Ships and the Sea

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 47, 23 August 1930, Page 28

Ships and the Sea

Koyal Visit to Bangitiki. Prince George made early last month a tour of the Bangitiki, one of three motor-liners, of about 17,000 tons gross, constructed'by Messrs. John Brown and Co., Ltd., for the New Zealand Shipping Company, Ltd., prior to her departure for Wellington from the Koyal Albert. Dock (reports "The Shipping World.") His Koyal Highness was received at tho gangway by Mr. C. J. Cowan, chairman of the New Zealand Shipping Company, and Captain 11. Barnett, commanding the Bangitiki, and made, a tour of the ship, repeatedly expressing his admiration of the design of the vessel, her decorations, and her equipment. The inspection included even the stewards' quarters and storerooms, and the facilities for handling cargo, of which about i:;, 000 tons deadweight can bo carried. Luncheon was afterwards served, the company including, in addition to Mr. O. J. Cowan and Captain Burnett:— Viscount Glenapp (a managing director of the P. and O. Company), Lord Strathspey, Lord Islington (ex-Governor-Gene-ralof New Zealand), Sir Thomas Bilbe .Robinson (director of the New Zealand Shipping Company), Sir James Mills (chairman of the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand), Sir Thomas Bell (managing director of Messrs. John Brown and Co.), Sir George lliggins (chairman of Lloyd's Register of Shipping), Sir Charles Holdsworth (managing director of tho Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand). Mr. Alexander Michio (director of tho Bank of New Zealand), Mr. G. lr. Harris, and Mr. Arnold A. Trinder (directors of the New Zealand Shipping Company), Mr. J. H. Silley (chairman of K. H. Green and Silley Weir), Mr. H. J. Ward (chairman of J. and E. Halt, Ltd.), Mr. F. A. Hook, Mr. Hal Williams (chairman of the New Zealand Association), Mr. J. Wilson Potter, Mr. Cuthbert Maughan, Mr. E. Sandys Dawes (director of J. B. Westray and Co.), Mr. E. T. Sandford (New Zealand Government Emigration Officer), Mr. G. Holdsworth (manager of tho New Zealand Shipping

Company), Mr. H. J. F. Mills (secretary of the New Zealand Shipping Company), Captain H. Dawson (Marine Superintendent of the New Zealand Shipping Company) and Mr. A. Taylor (chief engineer, of the Rangitiki). Atlantic Passengers. Since the building of so many express liners for the North Atlantic is contemplated, the statistics of the movement of passengers acquire unusual importance (writes the "Shipping World s')- Figures have been prepared by the Transatlantic Conference which show that while there was an increase in cabin and tourist class bookings in the early part of the year— January to May—there was a falling off in first-class traffic. Eastbound firstclass bookings were 27,865, a decline of 5900 from the figures for the same period of last year. Cabin bookings numbered 14,076, an increase of 1000, and second-class bookings 12,724, an increase of 20. Tourist third-class bookings numbered 17,274, being up by 3600, and third-class bookings were 31,550, an increase of 5700. The grand total was 103,489, a net gain of 4420, but the result was a considerable shrinkage in revenue due to the tendency of travellers to seek cheaper accommodation than formerly. In a statement to the "New. York Journal of Commerce," Mr. Harold P. Borer, general passenger manager of the Cunard Line, has admitted that, while first-class traffic is somewhat below that of last year, the decline is not greater than had been anticipated as a result of the drawing-power of the two new North German Lloyd liners, the Bremen and Europa. An improvement is looked for, he saia, towards the end of the season. Conversion to Motor Ship. The South Taranaki Shipping Company's vessel Kapuni arrived at Patea on 14th August from Wellington on her first trip since her conversion from steam to Diesel propulsion, stated a writer in the Hawera "Star" on 15th August. The change over from steam took place at Auckland, and on her trial runs the Kapuni averaged just under 9 knots, her speed when fully loaded being now 8i knots. The capacity of the holds has also been increased by 40 tons dead weight, or 60 tons ship s measurement, providing space for an additional 300 crates of cheese. The alterations have not only resulted in increased carrying capacity, but the draught has been decreased by 18 inches and tho speed increased by 1J knots, while the saving in fuel costs will be about 50 per cent. The company anticipates spring tide loadings_of 1800 crates per trip, as compared with 1500 formerly, and 1200 crates on neap tide loadings, against 850 before the change over was made. The vessel will also bo able to enter port at all ranges of the tide. The Kapuni 'a new engine is a Fair-banks-Morse Diesel of 175 b.h.p., and in the engine-room there has also been installed an electric light plant and bilge pump by tho same makers. The j winches on deck are supplied with i steam from an 11 h.p. oil-fired Coehran j boiler. Eight tons of fuel oil are carried, and both holds are fitted with reI i'rigeraling pipes supplied by a Dieseldriven Berry ammonia freezer. The ! bulkheads in both holds are fumej proof, enabling the vessel to cary 5000 i cases of motor spirit. Tho Kapuni has I also been fitted with water ballast | tanks forward and aft, and further imjprovementa effected are: Cabin accommodation for the captain, the erection of derricks for swinging the ship's lifeboats, and the installation of a standard compass. Tho conversion work on tho vessel, which was built at Auckland in 1909, was carried out under tho supervision iof Mr. A. 11. Hodge, the company's | manager. Tho Hawera, belonging to ! the samo company, is at present undergoing similar conversion at Auckland, •iml like thr Kapuni she is to be fitted with a 140 h.p. Fairbanks-Morse engine.

