Ships and the Sea

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 35, 9 August 1930, Page 28

Ships and the Sea

Loading Phosphates at Nauru Island. Some interesting observations on the phosphate trade at Nauru and Ocean Islands were made by a writer in the "Cape Times" recently when the Luceric arrived at Capo Town to unload a cargo of phosphates. ■ Both Nauru and Ocean Islands, stated the writer, aro of coral formation on volcanic peaks of submarine mountains, and are steep-to. Coeoanut trees and tropical undergrowth clothe the larger island, which is 12 miles in circumference, where ships aro able to get fowls, vegetables, and fresh water. The chief officer of the Lucerie, in au interview, said that the population of Nauru consisted of about 30 Europeans, 400 Chinese, and 1500 natives from the Marshall and Caroline Islands. The latter work the phosphatic deposits which are found all o\ •: the island to a considerable depth. There are no sheltered harbours or safe anchorages round the islands, but to enable the vessels to lay conveniently, near the reefs immense buoys have been connected to stout cables which are attached to niooring-blocks 1080 ft below the surface. This is the greatest

depth in the world at which buoys are anchored. It frequently happens that large vessels cannot lie at the buoys with any, degree of safety for many days, and must put to sea and stand off and on until the weather moderates. A favourite amusement of tho crews of ships when waiting for a cargo is to catch sharks, which abound in those tropical latitudes. Among the Chinese traders and fishermen there is a profitable traffic in shark skins, the fins being exported to China, where they are esteemed a delicacy, and the skins sent to European markets. Tho whiteish powder which constitutes the phosphates is brought out to the ships in small boats holding four or five tons, but the natives are exceptionally good workers, and in this manner can load a cargo of 5000 tons in about 10 days. It is understood that a jetty is being built near the workings, where ships will be able to lay alongside and load in less than half the time taken at present. Many thousands of tons of phosphates are annually sent to Australia and New Zealand, where it is in great demand. There aro several islands in the Indian Ocean from which the fertiliser is exported, the principal 0110 being' Assumption Island, lying to the north of Madagascar, These deposits are worked by French Creole labour from the main island of the Seychelles group. Turtle are plentiful on tho white coral sands of Assumption Island, and during tho month of May, when the turtle come ashore at night to lay their eggs, it is not unusual to capture 30 in one night. The moat is either eaten fresh or made into biltong. The. Island of Astovc also possesses considerable deposits .of phosphates, but large, vessels seldom load there owing to, its exposed position and the danger of anchoring near the reefs. Propeller for Lifeboats. On the boat deck of the .Dunbari Castle, which arrived recently at Cape Town, are two lifeboats, each having a propeller worked by man power. This was the first occasion on which this patent had been seen at Cape Town, stated a writer in the "Cape Times," and may have a great future if it proves satisfactory under the most sovero conditions. Instead of oars, the seamen sitting on the thwarts work a lever or handle, in front of them, which turns the'propeller,; and the boat is driven along at a good speed. One of the principal advantages claimed for it is that by this means a boat can get away from the side of the ship with ease, whereas with heavy and long oars, and the boat full of people, it is often a difficult matter when there is a choppy sea or a strong tide running. Another decided advantage is that passengers are not inconvenienced by the swinging of the oars, and can sit all along the thwarts, and even lend a hand if necessary. Oars are carried in ease of breakdown. Wheat Shipping Facilities at Sydney. The Government of New South Wales have recently made important additions to. the large bulk grain elevator at the port of Sydney, and these enable it to rank as one of the speediest wheathandling plants in the world. The-ele-vator buildings are of modern concrete and steel construction and have a storage capacity at one filling of 182, 760 tons, or 6,762,120 bushels. On the receiving side the wheat is received in bulk ox railway waggons over four tracks. There are 20 unloading hoppers, with five conveyor belts feeding to elevator legs which convey the wheat to the five 40-ton scales prior to storage in the bins, the receiving capacity being 7000 tons per day. The recent additions are on the shipping side, two shipping galleries having been erected, each capable of delivering 400 tons per hour, and weighing it over five 4-ton automatic scales. The total shipping capacity of tho plant is now 1400 tons per hour. Theso improvements should be of interest to shipowners, some of whom seem to be unaware of the capabilities of tho plant, as they continue in their charter-parties to call for loading of bulk wheat in Sydney at the rate of only 1000 tons per day. The cost of working a cargo of bulk wheat in the Australian port is also "stated to be lower than for bagged wheat, tho trimming costing only Is per ton, as against 2s 6d for stevedoring bagged grain. The elevator wharf, it may be added, is 1600 ft in length, with a minimum depth of water of 35ft alongside. Cleaning tho Olympic. The amount of paint, utensils, and materials which are used in renovating

