PORT OF TIMARU.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 13015, 30 June 1906, Page 7

PORT OF TIMARU.

A RED-LETTER DAY. ARRIVAL OF S.S. ATHENIC. An interesting event in the history of the Timaru harbour occurred yesterday, in the. first visit of the White Star steamer Athenic to the port, the sue of the boatabout half as large again as any previous visitor, miking her arrival an event marking a distinct advance in the acknowledgement by shipowners of the progressive improvement of the port, and as was frequently said during the day, it made a red fetter day in the Harbour-Board's diary of the year. The Athenic arrived, in the roadstead very early in the morning from Lyttslton, sod waited for daylight and high tide to eater. A few people who were aware that the big steamer was to enter the port in the early morning made their way to. the end of the old breakwater to watch her enter, and an early riser among the photographers was among them. The steamer came along smoothly and majestically, apparently lazily, yet at a good pace towards the entrance, just as the sun was rising. As she passed through the moles the twin screws were set going full speed astern to stop her way, and it was observed that this action stirred up the mad of. .the bottom very much. A Ime was taken as usual to the buoy in the middle of the harbour, and on this, with a screw to,help, the big steamer swung slowly round, making a fine picture as she filled up_a beg space in the sunlight on the harbour. The swinging of the vessel was so well done that she came almost evenly fcroadstfejwMo takmg- the first'bump on a roller ' very-'easily/when "the how..was onry a sew feet off it. It then became a matter of- time only to get her securely:tied up. The entrance, and tying up were facilitated by perfectly calm weather and smooth sea. The Athenic,. look, and Corinthic, all practically the same tonnage, are the largest boats trading to New Zealand, if not to Australasia. The Athenic is. a little over 560. feet long, or about 20 feet longer than any visitor, her ; beam is 63 feet and depth 49 feet. In comparing her aspect with one's memories of'other large boat* in port, it is her height out of the water that is the/most striking feature about the Athenic •' '- She came in Hgfat, drawing only 19 feet or 19J ,feet, ■ and that left her 30 feet of high broadside above water, and above that towered a two-storey deck" bouse amidships; •■ -A long line of port holes below the upper deck line was also suggestive of the pessenger steamers. She has accommodation for 430 passengers, and all the appointments are of the most up-to-date description.

The vessel was thrown open to the pubBe daring the day, large numbers visited her, and were much pleased with what they saw of the excellent passenger accom- ' asodatkn, and a. common note of admiration was founded on the contrast ■between staaumt that-used to be thought mg ones for Thnaru, and the 'present record visitor. At2pan. the Harbour Board entertained Cmptam Kemptan t .and officers of the Athenic, and a number of business people of the town, in the Board room, m honoar ef the berthing of the big steameMn fort. Inwitatiuna had been sent to leading commercial men and a numerous company-ks-ssmhjitl, quite testing the capacity nf the roonv. A "few apologies .;were read fiom. otlwn the Mayor) who mere unable to attend. v After the toast of the Bang, cfcwfc man, Mr J. Fraser, proposed the Ltal& ef Captain Kempson the. Shaw, Ba-. vSI and Albion Company. Mr Fraser briefly explained that hebad to be present to do honour to an evemV thatassirixJ to he poiated out the contrast between the'Vae- :' eel then beside the Mam wharf aad the sort of steamer the harbouxf was Jmt dessgned for, the former teaYtsmet the- aiae «f the latter, and also passed eeft~ the* campaay having made moulrM'aml \aifcnW' fed tbeasetres that the Athene wuld: enfdy came to Thnaru. The Board 'had~ been thirty yean *iiif bringing the harbour to its present condition, and that day it might be said that they had reached the geel ef flair ambit ion, aa they had new berthed «aa of Aa largest class of vessels . trading; to the colesy.—Tie toast wandery' fcaaoaied. Captain Kaamaaa acknowledged the comajanent Taaaru and the Harbour Board eat the progress madVin the foraiiatiasi, of a good harbour. .Ha. ventured to; our a few suggestions for farther siuwieamt:—(l) That-the entraawe should be made 50 or 100 feet wider

—theft wm-met, meeh tocom and go on - with a Ana of 63 fact bom ia the prs-asnl.wniaain-fa) an hmprovsd ~%hfc.at Jack** Fust, bat that, be m told, nt oa the-way ; (3) thai in of a handy ■ere*?* tag. His ntncdtn were that Timera powaml a tog, sad that lie was to make we of it. H they bad a tag [taey»€asea\, ilmbsjim- with the taming baoy la the middfe oC the kejfear,. and tan msief;. (4|, a,nsapor. :char* ofrThnara wag! greatly nMrtad. laa only chart araflabfe now,.waa an quid coaataf chart.on which Tiamewanmarked as a-jananplace' andja- **£!« oH Ho charts a^iya^lbytta tbo latter sboald be aatisj —liwr;;; SCassaiaJEsarosgasaid Ae U"~ ai?riaflnl :y "i^ B **•*"•* **• CaaaBBaBBBBBWIaasIaBBBBBaBBaII waaßßaaasaal ' a> - - **■ ■ a^bm US 1M Cflemn*'' prosed the toenmeWand in doing so gare sit aig issaaie of the* bisffalfitßJlS *-***» **"• dßr-*€-W or so. *•""■ and W. tndMrD. C- TWSKBIIjr ablpfiujjr * <.-)§> EVans gare a aketea'ofHfe-hatery if'harbour tkegrowthrf Pjodsetamj .If, Baxter witfcrthf growth •f tba frosen meat trade, sad Mr Tnn>boll ■ name hamuiies rasvb asked for a

redaction of shipping charge*. ■- Mr J.'P. Newman proposed the Harbour Board, complimenting that body upon iu sncceasfal efforts to make and improTe the harbour, and \upon their proposal to !go further in thai direction by making a wharf on the north mole. He also referred with approval to the redaction of the charge on mutton, and hoped the concession would be extended to grain. Finair/ he complimented the Board on having available the services of so competent a harbourmaster as Captain darkson. Mr Fraser, in his reply, said' that the energy which had been applied in the past would no doubt be continued in the future, progress being the watchword of the Board. So much money had been spent on the harbour that it could never be allowed to fall back or be neglected. They were now getting built a first class dredge, and when it got to work it would in a few years make the harbour fit for a much larger vessel than the Athenic The resources of the district were being more and more-developed, and the port must develop with them, and the improvement of the port would react to some extent upon production. He hoped to live to see a second wall run out from Dashing Bocks, endowing a. square mfle of water, and an inner harbour like a dock. As for .the charges,, they Aad to run in the half-way channel between the shippers and the ratepayers, and try to keep them both fairly well satisfied . In conclusion the health of the Harbourmaster was proposed and this was very cordially received.