THE S.S. NORFOLK IN QUARANTINE.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1967, 14 June 1880, Page 3

THE S.S. NORFOLK IN QUARANTINE.

One of the finest representatives of modern shipbuilding architecture that has visited those waters is Messrs Money Wigram and Sons’ steamship Norfolk, which arrived on Saturday, as she is also one of the largest. From a distance her appearance is that of a noble and stately ship, which she really is, rather than a smart, “rakish ” one. Her bold lines, painted ports and lofty masts give her quite the frigate built look. Compared with the other vessels of the line to which she belongs, the Somersetshire, Durham, Northumberland, and Kent, she is conceded both in speed and general equipment to be much their superior, and this will not be considered so surprising when it is stated that so large a sum as .£93,000 was absorbed in her construction. Her engines alone cost, it is said, £35,000. In these comparatively cheap shipbuilding times, for .£IOO,OOO using round figures—something magnificent should certainly be looked for, and the Norfolk unquestionably possesses all the magnificence to be attained in ocean-going steamers. Those who have had in view the old Norfolk as being identical with the palatial visitor now in our port, have to bo informed t'mt the latter is now upon but her second voyage, her maiden trip being made last year to Melbourne and Sydney via St. Vincent and the Cape. In that trade it was presumed she would continue, and the new departure taken in the present instance has been referred to in terms of regret recently by the “ Sydney Morning Herald,” a late issue of which said :—“ It seems a pity that a vessel whose accommodation cannot be surpassed by any steamer that has yet visited the port should be withdrawn from the trade.” Before reporting upon the voyage just made, it will perhaps be as well to give a description of the vessel herself, and such particulars about her as may be considered of interest. She was built by Messrs Green, of Blackwall, her keel being laid in September, 1878, the lannch taking place last June, and her trial trip, on which her steaming capabilities were recorded at fifteen knots, on the 25th of last September. Her length between perpendiculars is 332 ft. Gin., or 3451 t. over all; beam, 40ft. lin. ; depth of hold from upper deck, 32tt. 9in., giving a total gross tonnage of 3196. Her registered tonnage is 2227. She is a three-decker, built upon the girder principle, of great strength, a feature of which is the half-inch plating under the planking of the whole of her upper deck. The height of her ’tween decks is 7ft Din. Her rig is that of a barque, her masts iron, the lower mast, topmast, and topgallantmast of each being in one piece. Her yards are steel, and she carries double topsail yards. As may be inferred, therefore, she is better rigged than most ocean-going steamers, and if disabled in her machinery would find no difficulty in weathering a storm, or of making a port with the great spread of canvas at command Her upper deck, which is flush fore and aft, affords to all classes of passengers that much-desircd privilege on a long tea voyage the use of a gcod promenade. The only impediments on this deck aro the captain’s cabin, the companion-way, smoking-room, and chart-house, occupying a small space in the area covered by the deck of a steamer of these dimensions. Over these are a bridge and wheel-house. For comfort below it would be next to impossible to speak too highly of the taste which her designers have displayed in their efforts to conduce to the pleasure of the traveller by the Norfolk. Nothing could be more satisfactory than the families provided for thorough ventilation as respects the enclosed cabins and, in fact, throughout the whole of her ’tween decks. Every cabin in the ship has its port, which may be opened and closed at will, admitting both light and air, and the vessel possesses so much side, even when deeply >aden, that it is very seldom necess.ry that the ports shall be closed. The main saloon is in the after part of the ’tween decks, cabins of most spacious proportions ranging upon either tide of it. The length of the saloon is 110 ft, and its width 18ft. The style of furniture is plain, but finished in exceedingly good taste, the decorations being electro-plated facings A ladies’ private sitting room opens off the large saloon, and contiguous to their special apartments are lavatories and bath rooms for their use. Similar conveniences are found on the opposite side of the ship, for the use of the sterner sex. Two large skylights and stern porta form a part of the ventilation arrangements of the saloon. Forward of this grand compartment in the Norfolk is the engine room, and forward of it on the same deck