SHIPPING NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2045, 4 May 1893, Page 36

SHIPPING NEWS.

COLONIAL AND FOREIGN. ARRIVALS. April 26.— Kawatiri, s.s., 288 tons, Apatein, from Greymouth, via Timaru. April 27.— Wairarapa, s.a., 1020 tons, M'lntosh, from Auckland, via Bast Coast ports.—— Omapere, s.s., 352 tons, Phillips, from the West Coast. Herald, s.s., 356 tons, Jones, from the West Coast. Brussels, barque, 991 tons, Alsop, from Lyttelton. April 29.— Inyercargill, s.s., 136 tons, Sundstrom, from Invercargill, via Waikawa.— — Penguin, s.s., 442 tons, Bernecb, from northern ports. May I.— Rangatira, s.s., 4056 tons, Burton, R.N.R , from London (March 7), via Teneriffe (March 15). May 2.— Mraaroa, s.s., 1248 tons, Chatfield, from Melbourne, via Hobart and the Bluff. Napier, s.s., 43 tons, Hansen, from Waikawa. DEPARTURES. April 26.— Waihora, s.s., 1269 tons, Anderson, for Sydney, via East Coast ports. Kawatiri, s.s., 288 tons, Apstein, for Napier, via the!coast. Pukaki, s.s., 850 tons, Fleming, for Auckland, via Oamaru and intermediate ports. April 27.— Napier, s.s., 48 tons, Hansen, for Fortrose and Waikawa. April 28.— Wairarapa, s.s.. 1028 tons, M'lntosh, for Melbourne, via the Bluff and Hobart. Omapere, s.s., 352 tons, Phillips, for the West Coast, via Timaru. Herald, s.s., 356 tons, Jones, for the West Coast, via Oamaru. May I.— Dunedin, schooner, 66 tons, Bergesen, for Napier. Penguin, s.s., 442 tons, Bernech, for northern ports. May 2.— Rio Loge, brig, 241 tons, Paterson, for Lyttelton. Invercargill, s.s., 136 tons, Sundstrom, for Preservation Inlet, via Invercargill. Napier,'s.s., 48 tons, Hansen, for Fortrose. THE DIRECT STEAMERS. The Rimutaka arriyed at Plymouth on Sunday from New Zealand, with her frozen meat in good condition. The s.s. Waikato left Rio de Janeirc on Thursday for London, with her frozen meat in good condition. ,

The Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company's JR.. M.S. Arawa left Wellington on Thursday, February 2, at 5 p.m. with 47 passengers, and bad very favourable weather to Cape Horn, which was passed on February 17 at midnight ; from thence to Rio Janeiro she experienced fine weather, reaching that port on February 24 at 7 p.m., and after coaling, landing one passenger and taking on nine, left at 11 a.m. on February 26; had delightful weather through the tropics, crossed the equator on March i in 30 W., ana arrived at Teneriffe at 2 a.m. on March 11, leaving again at 3 p.m. same day, after embarking

14 passengers; from thence to Plymouth the weather was splendid: arrived at? that port at 6 pm. on March 16, ancf after landing passengers and mails proceeded for London. No births or deaths occurred, and the health of all was very B °Wmxington, April 30.-Arrived: lonic, from London, via the Cape and Hobart. bhe has no passengers.

ARRIVAL OF THE DORIC.

The Doric, from London, via way ports, arrived at Wellington at 8 a.m. on Monday. Her dates arc: London, March 16; Plymouth, March 18 Teneriffe, March 23 ; Capetown, April 7 ; Hobart, April 26. Nothing of note occurred during the voyage. She brings 74 passengers for New Zealand, and 1200 tons cargo, of which 450 are for Wellington, 450 for Lyttelton, and the remainder for transhipment. The voyage was accomplished in 43d shr 53min ; the actual steaming time being 42d 7hr 49min. Fine weather was experienced throughout. The following are passengers :— For Lyttelton : Saloon— Mrs Parker, Mr Edward Mason ; second saloon-Messrs W. H. Bates, A. Vanderlyn ; third-class— Miss G. M'Fail, Messrs J. Jacobson, A. Twitchem. For Port Chalmers : Saloon—Mr, Mrs, and Miss E. Cox; second saloon- Mrs M'Lauren. Messrs A. Keogh, P. M'Lauren. Dr T. J. Parker, Mrs and Miss Goodland. For Oamaru : Mr James Morton, Mrs and Llis3 Jonnstone.

FAST STEAMERS FOR THE CAPE TRADE

From the yard of Messrs Harland and woin, Belfast, has just been launched the Gaul. Two other similar vessels, the Goth and the Greek, are now building for the Union Company in the same yard These magnificent steamers are 4U7it between the perpendiculars, 450 ft over all, 47ft 2m in breadth, 26ft 7in in depth. The tonnage is 4830 gross, net tonnage 3193. They will be propelled by twin screws 2500-h.p. nominal, working up to 6000-i.h.p. The passenger accommodation will be on the upper deck, and the ships throughout will be lighted with electricity, and replete with all the refinement and luxury of the present day. Cool chambers will be provided for the conveyance of South African fruit to England, as well as Bparkling and still wines. The vessels are to attain 18 knots per hour at sea, and will cost about £280,100.

THE PERFORMANCES OF IRON AND WOODEN SHIPS.

