SHIPPING

Evening Star, Issue 17279, 18 February 1920, Page 3

SHIPPING

WEATHER REPORT. The Government Meteorologist (Rev, D. C. Bates) supplied the following at 9 a.m. to-day : Bar. Ther. Weatlu Auckland—N.E., 1 ... 30.10 70 L , Napier—Calm, ... ... 30.16 73 BC ' Weilingtou—N. W., br 30.05 68 0 * Westport—Calm ... 30.06 63 B C Greymouth—N.E., 1 ... 30.00 60 BC Beaky—S.W., 1 ... ... 29.96 66 B Christchurch—E., 1 ... 29.91 63 B Timaru— Calm 29.89 61 B Oamaru—Calm 29.87 57 O'M Dunedin—E., 1 29.86 59 BC Queenstown—Calm ... 29.90 55 B -Tuggets—N.E., 1 ... 29.88 64 B Bluff—Calm 29.79 50 B Z , Puysegur Pt.—W., str 29.88 62 C Pt. Chalmers—Calm 29.90 53 F Roxburgh—N.W., 1 ... 29.65 65 B C Invercargill—Calm ... 29.73 61 B Nasebv—Calm— ... 28.C0 62 B Clutha—Calm 29.87 64 B . Clyde—Calm Pembroke—N.W., 1 ... 29.00 67 B Wind.—L, light; br, breeze ; fb, fresh breeze; m g, moderate gale; g, whole cr heavy 1 gale; w, gale of exceptional severity. Weather.—B, blue sky, be the atmosphere clear or heavy ; C, clouds, passing clouds; D, drizzling rain; F, foggy; G, gloomy, dark weather; H, hail; L, light- , • ning; M, misty; 0, overcast, the whole i, sky covered with thick clouds; P, passing 1 showers; Q, squally; R, rain, continued rain; S. snow; T, thunder; U. ugly, threatening appearance; Z, hazy. Forecast. The Government Meteorologist (Rev. D. C. Bates) supplied the following at noon . to-day ; —Winds northerly, moderate to strong, and backing by north to west; weather appears likely to be cloudy and unsettled, with rain following; barometer has a falling tendency; seas moderate; tides good. SAlLED.—February 17. Wanaka, i s.s. {6.30 p.m.), 2,422 tons, Martin, for Oamaru. Calm, s.s. (11.15 p.m.), 892 tons, Braidwood, for Lyttelton via ports. Kotare, s.s. (11.55 p.m.), 146 tons, Mur- • phy, for Bluff. VESSELS IN PORT AT NOON TO-DAY. Kahika. Kitchener street wharf. Poherua, Birch street wharf. Kasama, Victoria wharf. Samar, sch., Rattray street wharf. Msunganui, Port Chalmers. Marama. Port Chalmers. Maori, Port Chalmers. The Moeraki arrived at Wellington at : 4.25 yesterday afternoon from Sydney. She is expected to sail to-morrow on the return voyage to Sydney. The Monqwai sailed frowiWellington at 10.55 last night for Napier, Gisborne, and Auckland. The T©’ Anau, from Dunedin and Oamaru, arrived at Timaru at 5 o’clock this morning, and sails at 5 o’clock tolight for Lyttelton, where she completes loading for Napier and Gisborne. The Poherua is expected to sail tonight for Wellington via Oamaru and Timaru. Advice from Greymouth to-day stated t here was an easterly wind, with “a moderate swell. The Orepnki leaves Greymouth on Tuesday for Lyttelton. The Wanaka left Dunedin yesterday aftrnoon. To-day she was loading a't Oamaru, and to-morrow loads at Timaru for Auckland. THE FERRY SERVICE. The Mararoa arrived at Lyttelton from Wellington at 10.20 this morning, and connected with the second express for the south. The Wahine, which left Lvttelton at 9.15 last night, arrived at Wellington at 8.20 this morning. This is an extremely good passage for her first voyage across the strait since her return to the ferry service, AMERICA’S MERCANTILE MARINE. First of the new fast passenger and freight vessels for the trans-Pacific trade out of Puget Sound will be the steamships Wenatchee. Sea Grit, and American Legjon, all of which have been launched on the Atlantic Coast, and as soon as completed will be brought to Seattle. These vessels have a speed of 18 knots! and are 535 ft in length. They are owned by the United States Emergency Fleet Corporation. The U.S. Government have contracted for 16 of these vessels, nine of which will be of the 535 ft type and seven of the 503 ft class. Keels have been laid and actual construction started on all except two, and work on these will be started soon. The Wenatchee, Seat Grit, and American Legion, ;t is expected, will operate between Puget Sound and the Orient. Work lias bean temporarily suspended because naval architects of the Emergency Fleet Corporation advised the builders that some additional changes in cabin arrangements would he made. These vessels were planned originally as transports, but upon the signing of*the Armistice it was decided they would be converted into passenger carriers for commercial services. They will carry 249 first class and 300 third class passengers. The Emergency Fleet Corporation plan to place 12 of the 16 steel passenger vessels on Pacific routes. The 505 ft ships are to be slower than the other type, which axe 32ft longer. The smaller vessels will make about 14j knots, and have passenger accommodation for only 80 persons. It is planned to place these on routes that offer only a small number of passengers but a substantia] demand for tonnage. Inasmuch as the architects have not finished their plans for alterations on the IcUgdr vessels, it is not known how much time will elapse before these craft are P| p 1 commission ; but it is expected they will bo operating to the Orient by August, 1920.

(For continuation see Late Shipping.)