THE MARAROA'S" EAGLES

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 25, 29 July 1933, Page 8

THE MARAROA'S" EAGLES

In last week's "Ships and the Sca'f column an article was published on tho Union Company's Mararoa, written by W. H. Phillips. The: article men! tfoncd that on the first visit of the Mararoa to San I'iancisco the chief engineer obtained three brass eaglos, which "were screwed on to tho Mara; roa's stem." Several correspondents have written in connection with these eagles. . From the information so supplied it is elicited that when tho Mararoa arrived at San Francisco on her maiden voyage she was the first vessel fitted with triple-expansion engines to , cross the Pacific. At that time, writes ".Rein ben Ranzo," this was a great innovation in marine engineering, and at a subsequent reception- tho chief eni gineer, Mr. McAllister, was presented by the Marino Engineers' Society of San Francisco with three brass eagles. These eagles were screwed to the piston rods of the main engines and jot screwed to the stern and flown in that part of the vessel as stated by Mr. Phillips. When the vessel was in port tho eagles were exhibited in.the engineroom, and were unscrewed and stowed in the chief engineer's room when at

■ Two correspondents account for two of the- eagles, but do not know where the third is. - One is stated to have been lost in Lyttelton Harbour while a greaser was cleaning it. . Another writer states that one eagle "is in tho possession of Captain C. F. Post, Upper Hutt, while the second is owned by the chief engineer, Mr. McAllister.;

Mr. W. Sommervillc, secretary of the New Zealand Institute; of Marine and Power Engineers, solves the, mystery surrounding the whereabouts; of the third eagle. It is, he saysj in the possession of -the Marine Engineers' Institute/ Wellington. /;>/;,