LAUNCH OF A WHITE STAR LINER.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 5019, 22 March 1883, Page 2

LAUNCH OF A WHITE STAR LINER.

The following description of the lonic, one of the steamers chartered by the New Zealand Shipping Company for the direct steam service, w taken from the Belfast Weekly News. The lonic will follow the British Queen, sailing from London in April : — The lonic was successfully launched from the shipbuilding yard of Messrs Harland and Wolff, Queen's Island, on the 13th January, 1883. The new steamer is the first of an order {or new vessels which the extensive firm of shipbuilders have on hand,- as the Doric will le*ve the stocks in the coming month. The general appearance of the lonic embraces all the symmetrical characteristics of the well-known vessels of the line, having » graceful, yacht-like hull, with ample beam, four masts, square-rigged on three, thus providing effective nail power, in the event of any breakdown of the machinery, fully equal to that of a first-class sailing ship. Like her sisters, the Brittanic and Getmanic, she has turtle backs both forward and aft, which form an excel- j lent shelter in wet and stormy weather for the steerage passengers. The Captain s cabin is immediately adjoining the wheel- , house and bridge, so that he is, practically speaking, always at his post of duty. The officers are quartered by themselves in a deck-hpuae on the upper deck forward, convenient to their work and quite apart from the passengers, so that there is nothing to interfere with their needful rest or the efficient execution of their responsible dutieß. The /steerage accomodation is in three sections, approached by separate entrances, and provided with separate lavatories, with an ample water supply, kept in constant circulation by, a pulsometer pump. Ifte single men are .all quartered in the main and lower decks forward, and between them and the married people there is the saloon accomodation and engine space. The single %omen are still further aft, and have their quarters entirely to themselves ; and, as they will be in charge of experienced matrons and a fully qualified surgeon, they will be thoroughly well cared for in every respect. A hospital replete with every requirement is provided for each section, and two on deck for infectious cases. The steerage is provided with a pantry, from which , • the , passengers can be supplied with * tea and coffee made on the same principle as in the saloon; and for the women . who prefer to make their own tea tliere'is an ample supply of teapots and hot water : nor will the invalid and seasick passengers be lost sight of, the rule of the company being to provide them freely with '" beef tea! chicken broth, and arrowroot. The whole upper deck, fore and aft, forms a splendid promenade for the steerage passengers, the saloon passengers having a special .separate deck above this again. Theaccom- ) < modation for saloon passengers will be of the J most unique and perfect description. It is ' situated amidships, immediately forward of ' ' the engines and boilers, in the quietest and best part of the ship; The saloon,or duungjroonvis approached by a very handsome entrance hall from the upper deck, panelled with walnut and maple, and from it there is access to the saloon deck,already alluded to, by an easy double staircase, with bronze and mahogany balusfarading. The saloon is beautifully "and artistically decorated, and will form *■ most charming apartment. When complete the panelling will have the appearance of embossed leather, and the relievos will be delicately and harmoniously colored so as to give a most novel and pleasing impression; The sofas at the side will be upholstered in 11 subdued shade of rich velvet, luxuriously comfortable. The ladies' cabin and the smoking-room are on the saloon deck, and will be models of artistic decoration and furnishing. The sleeping cabins will be on the main deck— large, airy, perfectly ventilated, and lightly and elegantly furnished. Four bathrooms and lavatories, beautifully arranged, will be provided for the convenience of saloon passengers ; and in this respect the . lonic will fairly claim to be unequalled either on land or sea. The ship is intended to be illuminated throughout by a system of electric lighting. Improvements in this respect have been effected, so that the light will be exceedingly soft and steady. TJie lonic ia divided into eight watertight compartments, any of which might be penetrated without seriously imperilling the vessels safety ; and it will be truly said that no vessel afloat will excel her in efficiency and perfection of arrangements in this respect. The bulkhead watertight doors are so much approved of that they are being adopted in Her Majesty's navy as something infinitely superior to the old system of bulkhead openings. The provisions against fire are most complete, and an outbreak m any section of the ship can at once be brought into subjection throucjh the agency of both steam and water. The life-saving appliances are also of the most approved order. Two large life rafts are stowed on the deck-house forward, ready for immediate use, and eight large lifeboats hang in their davits, with fittings complete and ready - for service on the shortest notice. The lonic is bnilt of mild steel, the ductile qualities of which insure the maximum of strength and durability. Her dimensions are — Length, 440 f t; breadth, 44ft ; depth, 32ft ; and the gross register tonnage, 4700 tons. She has , .two double-cylindered engines of 500 horse- . power, also built by Messrs Harland and Wolff, the steam for which iB supplied from three elliptical boilers, working at an initial pressure of 901 bto the square inch, but tested by the Board of Trade to double that pressure, and capable of bearing even much greater pressure than the maximum official requirement. The crank shafts are of steel, and so constructed that the risk of a breakdown is rendered a remote contingency, the more so as the engines are two distinct and complete machines, capable of being disconnected and worked separately at a reduced speed. The is steered amidships by steam, and has, in addition to the improved ordinary compasses and sounding appliances, Sir William Thompson's patent compasses and sounding machine. Special precautions have been taken for an effective look-out, a bridge forward being provided for the men engaged in that important duty.

As to the light thrown on the cause of the foundering of the Austral by the condition of the steamer when raised the Argus says : " When she was first grounded in her present position she had a considerable list to starboard. The list, which caused the vessel to founder, was owing to the excessive weight of the coals on one side, but this has been remedied by the coal-trimmers, and the vessel now stands upright. There is no inlet of water from any part of the hull, so that there can be no foundation for the theory that the sea-cocks had been left open and thus let in the flood of water which caused the ship to founder."

Ladies, do yon know that you can get boots for yourself and family at half-price at the Rutland Hotel SampleJßoome, Ridgway Street.— Advt.