SHIPPING.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1425, 22 June 1899, Page 54

SHIPPING.

' LONDON, Friday. Arrived—Maori and Kaikoura, from New Zealand. LONDON, Tuesday. Arrived —Leitrim and Fifeshire, from New Zealand. Sailed —Aatea, for New Zealand, Hermione, for Timaru. MELBOURNE, Wednesday. Arrived —Acacia, from Greymoutli. ADELAIDE, Wednesday. Sailed—Larlc, for Oamaru. Messrs Levin and Co. are agents for 'he White Star liner Delphic, which was berthed at the outer tee of the Queen's Wharf yesterday morning. She has 2000 tons of cargo to put out here, and on disMessrs Levin and Co. have been advised by cable that the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company’s steamship Aotea left London for Wellington and Lyttelton via Hobart on the 10th inst. She is clue he:? about the end of July. The American barque Hiram Emery, now 113 days out from New 1 ork to Wellington, is to load kauri gum back to New York on the discharge of her inward cargo. The Chilian ship Star of Bengal arrived, at San Francisco on April 27 from Newcastle via Honolulu, and reported that February 3, latitude 36.20 S., longitude 178 east, found the cargo heated; temperature. 84 degrees; on February 10 increased to 94 degrees; found the heat still increasing, and on March 15 put into Honolulu, temperature 103 degrees on arrival; discharged 808 tons of coal, and sailed from Honolulu April 7. The ship Cambrian Queen, on which 10 per cent, had been paid as an overdue risk, arrived at Falmouth on April 30. from Oregon, after a passage of 172 days. The barque Vale Royal, 355 tons, Captair. Ahier, left Edithburg (South Australia)'on May 17th for Wellington with a cargo of salt. She is now hourly expected. Mr Dawson, late chief officer of the Southern Cross in the inter-island trade, will join the Hauroto in a similar posii'on today at Lyttelton, vice Mr Reid, resigned. Captain Cannel has replaced Cupiain Thomas in command of the sh'p John O’Gaunt, which left Liverpool ioi vYe’iington on April 20th. The barque G. M. Tucker, which iolt Kaipara on the 31st ult-., is making Melbourne her destination this trip, instead of Sydney, as is usual. On the discharge oi imr timber, she will proceed to Newcastle iomi c-oal for Wellington. Mr W. Reid, chief officer of the Ha-rota, who has been appointed superintendent of the Mercantile Marine at Auckland, left that steamer yesterday, and proceeded North by the Te Anau. Before entering the service of the Union Company ten years ago, he was master of a sailing vessel out of Auckland, of which port lie is a native. A compliment to Mr Reid's a! duty is the fact that the Union Company offered him a command if lie would remain in its employ. He will assume his new duties on the Ist prox. Mr Luke Ross, the chief refrigerating engineer of the Star of Victoria, and .who was supposed to have been lost overboard on the voyage from London to Sydney, was well known among the engineering fraternity of this port, having visited the colony on several occasions. His social qualities made him very popular, and his unaccountable death is a matter fer general regret. In London, in March, before Mr Justice Bicknill, sitting with Trinity Masters, a claim was heard of the owners, masters and crew of the steamship Wolviston for salvage services rendered to the Cunard liner Pavonia, which was disabled in the Atlantic in a gale in February by her boilers working loose, and was, with great difficulty, towed to Ponta Delgada Roads by the Wolviston. His Lordship awarded £SOOO as salvage—the owners of the Wolviston to receive £3750, the master £416, and the officers and crew £834. Contrary to recent experiences very fine weather was experienced by the Upolu after passing the East Cape until reaching the Heads at 2.45 yesterday morning. The dense fog which hung over the harbour made it imperative to anchor in the stream, where the vessel lay for three lioui’3, until it became sufficiently clear to come alongside the Jervois quay staging. Her cargo from Fiji consisted of 11,605 bunches bananas, 2603 cases fruit and 15 tons sundries, of which 4804 bunches bananas and 996 cases fruit were for Wellington, and 1545 cases fruit for Southern ports. Owing to some repairs to the machinery, her departure for Westport is deferred until Wednesday. The Honolulu "Bulletin” of April 4th say 3: —It was about 9 o’clock this morning that the American ship Edward O’Brien collapsed completely, and parts of her rails went floating off in the direction of Pearl harbour. It did not take the natives long to find this out, and, inside of half an hou!, a swarm of canoes was out securing the wood and towing it ashore. Only the bow and a little of the stern can now be seen. The Pacific Co-operative Steam Coal Company has just secured a large contract from an English firm for the supply of 100,000 tons of its coal. The contract starts next January. Fifty thousand tons will be delivered in 1900 and the balance the following year. The Union Company has purchased from the Mount Lyell Company, of Tasmania, the new steamer Mount Lyell, which was originally intended for the Tasmanian trade. She is said to be a thoroughly up-to-date' steanfship. fitted throughout with all modern appliances, and capable of accommodating some 450passengers. The barque M. A. Doran, now at Auckland, has been purchased by the Union Company from Messrs Nicc-ol and Craig, and is now being fitted up for coal-lmik purposes. The A. and A. Company’s steamship Tolosa left New York for New Zealand ports on June sth. Messrs Morgan, Cable and Co., the successful tenderers for tlie repairs to the Mapourika, have commenced operations by cutting out the fractured plates in the bottom of the vessel. The work will be pushed on with all possible despatch. The Taieri arrived at Westport from Sydney at noon yesterday, and will load today probably for Wellington. The Wanganui-owned barquentine St.