the second cabin. The steamer is designed to carry three classes of passengers—first, second, and third, and the accommodation provided for the intermediate' class is without doubt equal to that called first class upon many steamers. The furniture of the compartment includes folding mahogany seats, mahogany tab es, &c., and the comfortable cabins are not to be excelled for this class of passengers, and there is little if any unpleasantness arising from being near the engine room. Of the steerage there is little room for congratulation. It is underneath the second cabin, on the orlop deck, and as such has neither the light nor the ventilation which would render it a desirable p'ace for a large numoer of men, women, and children to occupy during a lengthy sea voyage through warm latitnu •> This much of the accommodation of the vessel. A word or two in reference to her steaming power may be given. Her engines were constructed by Messrs Humphreys, Tennant and Co., Deptford and are 500 h. p. nominal, or 3000 h. p. effective. The engineroom is 72ft long, and the bunkers have a capacity for 1350 tons coal. The engines are on the compound surface condensing principle, with all the latest improvements. Th- y have four cylinders, two of 76in diameter, and two 3 in, with a piston stroke of s!in. The length of the connecting rods between centres are 9ft 7in, and the diameter of crank shaft and pins are 18in. The engines are fitted with steam starting gear, by which they can be reversed from full speed ahead to full speed astern in less than twenty seconds. In the event of the steam gear getting defective they can be manipulated by hand. The surface condensers are fitted with; two powerful centrifugal pumps for transmitting the circulating water through the condensers, and each one is sufficiently large to more than meet all *equirements. The condensers are so arranged that they can be worked with a common jet, almost directly they are required. They have 9020 square feet of cooling surface. There are eight circular boilers, 10ft. 9iin. diameter, with

two furnaces \n each, and eff ;etivo heating suri face of 10,900 square f«t. The propeller is 17ft. 6iu. in diamet. r, and has four blades, with a pitch of 26ft., with a surface of 81 square feet. Upon the trial trip they indicated 3200 torso-power, with a coal consumption of 1.751 b. per indicated horsepower per hour. It will be seen from the above that the loading aim of the engineers has been to give the , teamer a high rate of engine power upon a small coal consumption, and the fact that a steamer of her size can be propelled from between 250 to 300 miles per day for fifty days, as has been the case in the voyage she has just made to this port, and do this upon thirty tons of coal per diem, is sufiicieat proof that they have achieved their purpose. During the whole fifty days, these mighty motors worked day and night without a hitch throughout, ceasing but for two and a half hours during that time through the packing giving in one of the glands. Immediately upon it becoming known on June 12, that the Norfolk was signalled, knots of peopl i interested in shipping matters began to congre.ato on the corners and at the wharf, waiting to get a glimpse of her. The general opinion was that she should have been in several days since, if she wanted to show herself off to the best advantage. Soon after 2 p.m. the officials went off to her, the vessel being brought up well down the harbor to an anchorage. The official steam launch was followed closely—too closely, as it turned out —by the steam launch Lyttelton, loaded with visitors on business or pleasure bent. This last boatload had hoped that, everything having having been reported well previously by signals made from the steamer they would be admitted to board her, but it proved a delusion, one which was net made less disagreeable by the fact that the sea was rough and the day bleak. 'i he official inspection, however, had to be got through with and the inspectors were inexorable. Just as the impatience of the excluded shipment had reached that degree at which it becomes to ho expressed in uncomplimentary terms, perhaps, of those who are supposed to be the cause of provoking it, two gentlemen from the shore, well known citizens but not identified in any way with the official inspection of shipping, put their heads over the rail of the big steamer and looked down upon the prohibited boat load. This at once caused a fresh current of indignation to flow from the latter, prominent in the expression of which was the inquiry, ‘‘How came you to be there f” The answer was not given, but as it could not be otherwise than that the persons in question must have travelled by the official’s steam launch in place of patronising the watermen, the