TWENTY-FIRST LINER.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 16823, 23 August 1920, Page 3

TWENTY-FIRST LINER.

OTAEAMA FROM NEWCASTLE. QOAL WAS NOT AVAILABLE. The New Zealand Shipping Company’s liner Otarama arrived off New Plymouth from Newcastle late on Saturday night. Captain Waller, harbourmaster, and Dr. Wade, port health officer, boarded the vessel early on Sunday morning. She was given a clean bill of health and immediately proceeded to her berth.

The Otarama was drawing 21 feet of water, but berthed at low-water. She is the twenty-first liner to visit the port. Formerly known as the Ajana, a familiar troopship, the Otarama was purchased fScently by the New Zealand Siiipping Company, which renamed her. She is of the shelter deck type and was built by Messrs. Russell and Co. (Port Glasgow) in 1912. She is a vessel of 7759 tons, her length is 470 feet and her breadth 60 feet.

Captain A. L. Hughes is in command and has with him the following officers: Mr. A. M‘Lachlan, i chief officer; Mr. A. Smith, second;" Mr. J. Mitchell, third; Mr. J. R. Tennant, fourth; Messrs. T. F. Standen and F.' L. Shields, wireless operators. Mr. H. A. Findlay, chief engineer; Mr. J. Robertson, second; Mr. J. Menehan, third; Mr. A. Walker, fourth; Mr. S. Jones, fifth; Mr. J. A. Dick, sixth; Mr. A. Pottie, chief refrigerating engineer; Mr. W. G. Bingham, second; Mr. R. J. Raglers, electrician; Mr. C. Martin, chief steward.

The Otarama came to New Plymouth direct from Newcastle, and it was hoped that she. would be able to bring a full cargo of coal for New Zealand. This could not be arranged, however, the vessel only being able to procure 3000 tons of bunker coal, which will be sufficient to take her to Colon on the journey to England. She left Newcastle at 7 a.m. on Tuesday last. The voyage was without incident, though a stiff easterly wind was encountered all tho way. « The Otarama will - load 471 boxes of butter, 28,000 carcases of mutton, 7000 quarters of beef, 900 cases of tinned meat, 200 casks of tallow and 1300 bales of wool (the wool being from Waitara). It is expected she will complete loading operations up New Plymouth towards the end of tho week, when she will load meat, etc., in the Waitara roadstead, afterwards proceeding to Wellington. The vessel was a source of much interest to tho large number of visitors to the port on Sunday.