S.S. HIMITANGI CHANGES HANDS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1126, 13 May 1911, Page 7

S.S. HIMITANGI CHANGES HANDS.

WELLINGTON-CHATHAM ISLANDS TRADE.

For three, or four days have been preceding between tto CtaUiain Islands Fishing Co. a»d Mesers. WUU ana Co in rcord to the nurchasp of the wei.known c°"X\ steamer HimitaW by J* former firm. Yesterday a final Mttwet was arrived at, and the vessel clumeed hands at a. price not yet disclosed. For soiuo time past the Chatham islands Fishing 00. have been employing the New Zealand Trawling and Fish Supply Co;'s tvawler. Nora Nivcn, for the carriage of fish from Owcnea, Chatham Islands, to Wellington, and now the, •H.mitangi. is to be. employed in tho trade. It is the intention of her new owners to put refrigerating machinery mto the vessel, nnd insulate ono of tho holds. In addition, it is proposed to carry passengers and maintain a regular service between tho Islands and Wellington. No doubt theso arrangements will bo.Rreatly. appreciated by rtsidcßts at the Chathama for, siuco tho mail contract was cancelled, no passenger steamer has been running down there, and, consecuently, much inconvenience has been occasioned. lirst of all, Messrs. ltichardson and Co. took up the running from Lyttolton with tho Fteamcr Toroa; then camo the Canterbury Steamship Co. with the Breeze, and now the new service is to be commenced, with Wellington as tho tormina! port.

The Himitangi is a steel screw steamer. 136 ft. loner, with a beam 24ft. and a draught of 9ft. She was built at l'afcley, Scotland, by -Messrs. J. Fullerton and Co., in 1899, for Messrs. Levin aud Co., Wellington. She. was engined by Messrs. Jluir and Houston, of Glasgow. Tlio vowel has been emnloyed in tho coastal trade, more particularly on the West Coast between Fojrton, Wangamii, WcetnoTt, Greymoutli. and Wellington. A set of foreign-goinc articles are prepared for the vessel, nnd being signed at present by, members of her, crew.-' ,-..'

. A notice appears in this issue intimating that all claims and accounts against tho steamer Bricz Izcl must he rendered to the Vacuum Oil Co. by noon to-day, otherwise they will not be recognised.

S.S. Mangapasa is to sail for Westport and Karamca on Holiday, at 5 p.m.

The New Zealand Shipping Company's Waimate is due to leave Montreal on Monday. Tho vessel will call on her voyage out at Australian ports, and will thenco proceed to Auckland, which is her llrst port of call in the Dominion.

On Wednesday next the training ship Dartford is expected to leave Newcastle for San Francisco.

The Sydney Shipping List, of April 25, says:—"There is at present on exhibition at the Koyal Exchange a new invention known as the Porters' compound steering gear. Naturally amongst tho shipping fraternity it.has attracted much attention, and it' tests which it is to be put to next week are successful, the inventor claims'a'great'future for it. The inventor, who is present, and gives demonstrations of the model, claims that by its use there is an increase of 300 per cent, of holding power in the rudder, greater speed of reHponso, that the whole of the bending stress is taken off the rudder-head in consoeiitenco of the rope-wheel working on the bearingst and the power* being in tho balance, that in the event of the tiller chains breaking the rudder cannot be carried away by a dead nip on the stern post, it being brought up at an ancle of 42 degrees; and, further, tho simplicity of the construction adds greatly to its value." It is reported that the K.M.S. Aornngl will bo docked at Lytlelton on Tuesday, nnd return to Wellington the following day. On May 19 blio leaves for Sydney in placo of the Jlokoia. Rosamond, f.s., leaves New Plymouth at noon to-toy for Wellington direct. The vessel omitted tho usual call at Onchung.i this trip. At 9 a.m. yesterday tho Ma.pourika. left Westport for Nelson and Wellington. She should bo in port about 5 o'clock this evening. Mr. J. I). lUchard, second ofllcer of tha Rcrulus, came ashore yesterday. Mr. D. Robertson is relieving him. Besides calling at Waitangi, tho Government steamer Hinemoa calls at Pitt Island, wlnlsl sho ia visiting tho Chathania this trip. The Greymonth Harbour Board's dredge, Mawhora, is to leave Grcymouth to-day for Wellington. She will bo placed on tho Slip on Wednesday for annual overhaul and inspection.