DUTCH STEAMER OMBILIN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19147, 15 April 1924, Page 2

DUTCH STEAMER OMBILIN.

DISCHARGING AT - THE BIRCH STREET WHARF. The Royal Racket Company ~ steamer Umbilin, which is at present i.ischargmg hardwood from Bun bury at the Birch street wharf, and which Hies the flag of Hollam., ia auractmg considerable interest, the principal attraction being her except icnai ly spick and span appearance, and the latest oevices Lor cargo nanuUng with which she is litted. 'The vessel bears mo name of one of the rivers in the Dutch colony oi Sumatra, in Uie East Indies. Ihe local agents, Messrs JJalgely anti t. 0., are flying the Dutch flag as a mark of courtesy to the ""A*” Daily Times reporter was yesterday shown over the (jmmiin by the muster, Captain J. Lceuwc, and he was much impressed bv the spaciousness and cleanliness of the whole vessel. Even the engineroom is particularly roomy and well ventilated, no artificial light being nccesaaiy during the daytime. „ . Captain I.eeuwo lias been in tue Boya Taekct Company’s service lor about 04 years, and has just recently reioinod the vessel after a year's holiday in Europe. He resides in Utrclch. The oAteoj* Dutch, and the crew comprises bz Cuinese and tliree McnaUonccsC, who are natives of the Dutch East. Indies. The captain stated that all .he company's vessels are registered m Batavia. Java the capital of the Dutch East Indies. Tne company is endeavouring to estdl.iu.n trade with Now Zealand »i butter, mea , cheese, wool, etc., and m exchange cxpoits tea, sugar, coffee, spices, etc., from Java. ,v’v MU,and is twice as big as Java, but the population is c5,00U,1>00, inoslb natives, with a proportion of Chinese. lo open tlie traffic in tea it would be nect ' ft ' sary for Now Zealand to take off the extra duty imposed on Java tea. uav„. which was one of the largest sugar-producing countries in the world, exports to China, Japan, India, ami Europe, and especially to Kr-'ind. .... . Captain Lceuwe’s officers are: Cniet, U. Tuinz.inga; second, G. P. Post.: third, . • 1 teusovcldt; fourth, M. < y Io,1a ; ° " e . engineer. A. Winterink : second, B. l errgp; third, L. Heinsnia; seventh J. C G. Nouwcns; assistant engineers, 11. G. van Loon. J. G. H. Pastoonf M. van Beest; wireless operator, J. van dor V loccl. The Ombilin, which was built m Amsterdam in 1916. is undoubtedly one o. ihe finest cargo vessels that lias over visited this port, and she is constructed on a plan which is rarely seen here. She is n steel vessel of 5668 tons gross, is 444 ft m length, and has a beam of 54ft. She carries double masts with powerful and conveniently placed derricks, capable of lilting 30 tons each, and has four fine Holds that contain neither pillars, stanchions nor anything that can interfere with the loading. The result is (hat she is much more expeditiously worked than the a 'eraga vessel. Altogether there is. over 350 0)0 cubic feel of cargo so-- About 2500 tons of water ballast is carried, when required, in cleverly designed tanks that run the full length of D" mhw of the ship, just below the main deck, and each can bo emptied at any time by merely opening the valse and allowing the water to flow into the sea. The triple expansion engines, which develop 22,000 hnrsc-pov.ei are placed aft. and wore built in Holland by one of (ho big railway works A special set of engines develop the electric jight, and supply current for n wireless plain, that, on occasions, has received messages sent out 2500 miles distant. Captain Been we and his officers are fortunate in having living accommodation tha, would bo the envy of many a passenger liner, big roomy eahms and saloons boituc provided wiifi every modem convenience. . . 'I he navigating bridge is also exceptionally tine, iiml, with hydraulic steering apparatus, provides the most comfortable conditions for working, there Rung no cables, etc., and consequently no noise. The Ombilin is to sail on Thursday afternoon or at, daybreak on Friday for New--ensile where she will buuber, nnd she will then sail for Singapore.