SHIPPING NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2686, 6 September 1905, Page 69

SHIPPING NEWS.

THE DIRECT STEAMERS. The Tyser line steamer Indradevi arrived at Melbourne from New York on the 2nd inst. ' BLUFF, September 4.— Sailed: 5.30 p.m., Star of Australia, for London, -via Las Palmas. WELLINGTON, August 31.— Sailed: 0.25 p.m., Tongariro, for London. LONDON; A,ugust 29.— Arrived: Karamea and Kaikoura, from Wellington. j Sailed: ELumara, for Lyttelton. MODERN LEVIATHANS. ; "Above 10,000 tons" is the phrase still employed by. Lloyd's Register in its tables dealing' with the~ dimensions of the world's greatest steamships. Probably the dej scription is sufficiently precise, for the I number of these vessels is less than a hundred. ' All the same, thG list continues to receive additions. Here, for example, are the numbers and nationalities of these big steamers as they are returned for the years named: — Steamships Above 10,000 Tons. j 3899. ISO 4. 1905. j Great Britain ..6 45 48 Germany .. ,-. 10 25 26 j United States .. 4 12 12 j Holland .... 1 4 i \ France „ .. 0 2 3 Denmark ... .. 0 2 2 Belgium . :.«i: .«i „ 0 1 1 21 91 96 - : 'The 'figures suggest that that which was more 'ox "less experimental at the end of I last century has since developed into an I approved practice. What is more, having | once lagged behind Germany in this matter iof large steamers, Great Britain seems ■ determined to v maintain the lead which j she afterwards secured. The biggest merchant steamer in the world is still, apparently, the White Star liner Baltic, of 23,876 tons, for the Amerika, the new boat of the Hamburg-American Company, is returned at the round figure of 23,000 tons. The Cedric (21,035 tons) and, the Celtic (20,904- tons) are also combine ships, like the Baltic, and some people might suggest that their British register is open to qualification. But even the HamburgAmerican and Norddeutscher Lloyd Confpanies are not free from association with the International Mercantile Marine Conn pany. The Carmania, the new Cunard boat, which at least is genuinely British, is put at 20,000 tons, with her sister ship, the Coronia, a little below "that figure. There are, in truth, only seven ships of 20,000 tons and upwards, and of these Great Britain boasts the four already named; the United States two, in the shape of the Dakota (20,714) and the Minnesota. (20,718); and the Germans the Amerika. Their next biggest ship is the Kaiser Wilhelm II (19,360). France has no 20,000-ton ship, her largest steamer as yet being La Provence, of 15,000 tons, which is of considerably greater dimen.sions than the two other liners of the Transatlantic Company which exceed 10,00 tons. Belgium is still content with one. vessel above this last-mentioned limit — the Vaderland, of just over 12,000 tons. Denmark's two big ships are just over 10,000. tons a.piece, but three of Holland's four are considerably larger. Looking at the fact that there are now seven vessels of or exceeding 20,000 lons, it seems difffcult'^to' realise that seven years ago the Kaiser Wilhelm, of 14^349 tons, was the i " big-pest merchant steamer in existence. Things have advanced a good deal since then, and no one can say with certainty that such steamers as the Baltic and the Amerika at all represent finality. — Lloyd's Shipping Gazette.

The following vessels arrived at this port during the seven days ended September 3: — Hinemoa, s.s., 282 tons; Invereargill, s.s., 123;" Waikare, s.s., 1901; Koonya, s.s., 663; Rose Casey, s.s., 81; Essex, 4481; Tarawera, s.s., 1269; Sir Henry, schooner, 94; Pukaki, s.s., 917; Monowai, s.s., 2137; Kini, s.s., 7,02; 2Jealanctia, s.s., 1735; Invercargill, s.s., 123; Storm, s.s., 185;— total, 14,593 tons. The departures were: — Mamari, s.s., 4366 tons; Invercargill, s.b.. 123; Hinemoa, s.s., 282; Moana, s.s., 2414; Koonya. s.s., 663; Orellana, s.s.. 866 tons ; Waikare, s.s., 2137; Rose Casey, s.s., 81;— total, 14,102 tons.

Arrangements were recently made Tor the carriage of no fewer than 279.000 cases of refined petroleum from Philadelnhia to Japan in the steamer British Monarch, chartered for the purpose by the Standard Oil Company. This is said to be the largest cargo of case oil ever shipped in onq vessel. The Pathfinder, a new warship of the Scout class, was launched in July from the works of Messrs Campbell, Laird, and Co.. at Birfcenh^ad, at an estimated cost of £278,800. She has a displacement of 3000 tons, and a speed of 25 knots an hour. Her armament consists of 10 12-pounders and eight 3-pounders. a very powerful one for a vessel of her class.

Passenger arrivals at New York from. Europe during June numbered 13,762 cabin and 81,033 steerage, and f\-om ports other than European 3055 pa-f-seogers. This made

total arrivals from foreign ports in the six ] months ended June 30 78,587 cabin and i 452,389 steerage. 1

The New Zealand and South African liner Essex, from West Coast of England ports, via Australia and northern ports of New Zealand, arrived on Thursday, and was berthed at Port Chalmers. The Essex, which comes into port in fine order, brings about 800 tons of cargo for this port, while 6he will load a quantity of cargo here for South Africa.

The Tysor line steamer Star of Australia loaded at Lyttelton 12,862 sacks of wheat, 2000 sacks of oats, and 200 sacks of peas for London. She will complete loading at the Bluff, and is to sail to-day for London

An interesting plot of earth, appropriately called "All Nations" Reserve, lies close to the Williamstown railway pier. It is composed of some thousands of tons of soil brought from various parts of the world by vessels in the form of ballast, and upon being landed was flecently trimmed where it now stands. Soutn Africa, America, New Zealand, ancl other countries are represented in the vast accumulation of earth, which is now covered with an excellent crop of wheat, the result of innumerable stray seeds of grain blown across its surface from tho ■adjoining wheat sheds or the piers. Two new " red-funnel " steamers are due at Dunedin this week. Tho Arahura arrives from Albany on Thursday, and the Wairuna from Newcastle on Friday next. " A new steamer called the Port Chalmers was launched on July 8 by R. and W. Hawthorn, Leslie, and Co., of Hebburn, for the Anglo-Australian Steam Navigation Company. She is 393 ft long, 49ft broa-d, and has a depth of 28^ffc.