Kilda arrived at Port Chalmers yesterdiy afternoon, after a twenty-five days’ passage from Port Stephens (N.S.W.), with a cargo of hardwood timber.

The three-masted schooner Konygsbryd arrived at Westport from Clarence River (NT.S.W.) mi Thursday last, after a nineteen days’ passage. Bad weather was experienced throughout the trip, with the exception of two Nothing was seen of the missing steamer Perthshire. The Konygsbryd brought 108,000 feet of timber for the construction of the new craneloading wharf. A DISMASTED SHIP. The German four-masted barque Eilbek, Captain Tadsen, formerly known as the Moreton, which left Melbourne on the 19th inst. for Newcastle, was towed into Sydney on the 30th ult. ia an almost dismasted condition. During a heavy squall on tbenight of Sunday, 21st inst., her ballast shifted, throwing the vessel on her beam ends. At one time the ship was over at an angle of 70 deg. To save the vessel her masts had to be cut away. Everything above the three lower masts has gone, the jigger mast alone being intact, and what yards are left aloft are swinging in the slings. The steel masts were broken off short just above the caps of the lowermasts. When the mishap occur re-. 1 the Eilbek was somewhere off Twofold Bay, 200 miles south of Sydney. THE TYSER COMPANY. The Tyser liner Star of New Zealand, which left London on May 17th. is due at Melbourne about the 6th prox. Sydney, Auckland and Wellington will be her next ports of call. The next steamer to leave New York under Tyser auspices will be the new steamer Tomoana, the building and fitting up of which has extended over a ven long period. She is to leave New York on July loth, and will come to New Zealand via'Melbourne and Sydney. For the future the vessels comprising the Tyser Company’s fleet will leave London and New Fork alternately for tiie colonies. The Indramayo is now due at London, ami will no doubt load there at once for Australian and New Zealand ports. H.M.S. PYLADES. H.M.S. Pylades arrived at Sydney from Plymouth, via the Suez Canal and Torres Straits on the 4th inst., to relieve H.M.S. Rovalist. But for the misfortune £

touch upon the north-west reef near Tiim.--day Island, the voyage was practically »n uneventful one. Off the coast the Pylades felt the full force of the lecent heavy weather, during which she sheltered some forty-eight hours in Trial Bay. The P>l- - has previously been on the Australian station, and is not a stranger to Wellington. She was recalled Home last year to undergo an extensive overhaul and refit, involving the expenditure of some thousands of pounds. The Pylades is a thirdclass cruiser, composite built, and barque rigged. She was built by Laird, at Sheerness, in 1884, her cost being set down at £62,000. She has a length of 200 ft: her beam is 38ft, and draught 15ft Sin. She is propelled by engines of 1400 horse-power, and her speed is 12.6 knots per hour. Hei heavy armament consists of 11 s:n guns, besides eight machine guns. THE LOSS OF THE OHAXJ. A NEW THEORY. Since the wreckage from the lost steamer Ohau has been discovered on the East Coast, a theory has been evolved that the vessel did not founder in the vicinity of Cape Campbell, as has been generally supposed. Had the steamer been lost in that manner at the time supposed and in such weather as prevailed, the wreckage could not possibly have reached as far up the East Coast as Cape Turnagain and Akitio, but would either have been washed up by the waves somewhere between Cape Palliser and Cape Terawhifi, or been carried away to sea in the direction of the Chatham Islands, as it is well known that the current through the Strait tends that way. On occasions bottles have been thrown over from the steamer Kalm in Cook Strait and been picked up at the Cliatliams, and returned to the steamer at a subsequent visit. The fresh theory is that after the vessel’s progress had shut out her masthead light from the Cape Campbell light-house-keeper’s range of vision, she continued on for some time, but owing to a breakdown of her machinery or having her piopeller stripped through racing in the heavy seas, had become disabled. Sail was then made, and to keep the vessel off the land as much easting as possible was made. This, together with the strong southerly gale, against which she would make no progrtss, would carry her to the north-east; and it being hopelessly impossible to keep off the land altogether, the Ohau had come to grief somewhere in the vicinity of Flat Point either the next day or night succeeding the evening when she was lust seen off Cape Campbell. It may be argued that th_ length of time

