NEW SHIP ARRIVES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 98, 25 March 1939, Page 9

NEW SHIP ARRIVES.

DOMINION MONARCH’S VOYAGE. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, March 2b. After a leisurely voyage across the Tasman, the bliaw, Savill motor liner Dominion Monarch arrived this mornling, completing her record-breaking trip and pioneering voyage from England to Nov Zealand, via Atrica and Australia. The vessel was off farewell Spit at 8 p.m. yesterday and proceeded very slowly acr.oss Cook Strait to pass through V ellington Heads at 6 a. in. and berth at 8 a.m. at .Pi pi tea j Wharf. ! A Hat calm and bright sunshine combined to make the harbour and city appear at their best. A welcoming fleet of launches, yachts and skills met the liner off Point Halswell. '1 here were four aeroplanes overhead and crowds of people and ears at numerous vantage |x>iuts round the harbour. Another 'crowd saw the berthing, which was ! accomplished smoothly with the assistance of the Harbour Board tug I oia, i with another .tug, the Tcrawlnti, standing by. The interest manifest in the vessel’s arrival was evidenced by the number of motorists which went out to Seatoun and other bays to see her come through the heads and proceed up the harbour. The fact ol it being a Saturday released many people who ordinarily would have been proceeding to work, but even those who do work on Saturday were to be seen craning their necks from traincar, train and bus or walking to get a glimpse of her as she neared the, wharves and was pushed into her berth. The Dominion Monarch is the largest liner in the New Zealand and Australian trade and the most power! ul motor-ship in tho world besides being one of the largest and lastcst cargo carriers afloat. She set up now records from England to Durban, ii'oin Durban to Fremantle, and lrom England to Australia. She came over the 'J asman at a greatly reduced speed. The new route pioneered by her covers nearly 14,500 miles, yet she_ made the journey in under 45 days. No attempt was made to try out the power and speed of the ship, tho engines being run throughout the passage at reduced revolutions, hut the allotted time-table was maintained with ease. She lelt Southampton on February IS, railed at Teneriffe three days later, arriving at Capetown cm March 4, and Durban on March 5. Leaving there the next day she covered the 4214 miles to I romantic in 8 days, 21 hours. 54 minutes at an average speed of 19.84 knots. Her actual steaming time from Southampton to Fremantle was 23 days, 17 hours, 22 minutes, at an average speed of 19.42 knots. .From Fremantle to Melbourne she averaged 20.04 knots. Exceptionally fine weather was experienced across the Tasman from Sydney. For much of the time slio was running on two engines only.