ELECTRIC LIGHTING OF STEAMERS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3877, 20 December 1883, Page 4

ELECTRIC LIGHTING OF STEAMERS.

Tho largest contract for electric lighting up to the present timo has been concluded in Glasgow betiveen tho owners of tho Ncav Zealand Shipping Company's fleet and the Edison Company's branch in Scotland, under the management of Mr Charles T. Grant. Three fine steamers, two of ivhich arc sister ships to the steamship Tonga firo, launched recently at Messrs John Elder and Co.'s yard, are to be lighted throughout Avith tho incandescent light, and fitted ivith a duplicate set of Edison's Marino Dynamos and Engines, ono set being for reserve in case of emergency. These steamers, when finished, ivill bo tho finest electrically equipped vessels afloat. Tho Tongariro, and the two sister ships noAV in course of construction, are built of steel throughout, and havo cutwater stems with figureheads, Avhich give them a very graceful appearance. They are to be barque rigged, having masts and yards of steel, with a large spread of canvas, Avich will be of great service in tho trade Avoids*. Each vessel is divided into eight ivatertigbt compartments. Five divisions aro carried up between main and iqjper decks, and fitted Avith watertight fireproof doors giving access from ono part of the ship to the other. By this arrangement, tho clanger of fire spreading, should it break out iv any part of tho ship, is checked, and greater safety is ensured by being able to isolate any ono compartment in caso ol damage to tho hull and the compartment being flooded. The vessels are also built under special suiwey to the requirements for Lloyd's highest class for hull and machinery. The principal dimensions of these vessels are as follows: —Length between perpendiculars, 380 ft. ; length over all, 410 ft. ; breadth, 4Gft.; depth, 33ft. -tin. ; Avith a gross tonnage of about 4,200 tons.