WHALING IN ROSS SEA

Hokitika Guardian, 24 September 1929, Page 3

WHALING IN ROSS SEA

NEW COMPANIES

OPERATIONS ON BLG SCALE.

WELLINGTON, Sept. 19,

There will probably be a fearful slaughter of whales in the Antarctic during the coming season. Operations will be oil a much greater scale than before. In the Ross Sea region there will certaimiy 'be three, and possibly four, expeditions at work. The total number of Norwegian whaling companies and companies managed by Norwegians operating within, the Antarctic 'circle will bo vwenty-three, possessing thirty factory ships, 145 whale chasers, three shore stations, and four transports. There will be seven companies not Norwegian with seven factories, forty-seven chasers, three shore stations and three transports. Nearly 9000 men have been engaged from Norway. During the " next few weeks three whaling expeditions will arrive in New Zealand preparatory td going down to tifie Ross Sea. In addition to the Rosalia vet Whaling Company’s- factory ships, the C. A. Larsen and "Sir James jOlark Ross, with their ten' chasers, the Southern Whaling Company, a British concern, in which Lever Bros., Ltd., arc largely interested, is sel ling ships and the Kosmos Whaling Company, a Norwegian concern with British backing, has its huge factory ship the Kosmos, with seven' chasers, m the way to the Dominion. It is orobahle that the unlicensed factory ship, N. T. Nielson-Alonso, with her five chasers, which has gone south from Hobart for the last two seasons, will also be operating in the Ross be a this year.

SIX YEARS’ WORK. The Rosshavet Company,, operating under the license controlled by the Dominion, has worked the Ross Sea for the last six years with one factory ship and five chasers during the first three seasons and two factories and ten chasers since 1926. During six years this fleet hits' accounted for 1760 whales, which yielded 404,000 'barrels of oil. It is estimated that the mi,licensed N. T. Nielsen-Aloriso in two seasons killed over 1100 whales.

It is understood -that ships of the Southern Whaling Company are due at Port Chalmers on October 27, and that a license will be granted - this venture. Three of its chasers, Southern Barrier, Southern Chief and Southern Cross, brand new ships, left Middlesborough on company owns three‘factory ships and ten or twelve chasers. It is believed. that the factory ship coming to New Zealand is the. Southern Emnress, of 12,153 tons gross . register, 1000 tons smaller than the C. A. Larsen", but, like. her, ( .a. converted oil tanker. Advice has been received by Burns, Philp and Co., Ltd., that the Kosmos Whaling Company’s Kosmos, with seven chasers, is due at Wellington from Sandefi ord, Norway, on October 5. It is understood that the KZ'smos will undergo some minor repairs an,d take in fuel ciil and fresh .-•iter before proceeding south. At present this venture has not been licensed by the New Zealand Govern ment, and it is not known whether a license will be applied for.

A HUGE VESSEL. The Kosmos is a very remarkable t ':sei and is notable as being the first ship specially designed and built as a whaling factory. She is also the largest ship of her type' in the world an,d the largest vessel ever turned out by her builders, -Workman, Clark, limited, of Belfast. Her dimensions and loaded displacement are such as will make her the largest mercantile ship to visit New Zealand. She is a single screw steamer of 10,000 tons gross and 17,270 tons net register, 552.7 feet in length (between perpendiculars;, 77.4 lcet in breadth (over seven feet wider than the Rangi--1,/ki). and a depth of 49.0'feet. When fully loaded the Kosmos displaces over 32,000 tons. Her main propelling machinery consists of a set of quadruple expansion reciprocating engin'cs with- cylinders 29 inches, 42 inches, 60 inches and 86 inches in diameter respectively, and a piston stroke of 60 inches. 'Steam is supplied by live cylindrical oil-fired boilers working at 2501 b pressure under forced draught and with superheated steam. In addition to usual auxiliaries the engine room is fitted with a number of new features designed to cope with the special work in which the ship will bo ongagejd. There is, for example, a fresh water distilling plant of enormous capacity. Ample roomy living accommodation is provided for over 300 men and there are special facilities for storing and cooking the provisions necessary lor long voyages.

UP-TO-DATE PLANT. The whaling factory itself is situated in the upper ’tween decks which are over 15 feet deep and is equipped with a wonderful plant for rendering down the blubber and extracting the last ounce of oil from the whale careases, every portion of which is treated in rotary steam digesters. The Kosmos lias a square “cruiser” stern through which is built a laigo slipway up which whale carcases can be hauled to, be cut up on the upper deck, which has been arranged clear of obstructions to facilitate handling, the propelling machinery being well aft. 'Flic uptakes from t.he ship’s boilers are carried into twin funnels