SHIPPING.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 19, 22 June 1874, Page 2

SHIPPING.

TORT OF LYTTELTON. ARRIVED. June 22—Beautiful Star, s.s, 146 tons, Hart, from Dunedin via intermediate po^ts. June 22—Nautilus, 30 tons, Nelson, from Pigeon Bay. CLEARED. Jnne 22—Wild Wave, schooner, 39 tons, T. Karraley, for Akaroa. June 22—Natilus, cutter, 30 tons, Nelson, for Pigeon Bay. VESSELS IN HARBOR. Steamer —Atrato. Ships—Rakaia, Apelles, Yanina, City of Agra, Ballochmyle, Northampton, Golden Sea. Barques—Queensland, Fratclli Gaggiuo, Gyrene. Brig—Byron. Schooners —Richard and Mary, Alert, Garibaldi, Helena. Cutter—Antelope. STEAMSHIP ATRATO. This fine vessel arrived in harbour on Saturday at 20 minutes past 12, and was boarded by the health officers. No disease having occurred on the passage from Dunedin to Lyttelton she was, after a short delay, declared free. An inspection of the ship was then made. As regards the married couples’ compartments, it was evident that no attempt had been made to fit up the vessel so as to secure anything like decency, the emigrants being huddled together ; and, even without the Dunedin contingent, the accommodation could not have been sufficient for the number of passengers on board. There was also noticeable a want of cleanliness on the part of the immigrants, which may perhaps to some degree be accounted for by the length of time, about four months, they have been on board. In making these remarks we do not blame the captain, surgeon superintendant and officers who deserve the greatest credit for their attention to the sanitary state of the vessel.

On Saturday the single girls were landed, and sent to the Addington barracks. To-day the single men and some of the married couples will be landed. On Tuesdaj the immigrants for Timaru will be forwarded by the s.s. Beautiful Star, and on Wednesday the remainder will be landed. Arrangements are pending to bring the ship to the Gladstone wharf to discharge and take in her inward and outward cargoes. The Alrato was built in 1853 by Messrs Caird and Co. for the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company. Her registered tonnage is 22G0 ; side lever engines, by Caird and Co., of nominal horsepower, 800 ; length between her pcipcndiculars, 336 feet G inches ; her extreme breadth 40 feet 11 inches. Originally a paddle boat she made some of the quickest passages between St. Thomas and Southampton. The “ Otago Daily Times ” gives the following description of the appearance of this vessel She looks her size on deck, and is a larger vessel than the Mikado, her dimensions being, length over all 3GO feet, on the keel 336 feet, beam 43 feet, depth of hold 36 feet. She is but lightly rigged as a barque, and hence her go lies in her engine -a magnificent compound of .350 horse-power, nominal, built by Boulton and Watt, of Birmingham. The diameters of the cylinders are 90 inches the low pressure, and 57 inches the high. The size of the screw-shaft is 12.1 inches, and the diameter of the propeller 18 feet. Decidedly, the principal feature of the Atrato is her saloon accommodation. In its arrangement, it closely resembles that of the steamer Mikado, the saloon itself occupying the whole width of the vessel forwards of the sleeping cabin?, with which it has no connection. The cabins are built in double tiers on each side a wide parage amidships, and are reached by the usual lateral passages. The outside tier of cabins is the best, their size being much above the average. All the cabins are well furnished, whilst the saloon is elaborately so, and has a very good piano besides. Eighty-two passengers can be comfortably accommodated in the saloon. Mr Cranston is the chief steward, and has three stewards, an officer’s servant, and pantryman under him. ' The staff’de cuisine comprises first and second cook and baker, besides of course the usual understrappers. There were two immigrants’ cooks. Touching her other appointments, we may observe that the captain and his officers are berthed in the deck-house, that she has eight boats, a steam winch, and is steered by the oldfashioned tiller and tackle arrangements. She carries a double wheel aft, and another with preventer steering gear on the bridge amidships. She has a very roomy upper deck. Her crew number 82 all told, Captain Husband being commander, and Messrs Anderson and Long first and second officers. There are also third and fourth officers, boatswain, and carpenter. Mr Lawson is at the head of the engineer’s department, and has under him four engineers and twenty firemen. We omitted to mention that the engines derive steam from three boilers, of four furnaces each, and that the daily consumption of coal for an average speed of 10 knots is about 22 tons. This is under steam only ; aided by her canvas the Atrato can do 12 and 13 knots easily. She is built in four decks, viz., the upper or spar dock, main deck, ’tween deck, and the lower or orlop deck. She is also built with six watertight compartments.

Some idea of the immense number of vessels which the fame of its coal draws to the port of Newcastle may he formed from the following computation from the *• Chronicle” of May 9th. On that day there were in the harbor 22 full-rigged ships, representing a total tonnage of 21,592 tons, and an average tonnage of 981 tons, the tonnage ranging from 554 in the case of the Fartield to 1775 in the Knowsley Hall, and 1790 in the Glengarry. Of barques there were 15, representing a total tonnage of 20,605, and an average tonnage of 480, the tonnage ranging from 192 in the Sydney to 1180 in the Uulawar, and 1200 in the Addington. Of brigs, there were 15, representing a total tonnage of 5215 and an average tonnage of 247, the tonnage ranging from 192 in the Hcatherbelle, to 289 in the Alexander and Restless. Of schooners, there were four, representing a tonnage of 852, the largest being the George Noble of 252 tons. Altogether there were 82 vessels in the harbor, the total tonnage being 40,521.