SHIPPING NEWS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1715, 11 January 1905, Page 59

SHIPPING NEWS

ARRIVALS, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4. lonic, s.s. (11.25 -a.m.), 7826 tons, Atkin, from London, via Capetown and Hobart. Passengers—From England — (List published on December 23rd). Additional—First saloon: For Wellington — Mr Landale. For Christchurch—Miss Freeman. For Auckland —Mr 11. Gillies. From Capetown—Third class: Mesdames Cox, James, Wilson, Messrs Allen, A. E. Burne, A. Begbie, H. Jones, A. Cooper, J. Clayden, B. Cleggett, A. Cox, R. Dalton, W. H. Fouracre, T. Gorman, G. Horton, R. Harrison, J. London, A. J. Sharpe, W. Loan, R. Morris, M. Munro, H. Mobb s', W. Mead, A. McDonald, G. T. Reeves, P. L. Robinson, S. B. Stretton, J. Thomas, F. Thompson, H. Waymoutli, E. Williams, Wimmera, s.s. (2.10 p.in.), 3022 tons, Rainey, from Sydney. Passengers —Saloon : Misses Cregan, Fitzrov, Pancourt, Johnston, McCann, Renton, Williams, Mesdames Anderson and 2 children, Addison, Draper and 2 children, Crockett, Fyt’e, Georgetti, Mitchell, Miller, Renton, Snelling, Archdeacon Fancourt, Rev McConnell, Messrs Andreae, Bryant, Byrne, Cato, Crockett, Elkington, Ellis, Pyfe, Grey, Grant, Hyams, Holmes, Hooper, Hankohl, Johnson (2), Johnston, Monk, Napier, Owen, Rochester, Rolliston, Richardson, Renton, Reynolds, Styles, Selig, Teece (2), Walker, Wannell, Waldie, Murphy, Woods, Hordern; 90 steerage. FRIDAY, JANUARY 6. Victoria, s.s. (8.5 a.m.), 2569 tons. Waller, from Sydney, via Auckland and East Coast. Passengers—Saloon : Misses Leyland (2), Fergie, Garrick, Mesdames Shannon and 2 children, Rusli ton, Garrick, Messrs R. Daiiis, Souter, Garfield, Salenger, Reid ;_ 6 steerage. Psyche, M.M.S., twin-screw steel cruiser (9 a.m.), 2135 tons, 7000 h.p., 8 guns, Commander Grafton, from Lyttelton. DEPARTURES. THURSDAY, JANUARY 5. Gothic, s.s. (4.50 p.m.), 7755 tons, Kidley, for London. Passengers—Saloon : From Wellington—Messrs D. L. Evans, J. Luhr, H. L. Tottenham. From Auckland—Miss K. G. Walter, Mrs Walter, Mr T. Walter. From Lyttelton—Mr W. A. Sheppard. From Napier—Rev J. Hobbs. From Nelson —Mr P. Chisholm. From Dunedin —Misses Fergus, M. Fitchett, Mr W. L. Bannatyne. Third class: From Melbourne —Mr J. Davidson, From Wellington—Messrs J. Giraud, C. H. Stamp, A. Swift, J. Dinsdale, R. A. Bryant, 11. Logue. From Auckland — Misses C. Walls, G. Walls. Mrs A. Walls, Messrs C. Jenkins, J. D. Lewis, R. Shaw, A. Wilson, Master L. Walls. From New Plymouth—Mrs Routlev, Messrs M. Routlev, S. Routley. From Christchurch Messrs W. C. White, L. T. Thornton. From Oamaru —Miss J. E. Johnston, Mrs Johnsto-n, Mr G. W. Johnston. Manuka, s.s. (5.15 p.m.), 2784 tons, Phillips, for Sydney, via Napier, Gisborne and Auckland. Passengers—Saloon: For Napier— Misses De Cann, Walsh, Kidd, Burgess, Mr Meek. For Gisborne —Misses Gray, Sinclair, Walton. Mrs Gray, Messrs Hentz, Blair (2), McVair, Ormond, Berry, Osborne. For Auckland—Misses Wollaghan, Gillies, Atkinson, Warley, Wilson, Newman, McEwen (2), Mesdames Wollaghan, Gllies, Peters, Wright, Smith, Bruxton, Banks and 2 children, Kenny, Dr Lewis, Messrs Maepherson, Wills, Montague, Morris, Jackson, Aicher, Miller, Banks, Wilson, Coates, Shelton, Lovett, Middleton, Gillies, Hanna, Turnbull, Dunlop, Smith, Wollaghan, Donnie, Owens, Grundy, Lawrence, For Sydney—Mesdames Mirans, Dyer, Messrs Heales, Boulton, Mirams, Dyer, Masters Phillip (2).