| Delays at Nauru Island. i Tlio cost; of Nauru Island yiliospbatoa is considerably i»ercased owing to the ■ long delay experienced by steamers loading at tho island, staled a writer ; in the "New Zealand Herald" on 13tH August. Tlicrc is no sholtered liarbou'r, and steamers have to lo:ul ;it a mooring buoy anchored ii\ very dci'p water and exposed to the lioiuy • ocean swell. During stoimy weal hoi, and wheii the swell is severe, the loading steamer has to leave tho mooiiug and put to sea until the conditions improve. The steamer Lady Lewis : which reached Auckland from Niiinii ■ on 12th August witli 7600 tons oi' pho»- ---! phates, was delayed at the island i'or ' three weeks before the cargo was loadi cd. The actual time taken to load the ! cargo was only five days, but tho load--1 ing operations were spread over IS ! da"ys owing to tho steamer having to '■ repeatedly leave tho mooring because i the. sea was too rough for the work to | continue. Only one vessel can load at | a time, and when the Lady Lewis left for Auckland there were five steamers , drifting off the island awaiting their ) turn to load. Tainui in Storm. ; A letter from Captain W. P. Clifton- ; jStogg, commander of tho bhaw, Savill, j and Albion liner Tainui, which was badly buffeted on the night of 4th July, while en. route from Auckland to Southampton and London, has been 1 received by nn Auckland resident, ! stated a writer in the "New Zealand I Herald" recently. The following ex--1 tract deals with tho loss of the chief i oJlicer, Mr. H. V. Seddall, who was I washed overboard: "Since 2nd July jwe have been in a cyclone area. It j was then a light easterly wind, j freshening and threatening, and we J did 277 miles only. On 3rd July vit 1 was stronger and rising, and wo did I 271 miles, but on 4th July we covered j only 184 miles. On the night of 3rd j July it was strong, and wo pitched j and raced and took water over tho

bows, but on the following morning h went round to the north. It was a hard gale, but, we thought' that the contro was then behind us, and that the weather would pass away. However, the wind increased to hurricane force and the sea rose like mountains. Seas came on board, and wherever they came they broke something. Wo were running oil over tho side from five in the afternoon to try and ease the fury of the water. At 8.30 Seddall was down on No. 3 hatch with all his men trying to secure the heavy pipe covers, when a mountainous wave broke on board over the bridge, No. 3, and tho wireless house. It broke the hatches on No. 3, the winches, ladders, and pipes, and after it was gone the men gathered up from wherever they had been swept. One lay under a winch with a broken arm, another streaming with blood from an injured head, and others were bruised. Poor Seddall could not bo found, only a piece of his oilskin coat with the pocket and pipe in it. A fine and brave man, loved by all his men. i The passengers started a subscription list, and Robert Levin headed it with £100. We were forced to steer out of our course and pour out oil. Another sea and we should have gone too. The saloon was flooded, and there was water in all the rooms on the port side. It was the longest night I ever remember. Slowly it got better."