NEW PASSENGER VESSELS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16839, 31 December 1928, Page 5

NEW PASSENGER VESSELS

New Zealanders will be interested to learn the details of the three new motoi passenger vessels/ now being built by John Brown and Co. Ltd., of Clydebank, for the New Zealand Shipping Co. (states the New Zealand News, London). The first of these, the T.S.M.Y. Rangitiki. will sail from Southampton for Wellington on February 15. The second and third ships will make their maiden voyages to New Zealand in Septembei and October of next year.

Captain E. T. Smith, .who has commanded the s.s. Runhine for 14 years, will be in command of the T.S.M.Y. Rangitiki. Tho new ships have accommodation for ICO first, 80 second, and more than 400 third-class passengers. Of 17.500 tom gross register, they are designed to carry 18,000 tons dead-weight of cargo on a maximum draught of 32ft. Each vessel will have a capacity of 425,000 cubic feet for refrigerated cargo and for 150.GDC cubic feel of general cargo. All the rooms in the first and second class wifi be fitted with bedsteads, and hot and cold fresh water will be laid on to each room. Every room will be provided with a wardrobe, dressing table, and chest ot drawers. In the first- class there will be 42 single cabins, and in addition to the general bathrooms there will he 20 pri .vat a 'bathrooms connecting directly with single or double rooms. There will be. two special suites, each consisting of a double bedroom and sitting room, communicating with a single bedroom. End of these bedrooms will have its own bathroom.

Welin-Mnclachhin gravity boat davits will be fitted, and every boat will be equipped with Fleming’s patent level gear, obviating the use of oars. Although, driven by motor engines, the new vessels will have two tunnels. They will have two masts, three passenger decks snperconstructed amidships, and a raised uoop dr-jk above the cruiser stern. The large public rooms in the first class will include a lounge, a- smoking room, adrawing room, and a verandah cafe open ing on to the games and dancing deck.; Parquet flooring will be provided in the lounge for dancing during tool weather, and there will be a children’s room. A 1 passenger lift will serve ail first-class decks. -The design of the decorations in. tlie three ships will be varied. The sec-ond-class . accommodation will include a lounge, ladies’ room, smoking room and 1

verandah cafe, and in the third clas> there will !.e a, lounge, ladies' ronjii,; smoking room and nursery. The overall ‘length of the ships will be 552 f(, with a moulded beam of 70ft. The propelling machinery will consist of twin reversible single-acting two-stroke livecylinder Diesel engines of (be Brown Suizer type, giving 10,000 b.li.p. at 90 revolutions, to drive the. ship at 15 knots. Special regard lias been paid to the facilities for rapid handling of cargo, and 24 winches, electrically driven, will he installed in each vessel, serving seven large hat-lies. Derricks will be provided for dealing with heavy lifts.