SHIPPING

Evening Star, Issue 17325, 13 April 1920, Page 3

SHIPPING

AN OIL STORE SHIP. • T 1 ? Union Company’s hulk Adderley is being converted into an oil store ship at the Wellington Patent Slip Wharf. The work is being carried out to provide J® ij lo bunkering of tho San Franciscov\ clung ton steamers, which are being converted into oil-burners, so that they will be able to replenish their oil supplies at Wellington. LARGE LINERS ABANDONED. Advices from Washington state that the Mapping Board have definitely abandoned tho project of building two 1,000-foot transatlantic liners. ■ Unofficially the project is described as “one of Mr Hurley’s dreams,” and it is believed that had he remained in office an attempt would have been made to materialise the scheme, which included the building of a terminal at Montauk Point, Long Island. The reason for abandoning the building of big ships is stated to be that the board felt it ought not to engage in any construction of new vessels. SUEVIC’S WAR SERVICE. The White Star liner Suevic, 12,531 tons, has been returned to her owners after her transport service, which extended over four years and eight months. During tjiat period she was under the command of Captain E. G. English, and her record for a ship of her size is a remarkable one. _ She steamed on transport duty 241,783 miles, consuming 94.714 tons of coal and 49,570 tons <\f fresh water, and visited 42 different ports. She carried 17.565 troops. 1.441 Horses, and 1,200 military pigeons, and large quantities of munitions ot wav. foodstuffs, stores, etc. The Suevic landed the following at Suvla Bay on August 7. 1915 Trenps, S00; naval ratings, 147; bicycle party, 50; heavy artillery horses, 450; machine guns, motor cycles, ammunition, 3. COO cases petrol, fresh water, grain, etc. She has now returned to her pre-war role in the Liverpool-Australian service of the White Star Line. SUFFOLK’S BOUGH TRIP. The liner Suffolk, which arrived at Lyttelton on Sunday morning from Napier, very rough passage down the coast. Tlie vessel left the roadstead at Napier at 7.55 p.m. on Weduc-dav last. There was a moderate gale with heavy seas at the time, the,vessel shipping water. There was also continuous rain. During Thursday there was a fresh south to south-west gale with heavy squalls. The heavy seas broke a steam pipe, which was carried away. The door of the officers’ messroom was also carried away.. The vessel, on account of the hurricane dining the night, slowed down to half-speed, and her rate of progress during some portions of the passage was only on*, and a-half knots. It was found at one stage of the journey that the ship was actually about 60 miles froin where she should ’ have - been. It was impossible to take her bearings owing to the weather, and ipundings were taken at intervals. From Cape Palliser the passage was a very load one. the seas being very short. Officers of the Suffolk state that on this trip they encountered the worst seas they had experienced. Tho seas even broke over the poop, which is a very rare occurrence in the case of a vessel of this size. Half and slow speed were maintained until 6 a.m. on Saturday, after which full speed could be used, the weather having moderated and the sky cleared. The vessel, under ordinary weather conditions, should have arrived at Lyttelton on Friday. The fourth officer was nearly washed overboard during tho gale on Thursday night.

RECONDITIONING THE OLYMPIC.

The work of reconditioning the White Star liner Olympic at Belfast is a stupendous task,_ especially in the short time in which it is hoped to accomplish the undertaking. even with the great .facilities of the builders, Messrs Harland and Wolff, who have the work in band. No fewer than 3,000 men are now engaged, comprising joiners, plumbers. smitlTs, 0 fitters, electricians, platers, caulkers, drillers, riveters; painters, shipwrights, upholsterers, sheet metal workers, cemc-nters. and laborers, which number will later be increased <fs the work develops. The beautiful public rooms of the vessel, including the _ grand saloon, restaurant, lounge, smoking-room, library, verandah cafe, Turkish baths, cafe-Pa risian, squash racquet court, gymnasium, in addition to the en suite state rooms, are to be refitted. Tiro introduction of the oil fuel system in the boilers necessitates a large new equipment and a complete change in many of the internal arrangements. Th" Olympic, with her inner skin, lends herself admirably to this innovation.