comments of those in the steamer were strongly condemnatory of the “ powers that be.” After fifty minutes waiting off the ship admission to her was obtained. In passing among tho steerage passengers the complaint was general that the food supplied during tho voyage was unsatisfactory, but nothing in the way of a formal charge was made. The condition of the vessel taken altogether was not so inviting ns it should have been, but an explanation of this was given in the statement that tho weather had been so bad it was impossible to keep her clean. Everyone spoke a good word for the ship as a seaboat, and compliments to the officers were not wanting. The voyage throughout had been characterised by uninterrupted health among tho whole of the people on board. There were two births, but no sickness or disease of any serious character, and upon tho vessel’s arrival she was reported by Dr. Dickenson, the surgeon on board, as all well; indeed, the surprise was as great to that gentleman that a case of small-pox should develope itself before the passengers debarked, as to any one on shore. Of this the particulars are given below. It will now be sufficient to state ( briefly the particulars of the voyage. The steamer left Plymouth on April 19th, and expe- ' t rienced fine weather and moderate N.B. trades to Porto Grand, St. Vincent, reached on the J 27th ; left on the 30th, having been three days getting 409 tons of coal, and had moderate S.E. trades, the winds hanging to the southward to 1 reacting Table Bay, Cape Town, on the 16th of May. Took in 100 tons of coal there, and left next day (May 17th). Thence had, for fourteen days, some very heavy weather, the winds prevailing from N.N.W. to W.S.VY, with very confuted sea. The barometer registered 28,70 during the whole time nearly, and those on board state that worse weather is seldom met with at sea. The easting was run down in 43 and 44 S., the meridian of the Lenwin crossed on June 2nd, and that of Tasmania on June 7th, and thence had westerly weather to the Snares, made last Friday morning. Up the coast iho weather was dreadfully thick, rendering it necessary to slow down right up to making the Peninsula. The personnel of the officers of the Norfolk is as follows:—Mr Jasper Pyne O’Callaghan, commander ;Mr W. Ford, chief engineer; chief officer, Mr John Matthias; second, Mr J. Tracey; third, Mr G. T. Woods ; fourth, Mr G. B. Anderson. The second, third, fourth, and fifth engineers are respectively—Messrs Banlay, Sheppard, Unsworth, and Bnhler, in the order named. Mr P. Keene does the duty of chief steward and purser. Mr Ford, in charge of the engines, is late of the Somersetshire, and is an old engineer in the company’s boats. The chief officer, Mr Matthias, will be remembered by a good many New Zealanders, having been chief of the Essex for years. The intention of the harbor master was to have brought the steamer to a berth immediately after she was cleared, bat it being Saturday night Captain O’Callaghan deemed it inadvisable to do so. As matters have turned 1 out it is as well she was not berthed at the wharf, as had she been the cases of sickness now reported would have necessitated her removal to quarantine. Concerning this new development the following particulars have been courteously placed in our hands by the health and immigration officers : —At 10 p.m. on Saturday tho captain of the Norfolk reported to the immigration officer that the surgeon had discovered a suspicious case, and was doubtful whether it was chicken pox or modified small pox. This (Sunday) morning Mr March, with the health officer and Dr. Macdonald, visited the ship alongside. The patient, a child from the steerage, was seen by them, and tho case decided to be one of modified small pox. It bad been so alight as not to be mentioned by the parents to the surgeon or noticed by him. In the course of the inspection which took place yesterday under the Imbecile Passengers’ Act, the spots, which were on the child’s forehead, would be completely hidden by its hat, and could not have attracted attention. Two other children in the same family have shown suspicious eruptions. All three had been vaccinated. The ship has been ordered into quarantine, tho sick family to be landed at Ripa Island at once, and the remainder of the steerage passengers on Monday. As the second cabin is quite isolated from the steerage, it is probable ibat the passengers in that compartment, as well as in the saloon, may remain on board to receive pratique with the ship, should no further appearance of disease occur. The ship’s report yesterday showed an entire absence of sickness throughout the voyage, and she has clean bills of health from the porta touched at. The name of the family in which the sickness has occurred is McVanghon.

