A FINE NEW STEAMER.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 409, 19 January 1909, Page 8

A FINE NEW STEAMER.

THE S.S. OTAKI AT AUCKLAND. (BT TELEGEAPB.'—SI'ECUt. COimESPONDENT.I '-■■ ■'■'■:.■■■! .•■"■' ■■"■•■ Auckland, January 18.- ■■ ( A fine addition to the New Zealand Shipping; , Company's licet in the 6.8. Olaki aTrived in Auck-; land yeatorday morning, ;on her niaiden voyage out from Liverpool. The Otoki is a triple-screw steamer, two wing propellers being driven by, duplicate sets of reciprocating triple-expansion. .' engines, which exhaust into a low pressure steamturbine, and provide the power for driving; a central Bcrew. In connection with tho trials of the vessel,' the owners were able to .draw a convincing comparison between the performance.of the Otaluand those of two of their earlier ships, the Orari'and,the Opawa, under exactly similar conditions, the average mean speed of the Otaki . on trial being 15.02 knotß, and of the Orari and Opawa 14.6/ The hulls of the three' vessels, each of which is about 7200 tons gross, aro : absolutely identical. The only .difference is/that the new. ship, the Otaki, has, in addition to duplicate sets of reciprocating engines, a turbine'to drive'a third screw. Hence tho.effect of the low pressure steam turbine was to .give, the Otaki.at least ;a; half-knot extra in the' matter, of speed, while it' ..ensured; .a substantially diminished coal. consumption. The actual-figures in regard to this, point have.'yet'to"be worked out, but there ie .'reason, to'think , , that the combinations of engines' which th'e'.'.nbw- steamer embodies may result in a ; ..saying of, fuel'to the .extent of something like 10 percent; ■ The:Otaki-is the.flret vessel fitted with :a- steam turbine to.engage in round-the-globe service. She is>intended for puroly cargo-carrying purposes, arid'has'been built with this end..in view, haying only accommodation for the officers :and, crew, and four saloon passengers. The. steamer on the voyage buh averaged lit knots It is Quite probable, however, that on the voyage down tho New Zealand coast she will be driven at a greater speed. ■• ■■.-•■"- -. r. ,