Wimmera, s.s. (6.10 p.m.), 3022 tons, Rainey, for Melbourne, via South and Hobart. Passengers—Saloon: For Lyttelton Misses Fitcliett, Johnston, Wright, Lady Onslow and maid, Lady Dorothy Onslow, Mesdames Lorcke Bethell, Wardell, Schwartz, Hadfield, Walker, Hon. Huia Onslow, Captain McDougall, Rev Macdonald, Messrs Johnston, Fairclough, Walker, Lorcke, Sims, Eethell, Wardell, Schwartz, Caldero, Wright. For Dunedin —Misses Ferguson (2), Kilbery, Jacobson, Quinn, Latvrence, Hildamo, Black, Mesdames Ferguson, Kemp, Smith, Morrison, Bailey. Captain Stone, Messrs Finch, Wilkinson, Drysdale, Falconer, Burton, Ferguson, Morrison, HayAvard, Master Abercrombie. For Bluff —Mrs Hartman. For Melbourne—Mr Watson; 40 steerage for all ports. SATURDAY, JANUARY 7. Warriinoo, s.s. (3.30 p.m.), 1892 tons. Mcßeth, for Sydney. Passengers—Saloon :Misses Gillies, Pilmer, Harvey, Mesdames Hurst, Cameron, Pilmer, Gillespie, Schetz, Black and 2 children, Garner, McKenzie, Head, Davis, Messrs Hurst. Kingdon, Wiffen, Cranny, Slater, Maingay, Davis, Hughes, Rochester, Cameron, McKenzie, Black, Head. Davis, Kirby, Salek, Tangier, Cato, McLaren, Hutchinson, Martin. LOONGANA LOWERS RECORDS. With the advent of the turbine in Australasian Avaters existing records for fast steaming are doomed. All jirevious records between Port Phillip Heads and the entrance to the Tamar River, Launceston*, were easily eclipsed last Aveek by the Union Company’s neiv turbine steamer Loongana. The distance from heads to heads is 196 miles, and, allowing for the loss of a quarter of an hour during a dense fog, the Loongana accomplished the inn across in 9 hours and 28min repre= senting an average hourly speed of a little over 20 knots. The vessel thus improved on her best previous effort by 32min. Previously the Rotomahana and the Coogee held about equal steaming records of 12£ hours approximately, but on her first trip last October the Loongana reduced this by 21 hours, completing the passage from heads to heads in exactly 10 hours. Although on several subsequent oocas'ons she has succeeded in making the run in ■ e ”om loi hours to 11 hours, her initial

effort was not even equalled until last week. The weather was fine, and the sea smooth. Over 300 pa&engers were on boards and took much interest in the trip, it being known to the most of them that the Loongana would attempt to break her own record. When the vessel reached the wharf at Launceston a large gathering of people were in waiting to welcome friends on board, and Captain Livingstone and his officers were freely congratulated on the vessel’s fine performance.

Preparations for re-floating the mail steamer Australia, wrecked off Point Nepean, Port Philip, are being pushed on. Mr J. G. Acknvan, M.L.C., of Melbourne, who purchased the wreck, states that the rough weather and strong current have delayed work. The cargo is still being taken out of the main hold. “We have obtained the services of Diver Wilson, an expert from Queensland," said Mr Ackman, “and he is now at work in conjunction with Diver Beckett, who has been at the wreck from the first. Recently we chartered the' s.s. Federal from a Sydney firm, who are conversant with the work of re-floating submerged vessels, and the steamer is bringing over the necessary gear, including a powerful pump required to remove water from the hold. The steamer left Sydney the other day, and is hourly expected. The operations are being conducted under the Monier system. The rent made in the hull by the rocks is 17ft long by about 7in wide. Plugs are being inserted in this, one diver working on the outside and the ether inside the vessel. Over these plugs wire netting -will be fixed, and on this netting concrete will be placed. When the concrete Is set and the water pumped out, we think the vessel will float of her own accord. This consummation we hope will happen about the middle of January, so in three weeks’ time we may expect, all being well, to see the Australia once more afloat and ready for removal to the dock."

