LARGE FERRY STEAMER

Taranaki Daily News, 5 July 1930, Page 11

LARGE FERRY STEAMER

COOK STRAIT SERVICE. UNION COMPANY’S PLANS. It is understood that an official announcement will be made shortly by the Union Steam Ship Company regarding the placing of a contract for the building of a new steamer for the Welling-ton-Lyttelton night express passenger service. It was announced in March that tenders were being called for the construction of the ship. In many respects, it is stated, the new vessel will be far in advance of the Maori and Wahine, or of any steamers engaged in similar trades in other parts of the world. She will be 45ft. longer and more than Bft. wider than the Wahine, and in point of size and tonnage will rank between the Marama and Maunganui. Her length will be the same as that of the Marama, but her breadth will be slightly over 7ft. more, and will actually exceed that of the Makura. . Provision is to be made in the new ship for up-to-date accommodation f,or 105 Q passengers in two classes. There will be special suites and single rooms. A large/ number of single-berth and twoberth rooms, many of the latter being fitted with Pullman berths convertible into one-berth staterooms if required, will be a special feature in the new ship. Although no official announcement is yet forthcoming, it is understood that the vessel will be fitted with steam turbines. These will drive electric generators, which in turn will supply current to motors coupled direct to the propeller shafts. This is a system which has' been adopted with success in several large American liners and in the P. and O; liner Viceroy of India. It is also to be employed in the two new 20,000-ton P. and O. liners now under construction for the Australian trade. The new steamer' will have four propellers. Steam will be generated, in all probability, in oil-fired high-pressure water-tube boilers.