THE S.S. BRUCE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 2039, 19 September 1874, Page 2

THE S.S. BRUCE.

The s.B. Bru ;e, the latest addition to out coistal steam fleet, Captain M'Farlane, arrived in harbour yesterday, at 1.30 p.ni , from Dunedin, via intermediate ports. The captain reports that he left Port Chalmers, at 9.-1 D a.m., on Wednesday, and arrived at Timaru, at 7 p.m.,. the same day; left again, at 5.30 a.m., on Thursday, and ariived at Akavoa, at 7 a.m., yesterday ; left again, at 8-15 a.m., ana arrived as above; hpd fiio weather all the passage. The Bruce sails on her return trip on Sunday. The followir-g descrintion of the vessel is from the Otago Daily Times o£ Auj. 19 :— The Bmce is a handsome substantial, and remarkably wellfinished vessel, and quite fulfils the expectation raised b 7 the description of her sent out from Britain. She is built of iron,and is heavily plated, and is fitted with all the latest and most approved, appliances used in the consti action of modern steamers, and is, without question, a most decided acquisition to the local steam fleet of DunetUn. She is a commodious and staunch passenger ard cargo Bteamer of great carrying capacity, full power, and first-class accommodation. She has a poop and top-gallant forecastle, the former being sif t Ion?, covering in a roomy cuddy, that comprises the saloon accommodation. The latter consists of a main saloon, 40ft long by 22ft wide, a ladies' cabin, 14ft by lift, and the pintry and other offices. The inn.in saloon is beautifully finished, and furnished in crimson velvet-covered .settees, lockers with mirrors, and highly polished swing trays, tables, &o. It has room for 41 passengers. The ladies'" cabin is perfect of its kind, and, as in the case of the main saloon, the side seats can, by a simple contrivance, be converted into comfortable sleepingberths. The table is of truly dri'jinal construction, being a combination of the properties of a diningtable and washstand, and is no brUt to completely hide the ulterior purpose it can be put to.. The ladies' cabiu has accommodation for 11 passengers. The main saloon accommodation is also supplemented by a house on the poop, termed the smoking room, but which can be used for ordinary passenger purposes, and is roomy enough to accommodate six. The fore cabin accommodation is also good — 18 passengers can be berthed there. In every other respect the Bruce approaches perfection. She is fitted with a compound engine of CD horse-power-nominal, built by Stevenson and Sons, of Glasgow. The diameter of the low pressare cyliiider is 37 inches, and that of the i'^h. pressure cylinders is. 23 inches, length, of stroke 3 feet.. Steam is supplied by one. large boiler, having three' furnace 3; and there is also a donkey boiler to feed theßteam winches. There is a pecuUar feature in the'eonstructionof the ensinas— the connection between the main, shaf b and the pistons beinj on the grasshopper principle, so termed, but is not to be confounded with the plan of the old 1 grasshopper engines. The steamer has two steam winajes — one at the main hatch,, the, other at the fore ; and her windlass — a most compact and strong piece of mechanism— one of Baxter's patents, can also, be worked by steam by the aid o* a messenger.. There is also a fine' roomy galley, and very comfortable officers* quarters. We can honestly congratulate the Harbour Steam Company upon this latest addition to its fleet, and sincerely hope that very much prosperity will attend the handsome ßruce'a, career, .Her dimensions are.: — length over all, 180 f t; beam, 22!fc ; depth of hold, 10ft 6in; and she registers 20 i tors. The Buce made the passage from Glasgow under canvas. She was- lightly rigged as a barque, and this lightness of rig, combined with her heavy draught— for she is deeply laden with general cargo— to doubt was conducive to the long passage she made. She also had to contend with a great deal of light weather, and had miserable Trade winds, espeoi&Hy to the north of the Line. She was, however, fox junate in being favoured by moderate weather.

The following information regarc'-Tg ships loading, cleared and sailed for Canterbury, is trom the European Mail of July 28 : — Duke of Edinburgh, at London, sailed July 18; E. P. Bouverie, 997, at London July 25 ; Endymion, 759, at London, sailed July 4; Elizabeth Graham, 593, at London, sailed July 16 ; Pleiades/ 1304^ at London July 20 ; Waitara,---833, at London July 15. Additional inteFvjence^— Duke of Edinburgh, for Canterbury, passed W c! St Catherine's Point July 20, oS Torbay July 22, and landed pilot; Elizabeth Graham, for Canterbury, passed Deal July 16, 62 St Catherine's Point July 17 ; Endymion, for Canterbury, passed Deal July 5. Passengers per Messrs Shaw, SaviU& Co's Elizabeth Graham, from London, July 15 —For Canterbury : Second cabin — Joseph Cox and J. C. Duncan. Steerage — Thos. Poole, Caroline Poole, Francis E. Barnes, ' John Bateman, Alfred Mitchel'., Grace MiUshell, Alfred T. Mitcl-el 1 , "William A. Mitcheß E)i3a Davis, William Fry, Sarah Ann Fry, and Jeremiah Amos. Passengers perN. Z. S. Co's Dolce of Edinburgh, from London, July lfi-^Eor Canterbury : Cabin— Mr Eobt. D'Oyley, Mr and Mrs Ernest, A. Brown, Mrs Eeynolds, Messrs Frank aud Net II G. Barrett, and 276 steerage. Pascen^ers^per N.-Z. S. Co's Endjmion, from London, July 2— For Canterbury : Cabin— Eichard Hirston/Maiie Allen and child, Thos. Pearson, "Win. Txumble and wife, and Reginald C. Martell. Second cabin— Jno. Munns and wife, Louisa Dilomey, Wm, Sidstone)