FAMILIAR STEAMERS

Evening Star, Issue 18394, 1 October 1923, Page 6

FAMILIAR STEAMERS

UNITS OP THE HAIN LINE,

TWO NOW AT DUNEDIN.

Cargo carriers of the Hain Steamship Company, Ltd., of St. Ives, Cornwall, known hy the prefix “ Tre,” have now become familiar to shipping people in Now Zealand, but few are aware of the history of this lino. The lino was founded at St. Ives over fifty years ago by the late Captain Hain, and it now embraces a fleet of fifty-three large cargo stealhers. Captain Hain at first owned a number of small schooners, which carried fruit from Mediterranean an i other ports to England. The fleet increased steadily, steamers were purchased, and the sailers were discarded, until the lino became one of the most important sailing under the Union Jock. Captain Hain wai succeeded by his son, Sir Edward Hain, who died in 1917, n year after his only son was killed at the Dardanelles while on active service. Subsequently the Hain Line was purchased by the P. and O. Line, the present owners ; but the head office of the line still remains at St. Ives, a town with a population of fewer than 10,000. Lady Hain, widow of Sir Edward Hain, survives, as also does her daughter; but they retain no monetary interest in the lino that bears their name.

During the past few months a large number of steamers of the line have visited New Zealand ports. Two such vessels—the Trelovan and Tregonoll—are at present berthed at the Dunedin wharves. The Trelovan arrived on Saturday from Montreal by way of north New Zealand ports, and the Tregonell arrived yesterday from Now Aork via Auckland, Wellington, am* Lyttelton. The Trelovan is an ex-German ship, being formerly known as the She is of 4,770 tons gross register, and was built at Flensburg in 1914. The vessel was purchased by the Hain Line several years ago. The Tregonell is a war-time-built steamer, having been launched from the yards of W. Doxford and Sons, Ltd., Sunderland, in 1913. She was one of many ships constructed for the British Shipping Board, was formerly known as the War Stag, and was told in 1919 to the Hain Company. Sim is of 5,249 tons gross register. The Trecarrell, which arrived at Auckland on Saturday evening from Liverpool, is of' 5,272 tons gross register, and was built by D. and W. Henderson and Qo.. Ltd., at Glasgow, in 1919. The Trecarrell will he at Dunedin in about two weeks’ time. The Trcdenham was at Wellington recently, having brought a cargo of coal from Newcastle. The Trevessa, which was lost in the Indian Ocean about two months ago while homeward bound from Port Pirie, was formerly known as the Imkenturm, and was built at Flensburg in 1909. Units of the Hain Line are constantly under charter carrying goods from English and American ports to New Zealand and Australia. In most cases these vessels subsequently load concentrates at Port Pirie for the United Kingdom.