Following are the totals cf British warships under construction: Battleships, Ist rate, 5; armoured cruisers, Ist rate, 3; protected cruisers, 2nd rate, 1; total, 9. S’ze of ordinary mercantile vessels building: Under 50 tons, 1 steam, 2 sail: 200 to 499 tons, 52; 1000 to 1999, 26; 2000 to 2999, 45-; 3000 to 3899, 70 ; 4000 to 4999, 45; between 12,000 and. 14,899 there are none building, but from 15,003 tons up there are 9. The United Kingdom and Colonies are building 287 steam vessels and 31 sail, of 862,117 tons, the United States 1 steamer of 300 tons, Austro-Hiingary and Norway 8 each, Holland 6, South American countries 5, France and Germany 4 each and Portugal 2. The death of Mr George Lennox Watson, the eminent yacht designer and naval architect, which occurred at Glasgow on November 12th at the age of 53, removes from the list of living active personalities (says the New York ‘‘Syren'’'’) one whose name had become a® well known in this country as abroad, and whose reputation as the author cf the famous cup challengers “Thistle,“Valkyrie II," “Valkyrie III.," and “Shamrock II.," besides various other yachts also we-11 known in American waters, had reached the highest pinnacle. When it is remembered, however, that yacht designing was but a small part of his business and that, including merchant etearners of various types, he designed more than four hundred vessels, it can be realised that his record was one of great success. That no more Watson cup challengers will come to this country practically marks an era in the famous contests for the Am erica's cup,- for there is no other designer of marked, ability in Great Britain who has yet been mentioned as his worthy successor. If, therefore, there are to be further races of a similarly famous character as in the past, the identity of the challenging designer will add a feature of moment concerning which it will be most interesting to speculate. The builders* risk insurances on the two big subsidised Cunarders—-to- be built by Swan and Hunter, of Wallsend and John Brown, of Clydebank—have practically been completed in the London market. These vessels are insured for <£I,OOO,UO each from the beginning, with a three years* limit. The contract time is 30 months, and it is anticipated that the actual completion will be reached in a little more than two years. The insurances cover the launching and trial trip risks. The contract speeds on the trials are not disclosed, but it is generally understood that these steamers will be required to do 25 knots. W. A. Boole and Stons, of San Francisco, are building a 125-ton gasoline schooner for the German Government. The vessel is for service in the South Seas, where it will be used as a police boat in the ports of the Kaiser*s tropical possessions. The* schooner will Ij 106 ft long and, although equipped with a 125 horse-power gasoline engine, will be heavily sparred and have wings large enough to insure independence of auxiliary power. Commodious officers* quarters will be provided in the after end of the boat, and the space usually set apart for cargo will be fitted for the use of the native police. The building is now well under way, and the vessel wi. he completed by thei end of the year. Before now, ays “The Army and Navy Gazette,** we have had to wipe out of existence a fleet which we hadi reason to believe might be' used as a weapon to our hurt. There are not wanting those, both in this country and on the Continent, who regard the German fleet as the one and only menace to the preservation of peace in Europe. The editor-proprietor of London “Truth,** Henry Labouchere, has been diving into his recollections of 50 years ago, when he was an attache at the British Legation in Washington. He relates an incident, in which Americans were tlip aggressors, Avhich he professes to regard (as no divubfc the Russians would) as a greater outrage than the Dogger Bank affair. The Falkland Islands, which lie off the eastern extremity of the South American Continent, were overrun with wild pigs which the British authorities claimed as Crown property, a claim that was resisted by passing American whalers who maintained that they we re “no man’s pigs.** Consequently when an American whaler seized a pig and refused to give it

up, the Governor arrested him. A few days later there came into- the harbour of Stanley, -the capital, a place of 400 inhabitants, an American man-of-war, commanded by Captain Lynch, a mariner known to scientific fame who- had surveyed the Dead Sea. With characteristic American promptness he threatened to blow the capital into the sea if the whaling captain was not released within 2. hours. The Governor, yielding to superior force, surrendered liis prisoner, and then the matter became subject for diplomatic correspondence between Great Britain and the United States. In the British despatches the pigs were solemnly described as “the porcine inhabitants of one of H.M.*® colonies." Secretary Marey explained that Captain Lynch was in a nervous condition owing to domestic .-rouble and urged this as a palliation of liis conduct. The matter was dropped eventually a*s the Crimean War, then in progress, had much greater interest for Great Britain than a controversy growing out of the theft of a few pounds of fresh pork.