The performances of iron and wooden sailers ; on long ocean voyages are to a few people at least of greater interest than those keenly-competed races of the Atlantic greyhounds, in the calculation of which minutes and seconds are of much, importance. The results in the case of steamers lie very much in the proportion of the cost of the vessel and her engines and the coal' consumption, but with sailers it is different. A finely-modelled Bhip need cost no more to build than a poor model, and it is claimed as one „° a f f *?e? c triumphs of modern shipbuilding that in spite of the enormous carrying capacity of sailing vessels, or the wind-jammers of to-day, sometimes exceeding 80 per cent, of their net register, and eaual to the conveyance of 5000 tons deadweight, these vessels make voyages which compare well with those of the fastest clippers of 30 years ago. A list has been, published for last year giving some of the fastest and a few of the longest passages (the latter due to various unavoidable causes), made on the principal routes of the world :— Fastest : Hesperus, 71 days, London to Melbourne ; Herat, 77 days, Liverpool to Sydney : Oweene, 66 days, Prawle Point to Adelaide; Loch Torridon, 80 days, Sydney to London; Alcedo, 105 days, Holyhead to San Francisco; Oraigend(in ballast), 107 days, Havre to San- Francisco; Tarn o" Shanter, 110 days Baltimore to San Francisco; North (in ballast), 110 days, Havre to Astoria :Benj. F. Packard, 83 days, San Francisco to New York ; Macrihamsh, 93 days, Astoria to Queenßtown ; Nord, 71 days, Iquique to United Kingdom ; Prompt, 65 days, United Kingdom to Valparaiso ; Urania, 74 days. Barry Dock to Callao ; West Lothian, 54 days; Newcastle, N.S.W., to S.F. Longest : Ballumbie, 231 days, Rangoon to Falmouth; Hawaiian Isles, 188 days, Swansea to San Francisco ; Lady Ruthven, 196 days, Cardiff to Callao ; St. James 193 days, New York to Portland, Or. ; Scottish Hero, 172 days, Astoria to Queenstown ; Tourney, 153 days, Iquique to Falmouth ; Gutenburg, 149 days, Liverpool to Valparaiso ; Frank Carvill, 210 days LeithtoSan Diego; Robt. L. Belknap, 163 days, New York to Yokohama.

During the week ending April 30 11 vessels, with a total of 4241 tons register, arrived at the Dunedin wharves, and nine vessels, representing a total of 4937 tons, left them. ' The barque Brussels has taken on board a Quantity of bales of wool, and will meet with quick despatch, having shipped in Lyttelton 4000 sacks wheat. A very brilliant meteor, resembling an enormous war rocket, passed over the North Taiaroa Head into the south-east at 10.25 p.m. of Sunday. .It made a tremendous whizzing noise which culminated in a very loud report ; the night was a lovely one, clear and cloudless, and the stars exceedingly During the year 1892 22 vessels of war with a total displacement of 137,271 tons were launched n the United Kingdom for H.M. Navy. Of these nine, with a displacement of 50,450 tons, were built at H.M. dockyards, while 13, with a displacement of 86,821 tons, were built at private yards. During the same period eight war vessels for different foreign powers, with a displacement of 13,886 tons, were launched from private British The' greatest number of vessels of all classes launched in the Unit ed Kingdom at any particular port in 1892 was at the Clyde, where 217 vessels, of 322,178 tons, were launched. The lowest number was on the Thames, where only nine vessels, with a total of 15,872 tons, left the stocks. The barque Brussels took on board 400 bales wool on Saturday, and was busy yesterday taking in casks of tallow. At 10 a.m. on Monday a large steamer was reported 14 miles south of Cape Saunders standing north,- and at 11.30 p.m. the stranger was again reported as the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company's cargo steamer Rangatira. On reaching the heads she was boarded by Pilot M'Donald, who brought her into port ; and on her steaming up the lower harbour she was met by the customs boat, and all being well she was admitted to pratique by Dr Cunningbame (health officer), boarded and cleared in by Captain Gray (customs surveyor), and came to anchor in the stream, having on board 800 packages gunpowder. After transhipping her combustibles, she steamed up alongside the George street pier. She brings a full cargo, consisting of 4800 tons, 2500 tons of which are for Dunedin, also 300 tons for transhipment, SOO tons for Lyttelton, and 1100 tons for .Wellington. . . Much secrecy is being maintained over the Prince of Wales' new 100-ton cutter Britannia. She is in frame, and ready to be planked with teak, but Messrs D. and W. Henderson keep her carefully shrouded under a close shed in their Meadowside Yard, so that no vulgar eye may see and no injudicious tongue may proclaim the virtues— or the faults— of the new craft. She is to be fitted internally with walnut, and will be upholstered in a simple, not to say severe, manner —there being no attempt to emulate the floating palaces" of Transatlantic millionaires. In fact, the Britannia is meant for business, not show, and will be really run by Prince George, whose sailing master will be Captain Jack Carter, formerly of the Genesta. Lord Dunraven's Valkviie is not only being built under a shed but also under lock and key, and nobody knows how far sh«» is forward. The Syndicate cutter is only just being laid down ia Messrs Inglis yard, and It IS Said She Will be a real Herrislioffer, with tremendous overhang and large beam.— l airplay. The crew of the steam-tug Plymouth, on arriving recently at Philadelphia from Boston, stated that during a hurricane, while in Vineyard Sound, they were attacked by a large flock of wild ducks, which had been ooaried to sea by the wind. Attracted by the powerful electric light on the masthead, the ducks flew against the side of the tug's deckhouse. The mate wen 1 ; )n deck, and several of the infuriated birds attacicei him with such violence that he fell. Fifty of th duoks W fn the American navy there are now but 11 of the old-fashioned wooden vessels in actual seryipe. They are the Ranger, Alert, Marion, Lancaster, Mohican, Yantic, Thetis, Kearaage, Alliance. Adams, and Essex. These will rapidly go out of as ne.w vessels are accepted.