DOMINION SHIPPING.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18410, 17 June 1925, Page 9

DOMINION SHIPPING.

HOW VESSELS DISAPPEAR. MANY WITHDRAWN AND SCRAPPED. Tho number of steamers trading in Dominion waters which aro withdrawn from time to timo and laid up, some to bo consigned to the scrap heap, others to await an opening that might of mir;ht not como to them; of those vessels which aro transferred to trades that do not take them again into Dominion waters, and of those which aro wrecked, is larger than one would imagine unless one's attention wero directed to the matter. Many of these steamers have had art interesting and often chequered career, and arc prominently connected with, the marine history of New Zealand. Enquiries made by a correspondent caused a representative of "Tho Press" yesterday to gather a few particulars concerning the whereabouts of a number of vessels the correspondent was interested in, and the following story is the result: — The Itotomahana, which for many years was the "show" ship of the Union Steam Ship Co., wero built in 1879 by Messrs W. Denny Bros, at Dumbarton, Scotland. She was a vessel of 1771 tons gross register and had tho distinction of being the first mild-steel steamer constructed. She was clipper-bowed and was a very consistent steamer, cutting out tho trip regularly between Lyttelton and Wellington within twelve hours, and had done it in ten and a-balf hours. Tho Rotomahana was at ono time tho favourite steamer in the intercolonial service, whore she first ran after being taken delivery of by tho Union Co. Subsequently she ran between Lyttelton and Wellington and was in fact the forerunner of the present ferry service between tho North and South Islands. About tho year 1903 sho was assisted during the summer months by such vessels as the To Anau, and what with the steamers running in tho East Coast and intercolonial services it was possible to maintain a daily connexion botween tho two Islands. Just prior to or about this time the through oxpress service to Lyttelton was instituted. '■ • For some time after this the interIsland service* was maintained by tho Rotomahana and Mararoa, the Pateona occasionally relieving one ot those vessels when it became necessary to lay up one or the other for overhaul. Subsequently the turbine steamers Maori and Wahine were built for tho ferry service, and it is the fervent wish of the travelling community that'tho day is not far distant, when the Mararoa, which is put on in place of the Maori in the slack season, will be taken off permanently. ThcEotomahoha, was withdrawn from the ferry senvice some, years ago anl for a lengthy period ran between Melbourne and Hobart in conj miction with the turbine steamer Loongana. She ha-s now ended her career so far as the Union Co. is concerned and was sold last month in Melbourne, the intention of the purchasers, it is understood, being to break her up. There are many who will regret to hoar that such a one-time splendid vessel should, like so many others, have had to pass into the hands of the shopbreakers.

Another vessel which gave good service in her time and which was recently sold in Auckland to be broken up is tho Talnne. Then there is the Taviuni, which is meeting a similar fate in Port Chalmers. This steamer, whijeh for some years in the Islands service,, ran ashore near Wcstport. Tho Tarawora, which will bo romembered by numbers of people for her siren, with 'wJuch she was equipped for the entertainment of tourists by sounding it in tho*West Coast Sounds to call up echoes, is at present being dismantled at Port • Chalmers.

At the same port, is the Pateena, the speedy little high-powered steamer which"used to run from Nelson,to Wellington and occasionally assisted in tho ferry service, and she is to go the way of the others. The Mokoia, Paloona, Monowai and Moana are laid up a.t Port Chalmers, and it was expected "that the Takapnna would be towed out to sea from Wellington yesterday and sunk. Tho Waikare was wrecked in Dusky Sound some years ago. The Manuka has been laid up at Wellington for some weeks, the incident of tho firemen and their demand for ham and eggs being so recent as to require no further reference to it. The. Willochra, which ran for some time in the intercolonial service, being chartered by tho Union Co. from her owners, the Adolaide Steam Ship Co., was used as a transport during the war. She was subsequently sold to the Bermuda and West Indies Steam Ship Co. andis now trading to Island ports, together with her sister ship, the Fort »t. George (ex Wandilla). The old Huddart-Parker steamer Victoria, which not so long ago was well known in the East Coast and intercolonial services, was sold to Chinese buyers and! is understood to bo at present trading in Chinese waters. The old Zealandia is now the Paloona, but there Is a new Zealandia, a much larger vessel, which is engaged in the servico between Sydney and West Australia. The steamer Westralia, another vessel which was once a familiar craft in East Coast ports, is engaged in running between Sydney and Hobavt. i Two Huddart-Parker ivesesls which will never be seen again aro the Wimmera and the Tasmania. The tormer went down as a result of striking a German mine off tho north of Auckland during the period of the Great War, and the Tasmania was lost many years ago by being wrecked on Mania Peninsula while en route from Gisborne to southern ports.

unablo to attend through illness, said that he was in sympathy with Mr Hall in regard to. that gentleman's remarks concerning the necessity for co-opera-tion between the Chamber of Commerce and farmers. He hoped that the future would see a closer co-operation between thoso engaged in primary and secondary industries and the Chamber of Commerce.

Items wero given during the evening by the Christchurch Lyric Four (Messrs J. S. Morgan, H. Blakeley, K. More, and E. J. Johnson), Mr F. C. Pcnfold, Mr H. Blakeley, and Mr A. Dey.