SCHOONER PROGRESS ' ARRIVES. The schooner Progress, owned by Messrs Miller Bros., of Port Chalmers, arrived at Dunedin, last evening from Greymouth, after a very' stormy passage of 18 days. The Progress was formerly a dredge, and after being refitted out, sailed from Carey Bay on July 26, 1919, for Kaipara. She loaded a cargo of timber at Kaipara arid Whangape, and after being delayed at tin latter place for some time, sailed for Svdney. From Sydney she went to Lyttelton and then to Greymouth, where she loaded a full cargo of timber, and sailed at 3 p.m. on 31 arch 25 for Dunedin. She made a good run to Cape Foulwind. where she encountered a heavy south-easterly gale on March 27. The gale lasted until the following Tuesday, and the vessel was driven well out to sea. The bad weathecontinuod, and at 8 a.m. on Wednesday. March 31, Mount Egmont was sighted. It was then blowing a moderate gale, with a high-confused sea. At 6 a.m. “on Thursd3y> April 1, Cape Egmont light was abeam, distant about 10 miles. The Progress was driven still further north, and on April 2 she was off the Mannkau. Favorable winds were then met with, and making good headway, the schooner passed Cook Strait on April 3. Cape Camphel 1 being abeam at 10 a.m. on Saturday. 3. A fresh northerly -wind wap then blowing, and the vessel passed Banks Peninsula on the afternoon of Sunday. April 4. She was off Oamaru on April 6. and remained in that vicinity until Monday last owing to the wind being unfavorable. Tire passage from Greymouth to the time she arrived off Oamaru was therefore accomplished in 11 days, and seven days were spent in sailing" the 50 odd mites from Oamaru to Otago Heads When the vessel was being buffof led about by the heavy gales in the north her decks were almost continuously awash by heavy seas. The ship labored heavily, "and m! bags had to bo put over the aide at times to break the force of the big seas. The Progress behaved splendidly' throughout, and Captain Croucher speaks in glowin* 7 terms of her sea-going qualities. After discharging ‘156.000ft of timber, the Progress will load general cargo hero for Greymouth. She will subsequently load timber at the West Coast port for Sydney.

GISBORNE HARBOR. Some weeks ago the Gisborne Harbor Board decided to appoint Messrs W. Ferguson, J. Blair iUftson. and Cyrus Williams to report on a scheme for the outer harbor. After making a detailed investigation the engineers have submitted a report to the board, recommending that a breakwater harbor be constructed off Kaiti beach and south-westward of the mouth of the Turangamii River. There will be about 11,000 ft of construction work involved in the proposed breakwater, and the mole entrance will be 700 ft in width and the breakwater will have a projecting arm of 1,500 ft from the entrance to the wharves. There will be manoeuvring distance of 2,oCOft. The area of the nn> posed harbor will be 190 acres, and there is at present a depth of 42ft at low water at the entrance, 30ft halfwav across, and 24ft at the wharves. The maximum depth to be dredged is 40ffc, with a minimum of •iOit. 4. plan shows six wharves, which would accommodate 12 oversea vessels. For a commencement two wharves" are to be gone on with. The entrance to the proposed harbor would be in the vicinity of what is now known as the Arahura’s anchorage. It is estimated that the work would occupy, about five years, and the total cost will be £1,559*180. They cstl-

mate the revenue at about £IOO,OOO per annum, which could be. made up aa follows:—Wharfage * and charges on goods, £30,000; dues on vessels, £35,000; rents, £9,000; and rates (say), Id in the £ on the valuation of £15,030,000; a total of £104,000. SHIPPING TELEGRAMS. AUCKLAND, April 13.—4.20 a.m., Mahsno, from Sydney. WELLINGTON, April 12. —0.50 a.m , Tainui, from Auckland.—B.2s a.m., Ripple, from Napier.—6.so p.m., Putiki, from Gisborne. LYTTELTON, April 13.—2.5 a.m., Te Anau. for Port Chalmers. TIMARU, April 13.—6.30 a.m.. Storm, from Dunedin. SYDNEY. Anril 12.—1.30 p.m., Mceraki, from Wellington. (For continuation see Late Shipping.)