NEW ZEALANDIC

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16622, 14 April 1928, Page 3

NEW ZEALANDIC

! MOTOR CARGO SHIP ADDITIONS TO DOMINION ! FLEETS , j ; During the next few months tho fleets of the Shaw-Savill and Albion Co., the New Zealand Shipping Co., and the Commonwealtb and Dominion Lino, will be increased by eight motor cargo ships, which rank among the largest and fastest ships of their class in the world. Although not the largest, motor cargo ship, the Zealandic, the. latest addition to the fleet of tho SkawSavill and Albion Co., which is now on her maiden voyage to New Zealand, is the highest-powered, vessel of this class afloat. For several other reasons this ship possesses an importance of her own. The Zealandic is the first motor-ship built for the oldest slapping company in the London-New Zealand trade. ' With her three sister-ships, Taranaki, Coptic, and Karamea, which are under construction, she will maintain a fast cargo service between the United Kingdom and the Dominion via the Panama Canal; The four ships are expected to average 15 knots at sea when fully laden. With the exception of two motor ships, Upwcy Grange and Dunster Grange, which have a capacity of 1)57,000 cubic feet of insulated space, the four Shaw-Savill liners will have a larger refrigerated cargo capacity than any other ships afloat. The total tonnage capacity of each ship is about 606,000 cubic feet, of which 404,000 cubic feet is refrigerated space. A GREAT CARGO CARRIER, Tho Zealandic is about 500 ft. in length overall (481 ft. between perpendiculars), with a moulded beam of 64ft. and a depth of 42ft. lOJin., her deadweight carrying capacity being 1.1,100 tons. There arc. six holds, the hatches varying in size from 3,6 ft. 6in. square up to 27ft, 6in. by 16ft. Gin., and they are equipped with 20 electric winches'. The windlass and steering gear are also electrically operated. There are four staterooms for passengers, each with two berths, and a dining saloon and smoke room are situated at the forward end of the bridge deck. The engineers are housed on this deck, each in a separate cabin. THE PROPELLING MACHINERY. The Zealandic. and the Taranaki were built at Neweastlc-on-Tyne by Swan, Hunter, and Wigham Richardson, and the propelling machinery by the Wallsend Slipway and Engineering Co. Tho Zealandic'lias two six-cylinder Diesel engines of the Wallsend-Sulzer singleacting two-stroke type, each designed to develop 3725 brake horse-power at a speed of 115 revolutions per minute. The cylinders are 31 inches in diameter, and tho piston-stroke is 43 inches.! These engines are the largest of tho Sulzcr type hitherto constructed for machine'work, and their combined 7450 horse-power make the Zealandic; the most powerful motor cargo ship in | service. The daily fuel consumption is about 35 tons for all purposes, and the ship has been given large bunker; capacity mainly in deep tanks around the engine room., POWERFUL ELECTRIC GENERATING PLANT. The whole of the auxiliary machinery in the Zealandic is electrically operated, and power is supplied by four four-cycle' single-acting Diesel engines each of 400 horse-power, running at 300 revolutions per minute, and coupled to dynamos of 275 lew. j Each engine has six cylinders, I3fin.. bore, with a piston stroko of 18}ii).,' and during the official ship trials a fuel consumption was recorded- of | 0.3831 b. to 0.3 S. r >lb. per b.h.p. hour. Compressed air for tho main engines is supplied by two compressors each driven bv a "200 b.h.p. motor, • the, capacity'being 400 cubic foot of free air per minute. The refrigerating machinery comprises two horizontal CO2 machines, each having a pair of compressor's driven bv a variable speed electric motor coupled to the crankshaft. Four separate CO2 condensers and four evaporators are installed. For the carriage of fruit or cheese in the 'tween-decks, five Sirocco fans are fitted for circulating cold air. TINY STEAM INSTALLATION.

A specially interesting feature of the ship is the silencer boiler, to which (he exhaust gases from the four auxiliary Diesel engines are delivered. The boi'ler, which represents the only steam plant in the ship, works at a pressure of about 1001 b. per square inch. The boiler is only Bft. 2iri. in height and 3ft. 9in. in diameter, and generates about 10001 b. of steam per hour, assuming that the exhaust gas temperature is°7oo degrees Fahr. So far as the crew is concerned, the ship is very well equipped, and the living accommodation throughout .is heated toy electro-vapor radiators. The engine room staff includes a chief and 10 assistant engineers, three and two refrigerating engineers. The Zealandic, after successful trials left Newcastle-on-Tync on March 30 in ballast for the Dominion, and is expected to arrive at Lyttelton about May 3.. The Taranaki is to leave London on May 15 for Lyttelton, Dunedin, Bluff, and Napier.. _ It is understood that Captain. J. li. Gaskcll, late of the Maimoa, is in. command of the Zealandic, and that Captain G. Williams, late of the Mahia, will command the Taranaki.. Captain A Mcintosh, late of the Km Ora, is in charge of the Mahia, and Captam \ . Kenworthy, late chief ongincqi-of tlj| Mataroa, is in command of ttte ivia Ora. ....... ,-.