HINEMOA'S FIRST TRIP

Chronicle (Levin), 11 February 1947, Page 7

HINEMOA'S FIRST TRIP

-Press Association

GAY SCENE AT WHARF

^ ,y TeLegrap/i.-

; ■ \v:ELLINGTON, Feb. IU. A. large croivd gathered at the LytLelton ieiTy wliart tonight to farewell iuu nuvv niter-islan,d .steamer express xxiiiomua vvnun sne left Wellihgton on uor nrsi trip to .Lyttelton at 7.5U. The urst* sailing ot tne new stiip aroused 0._ai, puuiic liiterest and nearly 1000 .jmuuK.ors xarewelled her from the xoiry wharf while many people liued ujio L,asiuouine ferry wharf and ,cueen s whai'!. The accoinmodation .. as xuiiy uooYed and the passengers .iuuueu ali tne decks and portholes as 01.e sailed. ' uunting was flown as it was dark uexure tne ii.inpnioa passed through the aoaus, Oue the wharx was a gay sight ,,iuii uiauy coloured streamers. The ground was- covered with confetti as •>ov laal cuupies iiad macie the saiiing oi uiie suip euiuc.de with their weddiug . ^uany large bouquets of flowers v.ore sent to the newly married eouples. .vs tne riiueiuoa iei't the wharf the Nel.juii passuuger steamer Arahura left Queeu s wnarf and followed the Hine,uua down tlie harbour, uiaking au at.ractive sight. ror tlie nrst time for many years rodcapped porters were ou duty at the iurry wliart. in future there will be , u u nieii 011 duty eacli uight to carr_> ^asseiigeis luggage froni laxis to tlu ship. A pubiic atldress syslem has been mstalled 011 the wharf near the gang vvays so that all instructions to passen gers are audible on the wharf. Glup .0 shoie radio telephones were expocteU to Oe in use for ihe lirst time tonigln when the Fostmaster-General (M.r. F Hackett) carried out the lirst test for the post offipe, but the telephones are not expeeted to be in use until next Monday as they are lo be tested on eacli trip this week. , A new system of embarkation an] disembarkatiou for passengers was iu troduced tonight. Now that the Kanga tira and Hinemoa are both being run as one-class ships passengers .will board the vessel by "A" and "B" gangways instead of by lirst and second ciass entrances. Gangway " A " in tlie forward part of the ship will be use 1 by those whose berths number from 1 to 400 while passengers whose berths uumber from 401 upwards will use gangway "B" near the stern of tbo ship. This new system was introducjl to relieve the congestion which has been evident lately at embarkation. Eiubark-ation at Lyttelton will aisi take place in tlie same way. To help passengers fiiul their appropriate gangway with the least difficulty the Railvvavs Department will maUe up a steamer express train from Christchurch for Lyttelton as follows: "A" entrance, six second-class carriages, oue carriage. for women and children, tliree flrst-class carriages and two vans; "B" entrance, the engine, six second-class carriages and three flrst-class carriages.