The following is the list of the Norfolk’s passengers: — Saloon and second cabin, for Lyttelton : Mieses Patterson, Foreman, Nichols (3), Mesdames Finlay and two children, Hunter, Brownston, Grimes, Kollet, Heling and six children, Taylor and six children. Short, Dixon, Freeman, Nichol, Messrs A. A. Everett, J. E. Hunter, B. Dalziel, Grimes, G. Emms, J. F. Parment, B. Hibbert, J. Elder, Downes, F. E. Chilcott. L. Demerevill, H. Herring, Kollett, B. Sheriff, Heling, Taylor, Short, £. Longman, J. Clothier, A. Clothier. J. W. Nichol, F. Nichol, W. Nichol, J. W. Nichol, jnn. Steerage—J. E. Bunter and wife. B. Dalziel, T. E. Grins and wife, L. Emms, P. P. Passmont, E. Hibbitt, J. Elder, Downs, P. K. Chilcott, L. Daniel, H. Herring, W. Bollett and wife, Thomas Bollett, A. Traitord, R. Sheriff, J. Healey, wife and family (6), Lily Taylor, Mrs Edgcumbe, W. S. Edgoumbe, G. Pedlar, P. Backland, M. Buckland, W. Gray, D. McGregor, E. Harvey, Sydney Prudence, W. Mclntyre, Thomas Lymer, E. Greenahiolds, W. McGarvey, Scott Myers, A. Donaldson, wife and family (4), J. Smyth, M. Smyth, F. Smyth, J. Donaldson, wife and family (3). W. Barry, J. Taylor, L. MoGraddy, A. Pole, J. H. Proudfoot, M. Churchhill, J. Symington and wife, Lizzie Symington, T. Spratt. T. Siegram, M. Siegram, H. T. Kirk, W. Stephenson, J. Holden, E. Holden, J. Scott, L. Scott, L. Freeman, E. Freeman, H. Freeman, C. Clayton, S. Clayton, M. Clayton, J. Clayton, E. Lyttelton, Cask, W. Godfrey, M. Godfrey, B. Roberts, D. M. Chapman, E. McCanghan, wife and family (7), J. Wilson, B, Millar, E. Millar. For Wellington Saloon and Second Cabin : Misses Deveniah, Marshall, Kingdom, Escott, Barsby, Bigby (3), Faden (2), Blackett (2), Mesdames Mulligan, W. J. Nathan and two children, E. Barsby, W. Barsby. Eigby. Fa en, Dorodale and child, Blackett, Morris, Green, Kentley, Haddock, Bennett, Clayton, Willand, Johnstono, Croaker, Messrs Mulligan, Hutchinson, Bundy, W. J. Nathan, E. Barsby, W. Barsby, J. F. Fraser, W. Eigby, W. A. Percy, A. W. and C. Eigby, P. J. Pearson, O. H. Faden, B. B. Waldrone, J. C. Blackett, T. O. Blackett, L. F. Morris, P. Cardnkes, Geo. Pratt, E. Sportland, G. Green, B. Green. Bentley, Kansborongh, Haddock, Bennett, Harwood, Lowe, Trafford, B. Clayton, O. Clayton, G. Dnnn, G. L. Smeath, F. Haseldine, P. Johnstone, T. G. Croaker. Steerage: W. Eigby, wife and family (7), T. Pearson, M., L. and A. Faden, J., E. and M. Dovedale, C. Foden, T. Blackett, wife and family (3), J. Nieholls, wife and family (6), J. Cordukes, G. Pratt, H., Q., and B. Green, M. Koetley, M. Wanstrona, C. Harwood, J. Low, B. O. and 0. Clayton, J. Bennett and wife, J. Koetley, Q. Smeath, T. Hasseltine, Mrs Welland, J. Sowell, wife and family (2), K. and A. Mackintosh, Q. Bannister, wife and family (3), J. and P. Williams, W. Holcroft, J. Spilman, wife and family (5), D. Maokay and wife, A. Mackay, M. Nash and wife, M. Walker and wife, J. Bentzine, E. Harbridge, J. M’Carthy, A. O’Kane, J. O’Kane, M. Cave and wife, A. 1 Hewgill, F. Begeere, wife and family (2), S.

Keor, W. Martin, A. Might, S. Hall, J. Roddy, C. Prince, M. Stephens, wife and family (5), F. Keescop, G. Knowlton and wife, 8. Russell, 4V. Alexander, M. Beeching, wife and family (2), M. Seed and wife, R. Brown, Q. Potteth, B. Sutler, Q. Barring, Horsfield, Q. Hewes. For Sydney—Saloon and second cabin: Misses M’Niven, Rosa, Gent, Messrs M'Niven, Dimoor, Liggina, Ewart, Master Liggins Steerage—Ross, J. Morris, R. Mumferd, wife and family (3), A. Sheridan, M. Wiltshire and wife. W. Thomas, A. Lorn, wife and family (2), M. Aherne, A. Taylor, S. Grooook. For Brisbane Miss Goonmoran.