THE DIRECT STEAMERS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9904, 24 November 1893, Page 1

THE DIRECT STEAMERS.

The Matatua, from the Blutt September 3Q), arrived" at London'on the raorhing of the 22nd inst. : ■ . .-■ , j Wellington, November 23.—Sailed: Rviapehu, ! for London, via Rio (this afternoon), with a full j general cargo, including wool, meat, dairy pro- ] duce, &c, and the following passengers : —Saloon: Misses Allen, R. Rees, W. Wilson, Mesdames Holmes (and family), H. B. Lusk, M. E. Wilson, Messrs E. Bugstock, E. Corbett, A. Glendinnings, M. O. Gibson, S. Holmes, C. R. Lawrence, W. K. York, J. Stephens (for Rio). Second saloon: Mrs C. V. Fletcher, M. E. Fox, H. C. Jacobs, E. M. treston, Weston (2), MeEdames Plunkett, Cotter, Fletcher, Lobb, Colonel C. Ralph, Messrs G. Brooks, R. Case, C. F. Churchward, G. L. Crawford, J. L. Fletcher, R. Gome, J. Lawrence, Lobb (2), L. M'Tavish, W. Salter, C. Wright. She has 4SO tons of dairy produce, which is the largest consignment yet sent in any one vessel.

JffiOVSMENTS OF THE UNION STEAM SHIP COMPANY'S FLEET Thursday. November 23

Ly ttelton —Rotorua arrived 9 a.m. from Welling ton.

Wellington -Grafton arrived 4 a.m. from Nelson. Flora arrived 8 a.m. from Lyttelton. Nelson—Wainui sailed 9 a.m. for Greymouth. Penguin sailed 6 p.m. for Picton.

The s.s. Rangatira having taken on board about 500 bales of wool, skins, and leather, several casks of pelts, and bag 3of antimony, left Port Chalmers yesterday afternoon for Lyttelton. The s.s. Wairarapa will leave Port Chalmers this afternoon for Melbourne, via the Bluff and Hobart. The s s. Omapere landed cargo at the Rattray street wharf yesterday. The ship Taranaki having transferred the combustible portion of her cargo to the powder cutter, was towed up to Dunedin yesterday afternoon by the tugs Koputai and Plucky, and berthed at the cross wharf. "Belfast" writes: — "Permit me to correct an error appearing in your issue of Tuesday last. In your shipping column you say the Westmeath —of the following dimensions : length 435 ft, breadth 53ft, depth 34ft, gross tonnage 6200, capacity good—is the largest cargo steamer in the world. This is not correct. The honour belongs to the twin-screw steamer ! Civic, built by Wolff and Harland, of I Belfast, for the celebrated White Star i line, for their Atlantic trade. The dimen- ! sions of the Civic are as follow: — Length 500 ft, breadth 60ft, depth 3Sft,. gross tonnage 8315, capacity 14.059 tons. She is fitted to carry 800 head of cattle and 20 horses, and to run between Liverpool and New York. The Civic was launched early in September. A clever piece of work was the raising of the stranded steamer Ithfaen, which went on the north-we3t corner of Lady Isle, three miles to the southward of Troon Harbour, while on her maiden voyage from the Clyde to Liverpool. The Ithfaen is a steel screw steamer, 160 ft in length, launched on the Ist October 1892 by Scott and Co., of Bowling, and intended for the coast trade. The roots on which the vessel lay were of the most rugged description, her starboard side being literally punctured from end to end, whilst there wa3 a hole in the eng'ne room that could have admitted a railway truck. The engines being situated aft, the holds, from the machinery to the bow, presented more than sufficient capacity to carry the whole vessel with the engine room and stern full of water. As the bottom and port sides were little damaged it was decided to iioat the vessel broadside as she lay, rather than upright her and add to her damage. After the whole ceiling had been cut away by the divers the boxes fitted and bolted over the broken plates and frames, about 80 tons of stone ballast was placed inside close to the peak bulkhead for leverage, whilst two pontoons were attached to the stern for steadiment. The hatches and other deck openings into the holds being closed, two steam pumps erected on the vessel's broadside easily commanded the water in the holds. The Ithfaen was then towed on to the beach at Troon, stern foremast, on her broadside, and by slipping the pontoon at her keel by a process of diverting the bulk of the stone ballast, she was brought tc an upright position the same tide, the steam pumps being kept at work pumping verticallj until she was upright. The wounds in the engine room and after ends were then closed and tht vessel towed into the graving dock, where she is now being repaired. The whole operation ol floating this vessel was a work of interesting ingenuity, and reflects great credit on the East Coast Salvage Company (Limited) and theii superintendent, T. Napier Armit, who has mon than once been described as the Napoleon o: salvage engineers. The above company, whosi headquarters are at Leith, are certainly entitlec to take a first place in such work, and it is onlj necessary to mention, that since 1869 Mr Arniv has conducted the raising of 64 vessels, includinj the ill-fated Utopia, suak in 1891 off Gibraltar His latest achievement is the floating, off Hoi; Land, of the steamship Ashdene, described a likely to become a total loss. This work In accomplished two days after his arrival at th island. —London Marine Engineer. An English correspondent says that the contrac for one of the new battleships for the Royal Nay U about to be placed with Messrs Avmstrons: Mitchell, and Company. The new vessel will b 4000 tons heavier than the ill-fated Victoria. Th specifications contain several important change in regard to the surplus buoyancy of the vesse in speed, and power of armament. The new wa ship will, it is said, cost about £1,000,000, and t unsurpassed by any armourclad afloat. It believed that she will be named the Victoria.