THE SHIRE LINE S.S. PERTHSHIRE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9947, 16 January 1894, Page 1

THE SHIRE LINE S.S. PERTHSHIRE.

The latest addition to the Shire Line Company's splendid line of steamers, the Perthshire, is shortly expected at Port Chalmers, under the command of Captain.\V. P.. Wallace, late of the Nairnshire. The Perthshire is constructed of steel, snd was built arid engincd by Messrs R. and W. Hawthorn Leslie and Company (Limited), of Newcastle-on-Tyne. Her principal dimensions are as follow ;— Length, 435 ft; beam, 51ft; moulded depth, 32ft. Her net and gross measurements aro 3822 ana 5550 tons respectively. She i 3 schooner rigged, with two short spar?, and has five holds equal to a cubical area of 250,000 ft, capable of .providing Btoreage for 8100 tons of deadweight car<;o. Three of the holds are insulated and otherwise adapted to the conveyance of frozen meat, dairy produce, and other perishable commodities. The engines are of the triple-expansion type, develop 3000 indicated horse-power, and derive their supplies of steam from two large single-ended steel boilers working up to a pressure of 1601b to the square inch. The diameters of the cylinders are 30in, 40in, and 78in, with a stroke of 54in. The boilers are operated under the reduced draught system of Mestrs John Brown and Co., of Sheffield, and are fitted with six of Purves's flues, besides Messrs Brown and Co' 3., patent serve boiler tubes and retarders. The latter is a novel and economical appliance for "retarding", the natural velocity of the waste heat passing off into the atmosphere. The refrigerating machinery con-' gists of two compldte sats.of compound tandem engines, in duplicate, specially manufactured for use in connection with the Linde ammonia system of freezing, A complete installation of electricity fn ovary compartment enables the engineers and

holds at any hour without depending for light from the ordinary lamps, with which the men are generally supplied before going below. Largo electrical cargo lamps, hung from the rigging, enable cargo to be discharged or received on the darkest night. To expedite the handling of cargo, she has all the latest and most modern labour-saving appliances, including 10 steam winches. The winches, windlasses, capstan, pumping engines, and electrical dynamos were supplied by Messrs Clarke, Chapman, and Co., of Gateshead. A set of Messrs Bow and M'Lachlan's steam-steering gear is set up in the after end of the main engine skylight. The handsteering gear and the accommodation ladders on each quarter are on principles patented by Mr J. Wotherspoon. Accommodation for 12 passengers, as well as for the officers and engineers, is supplied on the upper deck, on which a long house has' been built amidships. The appointments are of a very superior clas3. The crew are housed under the forecastle head. The command of the Perthshire has been conferred by the owners upon Captain W. P.Wallace, late of theNairnshire. His deck officers are Messrs W. Clements, W. Chicken, E. Durell, and C. Forder. The chief engineer, Mr H. AY. Fawdon, R.N.R., M.1.M.E., has also traded out to the colonies in a similar capacity in the Nairnshire. Mr Fawdon's associates in the main engine room are Messrs A. M'Lachlan, J. Marshall, A. Farminer, and J. M'Allister. Messrs G. Paterson and J. Burns are in charge of the refrigerating engines.