FIRST VISIT OF DORIC STAR

Southland Times, Issue 23782, 1 April 1939, Page 3

FIRST VISIT OF DORIC STAR

Several Interesting

Features

BIGGEST SINGLE-SCREW VESSEL AFLOAT

The Blue Star Line steamer Doric Star, which completed its loading programme at Bluff yesterday morning and sailed for London direct, is an interesting ship in many respects. Although she is by no means a new vessel, this was the first time she had visited Bluff, as far as is known. One of her interesting features is her unusual length for a vessel of her other dimensions. Of 10,093 tons gross, the Doric Star has an overall length of 550 feet, and a length of 517 feet between perpendiculars, so that she is almost as long a ship as the 17,000-ton motorliner Rangitane (or her sister ships), the length of which, between perpendiculars, is 530 feet. Built at Port Glasgow in 1921, she was reconstructed for the New Zealand trade in 1933. An extra 50 feet was added, and she was fitted wjth, a “Maerform” bow and streamlined rudder, the sharp bows giving her increased speed with the same engines. The Doric Star has a breadth of 64 feet and a net registered tonnage of 6347. A singular feature of the Doric Star is that she is a single-screw oil-driven steamer and she has been described as the biggest single-screw vessel in the world. She is a regular trader to New Zealand, coming by way of South Africa and Australia.

The Doric Star carried a very big and valuable cargo when she left Bluff, including the first shipment of chilled beef to leave Southland for the Home market. She also carries -a fair amount of deck cargo. VITAL STATISTICS A decrease in the number of births, deaths and marriages in Bluff is shown by the vital returns for the month of March, compared with the corresponding period last'year—a decrease which is fully consistent with the quarterly figures. The following are the vital statistics for the month of March and for the quarter, together with the figures for the corresponding periods last year:— MONTH 1939 1938 Births . 2 5 Deaths — 1 Marriages 1 3 QUARTER 1939 1938 Births 13 16 , Deaths 2 4 Marriages 2 5 MOTOR-VEHICLE REGISTRATION More motor-vehicles were registered in Bluff during the quarter this year, compared with the same period in 1938. Five cars and five motor-cycles were registered in the three months of this year, and only two cars and one motor-cycle were registered during the corresponding period last year. Two trailers were registered during the quarter, compared with none for the same period in 1938.