THE FERRY SERVICE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1808, 22 July 1913, Page 6

THE FERRY SERVICE.

» ITS DEVELOPMENT. WHAT FIFTY YEARS HAS DONE. ADVENT OF THE WAHINE. Referring to the arrival of the Union CompaD.v's new turbine ferry steamer Waluine the C'liristchurch "Press" lias the following to say on the development of the steamer connection between the North and South Islands:— The first regular communication between Wellington and Lyttelton was established away back in the late 'fifties. Soinewhero about IMS, the tiny schooner Canterbury, of 4a tons register, commanded by Captain Bowden, provided the connecting link, and carried passengers, mails, and cargo between the tw-o ports. Being dependent entirely on the wind, lier trips lacked the regularity of steamship service, but she made some surprisingly good passages. In 1859 communication between the two ports was for the first time established by steamers running up and down the coast. At that time there were twelve small steamers trading along the coast. Five were subsidised by the General Government, and seven by fclie various Provincial Governments.

The First Regular Service, In 186G the New Zoaland Steam Navigation Company entered into a contract with the Government to run. three regular services, namely, (1) Taranaki, Raglan, and Maiiakau; (2) Dunedin, via Lyttelton, Wellington and other East Coast ports to Auckland; and (3) Bluff to Manakau via way ports. This contract marked the inception of the Saturday-night steamer service from Lyttelton to Wellington, The steamers engaged in it were the Wellington, Ladybird, Queen, Phoebe, and Taranaki. The time occupied on tho passage varied from 15 to 18 hours, in fine weather, and the fares charged were: Saloon -63, steerage ,£2. These rates compared very favourably with the fares previously charged for the single fares, as may,be judged from the following advertisement, which appeared in a Wellington paper of March, 1859 CANTERBURY RACES, Excursion Trip. Steam to Lyttelton. "The screw steamship Queen, Captain Wilson, will sail as above on Friday, March 11th. Fare to Lyttelton: Cnbin, £5 55.; steerage, ,£3 10s.; return ticket Lyttelton, £&■, steerage, £b 10s." Ferry Service Inaugurated. From that time up till 189G the passenger trade between Lyttelton and Wellington was solely dependent qn tho intercolonial and coasting steamers running up and down the coart. In 189G the regular "ferry" service was inaugurated by tho steamer Penguin, 824 tons, owned, by the Union Steam Ship Company, and even then thirty-two years old. She left Lyttelton on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday every week, her running being "sandwiched" between tho dates of the intercolonial and coastal steamers' dates. The service thus provided was regarded with great satisfaction, and for a short time proved quite sufficient for all requirements. At times the' Penguin was replaced by the To Anau and tho Rotorua. The trade, however, developed very rapidly, and warranted the putting on of tho then "crack" intercolonial steamer Rotomaliana, 1777 tons, which first entered the ferry service on November 1, 1897. Dnring the slack periods in the passenger trade, tho Kotomahnna was occasionally taken oif for a trip to Sydney, and replaced by tho Penguin. The Rotomahana finally settled down as "tho" ferry steamer, and remained in tho service until the end of 1907. Tho continued development of tho trade and tho requirements of the Tailway systems of both Islands, demanded a daily service, and in October, 1903, tho Mararoa entered tho Wellington-Lyttelton service tis an assistant ferry steamer. , In 1905 she settled down as a permanent ferry steamer. Since then a nightly service, except on Sundays, has been maintained in the! Lyttelton-Wellington trade.

The Maori and the Wahine. The Union Steam Ship. Company, moving with, its usual progressive spirit, and seeing : great possibilities 'in the ferry service, placed an order in 190G for thie building of a specially-designed ferry steamer for the service, and in November, 1907, the fast turbine-driven steamer Maori, the finest and most elaboratelyfitted vessel of her class in the world, took her place in the Lyttelton-Welling-ton trade, and she soon became a firm favourite with the travelling public. The success achieved by the Maori induced the Union Steam Ship Company to take a further step in the development of the ferry ■ sprvice, and, working on the experience gained in tko running of that ship, placed a contract with Messrs. W. Denny and' Brothers, of Dumbarton, for the building of a "big sister," which was named Wahine. The new steamer, which has already been described in The Dominion, arrived at Port Chalmers on June 29, and has since been thoroughly overhauled, cleaned and painted. The Wahine arrived at "Wellington on Sunday, in place of the Maori,which hns sailed for Port Chalmers for an extensive overhaul. Some time next month .the Maori will re-enter the ferry service, anil the old Mararoa will then be withdrawn and put in some other. trade. When the Wahine and the Maori are both running, the Lyttelton-Wellington ferry service will be unequalled in any part of the world for efficiency and for the elaborate arrangements provided for the 6afety, comfort, and quick'transport of passengers.