THE GREY FLEET

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2241, 29 August 1914, Page 8

THE GREY FLEET

GETTING READY FOR SEA I MAUNGANUI TO BE FLAGSHIP

In the very near future there will stoal quietly out of tho chief harbours of Now Zealand a fleet which .will bear impressive •evidence that Britannia rules tho waves. Tho British Empire is at war, and yet it is possible to transport thousands of troops, not across the Straits of Dover, not from Canada across , tho Atlantic, nor from Africa round the- Capo, but from tho very Antipodes—half-way roimd the world, over seas which a few weeks ago were watched by tho enemies', fighting ships. Ten troop transports will sail from New Zealand and twenty from Australia. What a sight to see steaming up the English Channel I What a reception to witness in any English port! When the transports leave New; Zealand they will probably sail at daylight, when the morning is grey like the ships themselves, but by what route, and at what rate, the public will bo left to guess. Nameless and Numbered, Two vessels. belonging to the Union Company have already sailed as 'the transports of the advance party. These are the Moeraki and. s the Monowai, which left Wellington for an un-named destination on August 15. The ten vessels soon to sail will take their departure from the four chief ports of the Dominion—some from Wellington, some from Auckland, some from Lyttelton, some from Port Chalmers. When tho liners are taken for, troop transports "and receive their coat of Admiralty grey they become nameless,and are given a number. Tho Moeraki is.His Majesty's New Zealand Transport No. 1, and the Monowai-is No. 2. Hie numbers and other particulars of the vessels_ soon to depart are given in the following table:—

Vessel. No. Owners. noge.. Captain. Mauneanui 3 Union Co. 7,572 Worrall Tahiti 4 Union Co. 7,585 Evane EuaDeliu 5 N.Z.B. Co. 7,885 Clifford Omn- 6N;Z.S.Co. 7,207 West™. Limoriok 7F.& S. Line 6,1)27 MTarlane Star of India, 8 0. &D. Line. 7,316 Kearney ; Hawlte's Bay 9 0. &D. Lino 10,641 Lidstono Athenio 10 Shaw S. & A. 12,234 Crosaland Arawa ll Shaw S. &A. 9,192 Olayden" Vi aimana 12 Shaw S. &A. 10,300 Holmes

Of this great fleet the Maunganui will be the flagship. It seems likely that four vessels will sail from Welling-' ton, and two from each of the other three ports. Three of these will be the Maunganui, the Limerick, and the Athenic. It was'thought that' the Tahiti would depart from here, but it now seems' that she is to leave for Lyttelton on Monday, and berth there if possible. She is drawing 30ft; now, and has still a largo quantity of stores and coal to take on. The. Orari and the Hawke's Bay have only '.rc-> contly come into port, and it is not known which province's troops' they are to take. The Star of India and the Waimana are to take-tho Auckland contingent, the Ruapehu has gone to Port Chalnierss arid the Arawa is'booked for Lyttelton or Port Chalmers. The Star of India left hero on August 17 for Auckland. , ! ' I Importance of Fuel. Very large quantities of coal are being taken in by all the vessels. In addition to what they had on arrival here, the troopships had to put'aboard lust on 30,000 tons of Westport coal and some of tho boats • ■ are ,, receiving other coal. These huge stocks .of fuel are ' regarded as a_provision against tho contingency of a long voyage without a call at coal"1K. stations; The Athenic. is taking ■1300 tons, the Tahiti 4000 tons, the Waimana 3000 tons, the Maunganui (which -coaled at Newcastle) , 500 tons, the Arawa 3000 tons, and- the Limoriok n ?\ coaled at Newcastle) 650 tons. Coal tes been coming out of Westport "J* ™ese steamers at the rate of about 12,000 tons per week for the last ten days; AVestport feeds the Union Commembers of the fleet, and, in addition to this output, Greymouth is, sending tip fuel for .the New Zealand snipping Company's vessels—the Orari and the Ruapehu. Any delay in the dispatching of the transports may be attributed to the difficult state of the West' Coast bars the last few days. Colliers have been hindered, from taking-full loads out of the coastal ports. Big colliers' of "the Waihora. class, or even smaller colliers which ordinarily could leave Westport loaded down to their marks, have had to come back to Wellington with' light cargoes and be fully loaded here by smaller vessels. The coal-running is now b'ein" done by a fleet of small steamers whic'E load and leave while the bar is workable, even though they have not taken on their full complement. '":■'." The work of transforming the liners into-transports has employed hundreds of men. The vessels, with the exception of. the Maunganui, are stilJ being ruthlessly dealt witfi. The Maunganui is being spared to some extent. The saloon and dining hall of the flagship contrast; strikingly with Dko corresponding ' quarters on the other vesels. Some of the excellently-appointed cabins, too, are being left .unaltered. Looking in at one door, one finds the walls aftd floor stripped bare, and three board bedß nailed, to one of. the walls. A few yards away one sees a cabin boasting two beds with wire mattresses, white linen, and eiderdown quilts. Theflooi-is rugged, and there, is a:wash-basin, writing table, letter rack, mirrored wardrobe, drawers for clothes, water bottle, sponge holder, and a, very, comfortable cushioned seat.

COMEDY CRICKET

LOCAL V. GENERAL POLITICS. On September 9 the public of Wellington, are to be. afforded the opportunity of'witnessing 'a genuine exhibition of political cricket, a match having been arranged'hetweon Mayors and ex-Mayors on the one side,- and politicians "on the other. The Mayoral'side will probably be selected from thefollowing:—Messrs. J. P. Luke (captain), T, W. Hislop, ,T. W. M'Ewan, W. T. Hildreth, H. Baldwin, C. C. Crump, W. J. Organ, J. G. Harkness, E.' P. Bunny, F. Townsend, H. Shortt, D. M'Laren, C. M. Luke, C. Cathie, and Frank Holdsworth (formerly a fiiie fast bowler). It is also probable that the organisors will havo theservices.of the Hon. J. G. W. Aitken as umpire, as it is assured that a man will never be given out by him who is not fairly and squarely out. The politicians will be led by Sir Joseph Ward, who is said to bo a good stone-waller and subtle .slow bowler. This unique matoh is being organised to raise funds for the Patriotic Fund, and such is the attraction that the Basin Reserve should bo Jill too small to accommodate tho public. ;

BOY SCOUTS

To-night at the Highland patriotic concert the Scouts are to provide ' a guard of. honour to His Excellency the Governor. . The Rbseneath troop and two patrols of tho Kelburns will -undertake this. The other Scouts will march through'the city streets to tho Town Hall, -headed by' the pipers. On Sunday the Brooklyn troop are holding a church parade, and other troops oro asked to join in. Tho responso to tho Scouts' request for books and magnzines for the Expeditionary Forces has been well responded to, hut more are needed. Parcols should be loft at the Boy Scout depot, National Mutual Buildings, Hunter Streot, or a postcard to tho District Commander, P.O. Box J49G, will brine Scopta to collect ithenu ■': .' . .........