LOG-BOOK GLEANINGS

Evening Star, Issue 23113, 12 November 1938, Page 2

LOG-BOOK GLEANINGS

ONLY FIVE-MASTED STEAMER ONCE PRIDE OF THE FLEET KIWI WAS CARRIED AT MASTHEAD' [By Fmsx Mate.] All ships’ histories are interesting, some naturally more so than others, but it is generally after they have been consigned to the Scrapheap that they come to the light of day in revealing documents. One ship which was in Dunedin recently has many a tale to tell, and the period stretches over 27 years. .She is the New Zealand Shipping Company’s liner Rotorua, which is a frequent visitor to New Zealand from Home ports. Few who have seen her would recognise in her the lines of the Shropshire, which bore five masts. The Rotorua is a handsome ship and does not look her 27 years. Now she is minus the topmast on her mainmast, which has become a mere samson-post. Her mizzen is her mainmast. Even at that she is the only five-masted steamer afloat today.

One of three, sister ships, all of which incorporated this unique feature of five masts, the Rotorua was built at Clydebank by Messrs John Brown and Co. Then she was known as the Shropshire. She was reconstructed and took her present name; she is a vessel of 526 ft, with a beam of 61ft and a depth of 33ft.

After this transformation she became the greyhound of the fleet, capable of 14 knots. She had a huge kiwi at the maintop. When the topmast came down this was transferred to the foremast, where it is still perched. Now, however, the 'Rotprua is not the fastest vessel in the fleet, because of the rapid strides in the building pf fast motor ships. r ' ' ■ Of her two sisteVs there is little to be told at this juncture. The Wiltshire mot. an untimely end on the night of May 31, 1922, on the Great Barrier Island. The Argyllshire, the other, went to the scrapheap some years ago. Once, it is reported, the Rotorua (then the Shropshire) was in Bind—a five-masted steamer. The Narbada was also there with four masts. Then there was the old Shaw Savill and Albion vessel Waiwera. which was a threemaster. The Wanaka, an old Union Company coastal trader, arrived with two masts, and then came the little Kotare, now burned and sunk in the Little Glory Harbour, Stewart Island. She had only one mast, so there were in port that day at Bluff vessels with one, two, three, four, and five masts —and they were all steamers. It is seldom indeed that there are five ships at Dunedin wharves at one time with steam as their motive power. There are at times well over this number of vessels in port, but some of them are certain to be motor ships. * * • • QUEEN ELIZABETH COMPARISONS. As a means of making comparisons of the size of the new Cunard White Star liner Queen Elizabeth, and to show the immensity of the vessel, a special room has been arranged by the builders at the Clydebank works. Scale models of tho Queen Jidizabeth nnd other ships' are shown against silhouettes, also designed to scale, of familiar British landmarks, such as the Houses of Parliament and the Nelson’s monument column. ' ■'.« It is interesting to note that tne Queen Elizabeth model is much longer than the Parliament Houses silhouette. A scale model of Nelson’s Monument as a background to the Cunarder shows that Nelson at the top of his column is quite well placed for having a chat with the commander of the Queen Elizabeth on his bridge. This demonstrates strikingly the depth of the vessel. ' . This interesting room also contains a - model of the first Cunarder the Brittania, 1840—but this is almost lost on the promenade deck of the Queen Elizabeth model. The latter measures about 20ft, as compared with the 2ftlong Brittania, which, in actual dimensions when built, was 207 ft long, and of 1,154 tons. These figures ai'e negligible when compared with 1,030 ft in length, and a gross tonnage of about 85,000, which will be features of the new Queen Elizabeth. * * * * MAYFLOWER AGAIN IN NEWS. Three hundred and eighteen years ago the Mayflower dropped anchor in Plymouth Harbour, Massachusetts. Now, after all this time, she is again in the news. A model of the famous old ship is to be built by an American historical society. It will be moored in the very spot where the original vessel dropped anchor in the harbour. This floating ship is to be exactly a copy of the original, a model of which is exhibited in the/ Pilgrim Museum. She will be 90ft long, with a beam, ot 26ft, and a tonnage of 180. Pilgrims of the twentieth century will be able to board' and inspect her. « » * * POACHERS OR NOT? A short while ago there was a ease of alleged poaching by an Australian fishing vessel in New Zealand waters. At the time there were warm protests from interested parties in the dominion. It is not surprising, therefore that the Australian Government has been rigbtlv anuoved by the depredations of Japanese luggers in the torn momvoaltli pearl and fishing limits.

' Two Japanese pearling luggers were arrested by th’e patrol launch Larrakia. some 17 months ago. They were the Takachiho Mara and the Tokyo Mam which were picked up in Boucat Bay, ’ near Darwin. Since that time they have been at anchor at Darwin pending the decision of the Australian Government. They were the subject of an appeal for wrongful arrest’to the Darwin Supreme Court. _ Damages were sought, also. The judge who heard the cases, decided against the Commonwealth Government, and thus the papers of . the luggers were handed over to the Japanese consul at Darwin for return to their, owners. • • . *. ' STOWAWAYS ABOARD. Luxurious steam yacht lines are possessed -by the new. 6,300-ton motor, ship Btflolo, which has arrived at Sydney to participate in the passenger and cargo service from Australia to New Guinea. Commanded by Captain, A, .Campbell, she' made the voyage . frorn England without passengers, .excepting com-' pany officials, carrying a cargo of sulphate of ammouiajv. In the Bay of Biscay she had her first test of seaworthiness under severe conditions She ran into a gale. With her engines slowed down she was able to run out the storm at a speed of over 15 knots. Her best run during the voyage was 406 miles in 23i hours. New South Wales men stowed away on her when she called at Townsville, her first port. Soon after leaving, sis were found aboard. They were labourers wjio wanted to return to Queensi land, their home. A seventh known I to be aboard slipped ashore at Brisi bane undetected. The Bulolo will leave I Sydney, on her maiden voyage to | Papua and New Guinea on Saturday next. i ONE HUNDRED YEARS OLD. . Messrs William Pickersgill and Sons Ltd., the Sunderland shipbuilders, celebrate their centenary this year, for the yard was established in-1838. The present chairman of the company, Mr William J. Pickersgill, a grandson of the founder of the firm, has just celebrated his golden jubilee as a shipbuilder, for he joined the Company just 50 years ago. It is, therefore, unfortunate that at the present moment the firm' is without a on - the stocks and has only one fitting out. But they are not alone in this respect, for two other Wearside shipbuilding establishments are now idle. *■ # ■ ,* . • HORSES FOR INDIA. it is one of the regular tasks of the British India Steam Navigation Company to transport horses from Australia to India as remounts for tha standing army. Freighters under tha company’s flag are familiar visitors to Australian ports, bearing inward cargoes of dates or other general merchandise for discharge. After this has been completed, the horses are' installed in the various holds built to accommodate them, and off they go to India. ’ At present in Australia on one of these voyages is the freighter Naringa. Her inward cargo consisted of 50.000,000 cornsacks, weighing 7,500 tons. They were for discharge at various Australian ports. As the sacks were taken from the holds, there were builtstalls for the horses. No fewer than 700 will he loaded a< Melbourne Sydney, ami Queensland ports on thi^ .voyage alone.