29 YEARS' SERVICE

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 91, 14 October 1931, Page 11

29 YEARS' SERVICE

On her arrival at "Wellington from Southampton on 23rd September, it was freely rumoured that the well-known Shaw, Savill, and Albion liner Corinthie was on her last trip to the Dominion. Nothing was known officially until to-day, when a cable message from London advised that she had been sold for £10,250 for breaking up, and that a familiar Australian trader, the Demosthenes, was meeting a similar fate. The news will be received with regret throughout New Zealand, not only by all those who are sorry to see- the life of a good ship end, but also by the many who were brought to this country by the Corinthic, or have travelled by her on a visit to the Old Country. For nearly 29 years the Corinthie has maintained a regular connection between New Zealand and England, _ making more than 70 voyages, and incidentally travelling over one and a half million miles, with scarcely an untoward incident. The value of such a ship's career cannot be reckoned in the terms of the length of her "obituary "notice; it lies in the memories of the maiiy thousands of passengers she has carried. Of recent years, newer, faster, and more modcrnly-appointed liners have been placed in the London-New Zealand service, and now take the cream of the passenger trade. To anyone who went through the long corridors of unused cabins at the completion of her last trip, it was evident that her prestige as one of the premier passenger ships of tho Home run was a thing of the past. ONE OP THREE.

The Corinthic first arrived at Wellington from London, via-Cape Town and Hobart, on Cth January, 1903, when she attracted the notice from the public that has since been given to the "Eangi" motor liners of the New Zealand Shipping Company, and other vessels, that have arrived to place the Corinthic further and further in the background. ■•..■':. As was the cass with the Rangitiki, Rangitane, "and Rangitata, and the Orari, Opawa, and Otaio, the Corinthic was one of three vessels orderod about tho same time, her sister ships being the Athenic—sold in 1928 to Norwegian buyers, converted into a whaling ship, and re-named the Pelagos — and the, lonic, the end of which is also rumoured to be in sight. They were built at Belfast for the White Star Line by Messrs. Harland and Wolff, Ltd., the Athenic in 1901, and the other two in the following year. They ran under the control of the- Shaw, Savill, and Albion Line; Hying tho house flags of both companies. The Corinthic was among the first ships to bo fitted throughout with electricity. Tho master of the Corinthic on her maiden voyage was Captain Inman Sealby. She has since- been commanded by Captain Hugh Davidlater commander of the Olympic, and Captain Frank Hart, who relinquished command of her about three years ago after being, on tho bridge for 19 years. Captain 11. Bowen is at present in command. UNEVENTFUL CAREER.

Tho Corinthie's career has been a most uneventful one, and oven the war failed to bring her trouble, although she carried thousands of soldiers, not only from New Zealand, but also from the United States, to Europe. If there is anything in the tradition of a ship's name it certainly appears that a new Corinthie would carry in its name an omen of good fortune. The quality of tho workmanship and materials put into tho Corinthic by her builders has stood the test of time wonderfully well, and it is probable that if it were not for the severely depressed state of tho shipping market, she would still have many years of usefulness before her. She has a gross tonnage of 12,343, and her principal dimensions are:—Length, 500 ft; breadth, C3ft; depth, 45ft. She originally provided accommodation for 100 first-class, 100 second-class, and 200 third-class passengers, but two or three years ago she was changed to a two-class ship. The Corinthic is due at Wellington to-morrow to complete her outward loading programme, and is to sail finally next Tuesday for London. THE DEMOSTHENES.

The Demosthenes, which realised £9520, has had a much shorter career than the Corinthic, and has been withdrawn from commission for some time, but is almost as well .known to Australians as tho Corinthic is to Now Zealanders. She also gave service as a troopship during the war. She was a3so built at Belfast by Messrs. Harland and Wolff, being turned out to the order of George Thomson and Co., Aberdeen. For the last few years she has been one of the Aberdeen-Common-wealth Line. With a gross tonnage of 11,223, she is very similar in size to tho Corinthic, her measurements being: Length, 500 ft; breadth, 62.3 ft; depth,