The New Steamed.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 3, Issue 84, 15 March 1883, Page 2

The New Steamed.

THE BRITISH EINQ^

The British King, the iiret >of the direct lino of steamer's despatched by" 1 the New Zealand Shipping Company, which sailed from London on the 26 th January, and is due at Wellington on 17th March, is described in the European Mail of 29th January, as. '.a fine full-powered,magnificeritscrewsteatn'}r.' She is a first-class vessel (100) Al at Lloyd's) and built of steel by Harland Bnd Wolff, of Belfast (the builders o( the White Star line of steamers), in January, 1881. She is at present owned by the British shipowners' Com* pany. She has a gross registered ton* nage of 3559 tons, representing a c irgo* carrying capacity of at least 5500: tons. The British King is clipper-built, with a straight stem, after the moderr, style of ocean going steamers. Her dimen*. sions are : — Length, 410 feet ; breadth (length of beam), 39 feet; depth of bold, 28 feet 9 inches. She is fitted with six bulk heads and three ;decks, two of which are of sleelj and is fourmasted, the fore-mast ani mainmast being square-rigged, while the mizen mast and jigger (the last named being nearest the stern), carry their sails fore and aft. The masts and the smoke stack are all slightly raked. On the upper deck are the houses containing first-class saloon, three large doubleberthed state-rooms, smoking rooomj pantry, galley, &0., entrance to enginerooms, .officers', rooms, and officers' bath-room, purser's and doctor's rooms. These occapy the greater part of the Upper deck amidships, the saloon being to the forward j.over. this .huge rdeckhouse, and gained by a handsome staircase, is the promenade deck;, on this [ again is the captain's cabin and chartroom , midship wheeelhouse and bridge. \ A.l l of the doctor's room is another deckhouse, above which is th'e'poop; 50 feet long, and connected with the promenade' i deck by a railed" gangway. A consider--1 able distance forward of . the saloon is the forecastle, 86 feet in length. "On tho main deck below the saloon are state»rooms and bath-rooms for the firstclass . passengers^ and on this deck also is the accommodation for second-class passengeis. The British King is fitted with powerful engines, all her machinery , being certified by the engineers to Lloyd's register. The engines are ot 2400 horse-power effective, and the vessel runs at an averaga speed of 12 knots per hour. It should also be stated tha+ithe vessel is fitted np with refrigerating chambers and machinery.