between the disaster and when the wreckage was picked up weakens this theory, but :t ought to be remembered that the Ohau may have been wrecked miles from, any station or landing place, and as there is next to no current along the East Coast, wreckage of any kind would take a long time to distribute itself along the beach. Certain shipmasters arc quite certain that if on exhaustive search were made frc-ni Cape Palliser to Castlepoint sonm light would be thrown upon the fate of the collier. THE ACCIDENT TO THE MAMARI. Captain Babot, marine superintendent for the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company, leceived a came yesterday confirming che news that the Momari hod been towed into Mont ? Video with her tail shaft broken, but that her detention at that port would not be for long. Messrs Levin and Co. are advised that the Wuiwera left Monte Video for London on Monday evening, and it is not improbable that she may nave picked up the Mamari, though it would most likely lie the steamer (if it were a steamer) that she collided with that woo'd assist the disabled vessel. The question now agitating the minds of tiie nautical community is, How could a eoliisicn break a tail shaft ? THE UNION COMPANY’S SERVICE. Some very important changes are to be made by the Union Company in the different coastal services at the end of the spring, the effect of which will be the more frequent communication between Wellington and other important ports both in the North ami South Islands. In the summer time another steamer is to be placed in the Wellington-New’ Plymouth-Onehunga service to assist the two very fine vessels now employed in that connection —the Rotoiti ami Taka puna. An additional steamer will assist the Rotomabana in the WellingtonLyttelton service, obviating the delays that sometimes occur through an intercolonial boat being delayed on the trip across from Sydney, and so upsetting the time-table arrangements. This announcement will be gratifying to many regular passengers between these two ports. A daily service to and from Picton is also to he inaugurated, the idea being that the boat leaving acre at noon can connect with the train for Blenheim, while the departure of the steamer again for Wellington will be timed to enable passengers to catch ear ft morning trains by both the Wellington and Manawatu and Government lines. No steamers are yet particularised as likelv to be engaged in tlie proposed services, but it is not unlikely that the recently overhauled Mawliera will take up the Welling..onPieton running. THE M,‘ YA A new donkey boilei vn ■ s.' ipucd by the Maria yesterday ior (ha [•• ot supplying steam for the winch, tiie driving powc; cfVhieh lias hitherto been obtained from the engine-room. The little steamer wiii lie up in August, to be cut in two ana lengthened by some fifteen feet. The addition is to be made between tiie forward bulkhead of the engine-room and the hold, the deck space of which will be occupied by a comfortably fitted up cabin for the accommodation of passengers. At the same time the little steamer will be supplied with steam-steering gear and electric light, which should make her one of tlie ; most compact little vessels trading rut of Wellington. THE TYSER COMPANY. Messrs W. M. Bannatyne and Co., io».al agents for the Tyser Company, state that a general average of 3 per cent, has been struck on the cargo originally shipped by the Star of New Zealand, but now on board the Star of Victoria, due at Auckland from London via Sydney yesterday. The cargo alreadv booked for shipment by the latter steamer at this port comprises 1000 cases of preserved meats, 150 casks pelts, 200 sacks peas, 200 drums glycerine, besides frozen meat and sundries. The steamer is due here from London via Sydney (for coal) and Auckland about the middle of next week. A NEW STEAMER~FOR THE AUSTRALIAN TRADE. It is no time, so to speak, since the Omrah was on view as the latest achievement of the Orient Company in ships. Word has, however come to hand thai the Pacific Steam Navigation Company has now on the stocks in the yards of Messrs Vickers, Sons and Maxim (Limited), at Barrow-on-Fur-ness, a magnificent steamship for the Australian trade, to be named the Ortona. The company celebrates its jubilee m the year 1900, and the advent of the Ortona will fittingly illustrate the progress made by this company during that long interval of time, witnessing that in the management ot its affairs there still exists that spirit of enterprise which was the especial characteristic of the men, who, when navigation by steam power ivas in its infancy, did not hesitate to establish and maintain, in spite of innumerable difficulties and disappointments, a line of steamers along the shores of "lone Pacific.” The Ortona’s launch is fixed for September next. She is being constructed under a specification which involves the expenditure of a vast sum ot nionev. and is expected to be the finest vessel in the colonial mail and passenger seivice. She will he over 500 ft in length, ostt beam. 37ft depth, moulded, and will ' have accommodation for 320 cabin, and a large number of steerage passengers. The furnishings are to "be on a magnificent scale, and as regards conveniences and fittings, there is a surprise in store for even those who are accustomed to the comforts of a modern liner. The Ortona will have twin screws, and with engine and boiler power that will enable her to prove, it is said, that tne Orient fleet possesses the fastest vessel which crosses the Indian Ocean.