SHIPPING NEWS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1623, 28 April 1919, Page 10

SHIPPING NEWS.

UNION COMPANY'S HULK SUNK. The Union Company's coal-hulk. No. 6, sank at her moorings off Shoal Bay, Auckland, early on Monday morning. The hulk, which was fully loaded with 540 tons of coal, was safe when inspected on Sunday afternoon. It is not known how the accident occurred, but it is believed that the rough sea In the harbour during heavy squalls from the south-west was responsible for her sinking. Sh" is covered by about 12ft or water at high tide, when only her masts are showing, and considerable dilll-

culty Will be experienced in floating her. So far, no attempt has been mode to refloat the hulk. On Wednesday some snlvag-1 lug of rigging and material was carried out, but It is understood she will be lifted into I .shallow water by punts, and after the coal j has been discharged she will be pumped out and refloated. | RAPID TRANSPORT SERVICE. U The Mellrourne "Age" states that cabled 1 1 reports during the last few weeks have | ( indicated that the British authorities are,i now beginning to dispatch transports over- 1 seas at an unusually rapid rate, In some |' cases ships leaving at the rate of two or j 1 three a day. This will mean that in the J j verv near future the quarantine authorities . in 'Australia will find themselves com- 3 pellcd to handle vessels arriving from overseas in abnormally rapid succession, each one containing some hundreds of troops, and thus requiring particularly careful inspection. As the aftermath of the war, . quarantine officers ar-j prepared to deal for ' the next vear or two with outbreaks ol . various epidemics, altogether apart from , pneumonic influenza, and already cases ot smallpox and measles have been reported > on incoming ships. The rapid succession < of vessels arriving will throw large de- . niands both on the medical staffs and on the quarantine accommodation, particularly in Western Australia. Already quarantine ; I doctors are being worked in two shifts, and i preparations are being made, wherever possihle to make provision for increased num- , I bcrs ot quarantined passengers. One j i suggestion made was that wooden buildings !, iiow at the disused internment camp site:, near the Federal capital site might be; shipped to the various ports for extra accommodation, but investigation showed that the expense of moving would be too great. Probably it will be necessary in some cases to erect new accommodation at the quarantine stations. UNITED STATES SHIPBUILDING. According to a report emanating from the l'niergency I'leet Corporation, 1/1 shipyards will in the near future be building shins for the United States Government. Seventy-six steel ships, 86 wooden, seven concrete, and two compound. One hundred and thirty-two of the yards nre practically completed, and the remainder have reached the half-way mark. The yards will have a ;