be freighters for operation out of either Seattle or San Francisco. Two others are to be passenger liners for service between Japan and Europe. Another will be a freighter for the Yokohama-East Coast of South America Line, and another will be a passenger and cargo steamer for the Shanghai-Japan trade. The new programme is in addition to the three motor ships being built for the transpacific service out of San Francisco. All of the vesesls are to be completed by 1935. Tthe World's Largest Liners. Owing to the number of large ocean liners that have been constructed during the last few years it is interesting to compare them with regard to size and speed with the older Atlantic "greyhounds." An outstanding feature shown in the list is the number of Italian ships that have been built during the past two years as compared with the other nations. The following list is compiled from the latest edition of Brassey's "Naval and Shipping Annual."

(T., turbine; SI., motor; T. and li., turbines and reciprocating engines.) Note. —If measured according to the rules adopted by British Hues, the tonnage of the Leviathan would be 54,282. Tho Majestic, measured according to the rules adopted by the United States Shipping Board, would be 61,206 tons. The Principessa Mafalda. The captain of the American steamer St. Anthony, on arriving at Bio de Janeiro, reported that the sunken Italian liner, Principessa Mafalda, was lying at a depth of between. 18 and 20 fathoms. When passing near the spot where the liner foundered he distinctly saw, in calm sea and clear water, part of the hull and the bow, which appeared to be at a depth equivalent to the draught of an average-sized ship. He considers the wreck to be a serious menace to shipping, and warns steamers making for Abrolhos Island that they run the risk of fouling the wreck, which is visible only in a calm sea and good weather. Iceberg Sighted. ' Four days out .from Capetown on her i voyage from London, the Commonwealth and Dominion liner Port Melbourne reported having passed a largo iceborg, states the "Daily Telegraph." It was estimated to have been (500 ft long and 350 ft high. The position of the vessel at the time was lat. 42.25deg. S., long. 44.26deg. E., a point which is directly on the passenger route from South Africa to Australia. As approximately one-tenth of an iceberg is visible abovo tho surface of the water, the one sighted by the Port Melbourne had more than 3000 ft under water. Although icebergs are often sighted in tho North Atlantic, they are rarely seen in tho Southern Ocean as far north as that observed by the Port Melbourne. i

§f if P I gl Name. go. r™ " (R w 59,957 leviathan (T.) 21 1914 U.S. 56,551 Majestic (T.) 25 1321 Br. 52,226 Berengaria (T.) 23 1012 Br. 46,439 Olympic (T. and K.) 22 1911 Br. 45,647 Aquitanla (T.) 23 1914 Hr. 43,500 lie de Franco (T.) .. 23% 1926 Fr. 34,569 Paris (T.) ;. 22 1921 Fr. 34,351 Homeric 20 192a Br. 33,000 Augustus (M.) ? 1927 Itiil. 33,000 Roma (T.) ? 1920 Ital. 32,354 Columbus 21) 1922 Gcr. 30,696 Mauretania (T.) ... 25 1907 Br. 28,150 Statendam (T.) ? 1826 Holl. 27,132 Belgenland (T. & R.) 17% 1917 Br. 27,000 Can Arconia 20 1927 Gut. 25,160 Empress of Scotland 17% 1905 Br. 25,000 Saturnia (M.) 19 192C Ital. 25,000 Vulcania (M.) .... 19 1927 Ital. 24,563 Adriatic 18 1900 Br. 24,416 Conte Biancamano (T.) 21 1925 Ital. 24,281 Duilio (T.) , 21 1923 Ital. 24.149 Rotterdam 17 1908 Holl. 23,884 Baltic 17 1904 Br. 23,788 George Washington .. IS J90S U.S. 23,7C9 Franco (T.) 24 1912 Fr. 22.150 Alcantara (M.) 17% 1826 Br. 22,137 Asturias (M.) 17% 1925 Br.