WAIMEA IN PORT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 296, 15 December 1936, Page 6

WAIMEA IN PORT

WELL-KNOWN COASTER DRESSES WITH BUNTING FIRST MSIT SINCE 192 J Dressed with bunting fore and ail * all yesterc.ay, in honour oi King I George vi. and his accession to the I Throne, the Anchor Shipping an.i r ounory Company’s well-Known I coastal steamer vVaimea, which arrived late on Sunday nignt irom Wes..port, is visiting Wanganui lor the first ■ time since 1920. She Drought 260 tons of coal, all ol whicn will be discharged at the Gas Wharf, wnere she is now moored. 'fen years and more have elapsed since tnose days when the Waimea was a constant visitor to me ron ol Wanganui, and during her aosence she nas mane many trips on me East Coast. nuilt in Glasgow 2o years ago icc her present owners, tne Waimea is a siuruy snip, recognised as being a gouu sea uoat. tier mouse is supplied by a set of twin, steam reciprocating engines, and like an me rkucnor company s vessels sne is fitted witn twin screws. Foi.owing her last visit to Vvanganui tne Waimea was engaged lor ten years in tne Union Company s Auckianu-Easi Coast cargo service, but on February 3 last, sne was again taxen over oy ! Ihe Ancnor Company. .Since that dale the vessel has been concentrated in the timber trade between Greymoutn and Waikato, with occasional variations, while sne conveyed coai from West Coast mines to i\cw Zealand ports. Of tons gross register, the Waimea was designed ana built lor conditions on tne New Zealand coast, and is particularly suitable lor coat and limoer cargoes. She belongs to a lleet of Ancnor vessels well Known in Vvanganui, and her arrival on Sunday recalled tnose days when much coa> was in demand and the ships of the •’white runnel” Line were more frequently visitors. The use of e.ectricity has taken away a good deal u. this traae, but judging ny the increasing number ot coal cargoes ar riving, it is now being revived. It is interesting to note that at one stage lour of the Anchor Company s vPbsis were in port at the same time. They were the steamers Rata, Regulus, TitoKi and (Jiepuki. Oi these, two have outlived their period oi usefulness, and have been broken up lor scrap metal. The Regulus trade 1 here lor many years, and the Orepuki called at Wanganui for the last time 12 months ago. The Rata and Titoki still maintain contact between the Vvanganui River and West Coast mines and discharged cargoes here as recently as last week. The Waimea is under the commani of Captain R. Pearson, who has with him the following officers: First, Mr R. Mathieson; second, Mr G. Gertson, chief engineer, Mr W. Blanch; second, Mr D. Ray; third, Mr W. Emms; chief steward, Mr P. Norris. The steamer is expected to complete discharge to-night, when she jails for Greymouth. New Members for Aero Club. The following new active members a ere elected at last night’s meeting )f the committee of the Wanganui *\ero Club: Messrs F. F. Munro, G. Smith, E. H. Earl, R. Holah, W. J. Polson, G. L. Davidson, Moore Hunter, W. Robinson S. R. Penn, G. W. Trillow, P. Karaukia, R. M. Mitchell, and Mrs B. E. Smith. Messrs P. L. Dickson and H. A. Larking were elected as honorary members.