THE MAUNGANUI.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1364, 15 February 1912, Page 4

THE MAUNGANUI.

"AS STEADY AS A ROCK." Among the passengers to arrive here yesterday by (he Union Company's new liner Maungamii was Mr. T. \V. AVhitson, Fccrplnry to the Union S.S. Co., who has liecu absent in Europe For the past year, in company with his wife and dniitrlitrr. Mr. AYliitsbn, who joined the new steamer at Glasgow, and made the entire voyiißft in her, cannot speak too highly of the company's latest acquisition. "'She was born under a lucky star, I am beginning to think." said Mr. Whitson. "For weeks before we left bad weather had prevailed in the Bay of Biscay, and (hero were many wrecks. V\'o expected to get it, too,' but, to our great surprise, tho weather was beautiful'across the. Bay— indeed, all the way out to Australia. For a day or two we had a strong head wind, but 'other than that we had real ijiwd weather. Our worst experience was after lcaviii" Sydney on Saturday night. Wo ran into a gale and heavy sea, but lliu vessel behaved splendidly—as 'steady as a rock.' "The weather was so pleasant mi had cricket matches and sports nearly every day on the fine promenade deck above, and everybody appeared to enjoy themselves thoroughly. We brought out, over not) passengers from Glasgow in all classes-most- of them third-class passengers coining onl lo settle in Australia. During his holiday abroad, Mr. \\ hitson visited France. Belgium. Germany, Switzerland, the Kiviera, and Italy.. j»t«] h,7il a delightful time. He also visited all the big shipping ports in Great Britain, and'inspected several of the great shipbuilding yards, including Harlaml and Wolff's af. Belfast. He states that the shipbuilding industry, which was at a low ebb a couple of years ago, has completely recovered, and there was groat activity ' everywhere. Harland nnd Wolff's put up a record last year, and their orders were complete for this year. The Union Co. was building a l'2,00(l-toii steamer for tho Vancouver trade, and a second edition of the Maori for tho ferry traffic bctwoJii Wellington and Lyttelton. A dominant feature about the Maunpjniii is her airiness—the. ' shiftiness" associated with steamers has been eliminated as much as possible by the dnulieation of portholes in the structural design of the'cabinsi (which provides for a porthole even for inside cabins), and a splendid system of electric fans Mr. AVhitson slates that at no part of the voyage was the heat burdensome. By far the worst experience they had in that regard was whilst they wore in Melbourne. It was scorching hot there-much hotler than when uiey were in the tropic*. On crossing tho Equator. Father Nephino came on board, and had a high old (imc ducking about twenty of those who had never crossed the Line liefore.