a big ship is remarkable. A little light J is thrown on the subject by statistics! of the "work done when the White Star liner Olympic entered dry dock recently. For six weeks the vessel was in the hands of an army of 1000 men. By the time that all necessary work with paint and enamel had been done, it was calculated that IS tons of paint and two tons of enamel had been brushed on to various parts of the ship. Had j the paint been.in lib tins, thero would have" been a row of 40,000 of them in line —more than three-quarters of a mile of tins. To repair and renew the window panes n board required over a ton of putty. Fifty gallons of varnish gave shining faces to parts of the ship considered to look dull. Brushes in hundreds sacrificed their bristles in the war against dirt, figures showing the amount of "elbow grease" expended were not given. Families Stowaway. The presence aboard the steamer Balranald of 11 stowaways was reported in Fremantle recently, and it was stated that1 two women with their families, numbering five, were among the number (writes the "Sydney Morning Herald"). It was stated that a mother and her two daughters, another mother and three children, and four

men had been found on the vessel after she left port. They will, it is stated, be landed at Colombo and returned to Fremantle. Recently two girls who intended to stowaway were sent ashore at Fremantle from tho mailboat Orvieto, and before that three sisters, and a man and his wife and three children, had stowed, away on the Ormonde at Fremantle. The man and the eldest sister were imprisoned in Colombo and then sent back to Frernantle, but sympathetic passengers paid the fares to England of tho other members of that party. It is presumed that the women would attempt to obtain support of the passengers on the Balranald to secure their passages to England. Shipping at Sydney. An increasing reliauco on larger vessels by both oversea and interstate companies is indicated by the roport of tho South Head Signal Station for the year ended 30th Juno (reports the "Sydney Morning Herald"). Whilst tho number of arrivals at Sydney showed a decrease of 837, at 6241, aggregate tonnage was 194,112 greater at 9,136,338. Oversea vessels numbered 1367 of a total tonnage of 5,886,119, whereas the 1420'ships-which, reached tho port during 1928-29 only aggregated 5,795,171 tons. The vessels were thus on the average nearly 300 tons larger. Inter-State vessels arriving showed an increase of 28 in number and 272,272 in tonnage, the total being 1073, aggregating 1,970,054 tons. A substantial decline'in ■the1 number of coastal vessels reacihing'Sydncy is -shown. It is probably explained by tho prolonged coal strike, which forced collier owners to tie up many of their steamers. , At 3801 the number-was 812 lower than that of tho previous year, whilst the tonnage showed a decreaso of 1O9,1U», j at 1280,165. The number of vessels which -left the port during tho year totalled 6235, as compared with 0970 in 1928-29. Tho decrease was accounted for by a reduction in coastal and oversea sailings, tho number of, interState ships showing an increase of IS. High Insurances. ■ ■ ! The Orient liner Orontes is among i tho sixteen liners in the world which are insured for more than £1,000,000, says the shipping correspondent of" The Times " The White Star Company's Britannic, which will be insured for £1200,000, will add tho seventeenth when it joins the trans-Atlantic service nest month. Tho highest valued liners at present are the Bremen and Europo, insured for £1,900,000 each. The Leviathan is insured for £1,640,000. The highest insured British ships are the Cunard liners Aquitania, Berengaria, and. Mauretania, at £1,500,000 each. The Majestic, the world's largest vessel is insured for £.1,300,000, and the ■He de France at £1,200,000. Those insured for £.1,000,000 consist of tho Canadian Pacific Co.'s Empress of Canada, the French liner Paris, the Italian liners Vulcania, Saturnia, and Augustus, and the Americans California and Virginia. Numerous large liners are valued for insurance, at rather less than £1,000,----000. Compliment to Now Zealand. In his report on economic conditions in . ,ew Zealand, Mr. W. D. Lainbio strikes a complimentary note in his references to shipping, which will bo welcome to the British lines concerned (reports the "Shipping World"). There is little foreign competition, no Shipping Board, and no Government rivalry; and yet New Zealand shippers are as well served as; if not better than, the shippers in any Dominion. They profit from mutual conlideuce and respect. The Trado Commissioner, reflecting New Zealand opinion, states that efficient organisation on the part of the shipping companies has enabled them to cope smoothly and efficiently with the greatly fluctuating demand for space for primary produce, and to make special arrangements when desired, e.g., for loading fruit at Nelson. He adds that "^he principal British companies are constantly making efforts to improv., their services by tho introduction of new and up-to-date vessels and the adoption of other progressive steps, including tho extension of the services of certain vessels to Rotterdam for the transport of fruit." The German Line ■'..hich started a service has abandoned the adventure, but now the Matson Company has appeared on the scene. The relations of the British companies with the people of New Zealand are such that this competitor is not likely to disturb the present satisfactory state of affairs, from which all parties profit.