The S.S. Mahinapu.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1102, 20 July 1882, Page 2

The S.S. Mahinapu.

Or this recent addition to the fleet of tho U.S.S. Company, tho “ Otago Daily Times " says : —

The U.S.S. Company have received another addition to their splendid fleet in the shape 1 of the s,s. Maliinapua, which arrived at the Rattroy-atreet Wharf at 3.40 p.m, yesterday. Ever anxious to suit the requirements of their vast and increasing trade, and to prevent the detention of their larger vessels along the East Coast of the Colony, the Company some time since resolved on the construction of several vessels specially adapted for bar harbours, and the Maliinapua is the first of that class. She is schooner-rigged, has a straight stem, with an elliptic stern, and possesses very fine lines. She was built by Messrs Denny Bros., at their Dumbarton yards, and is constructed of Siemens-Martin steel ; the whole of her machinery and appointments are the finest of their class ; while she possesses extremely comfortable accommodation for passengers. She is commanded by Captain Jones late of tho Maori, who went Home to bring her out, Ho brings with him the following officers i —Mr Smith, late of the Taiaroa, as chief i Mr W. Ross, second ; Mr M’Guire, late second engineer of the To Anau, chief engineer ; Mr Kerr, second engineer ; while Mr Polloek, Into chief steward of th* ship Timaru is her steward. The Maliinapua, although not fitted up so sumptuously as some of her larger sisters, is very tastefully and comfortably decorated, and has every requirement suitable for a passenger vessel. Her saloon is on extremely neat apartment; it ie heated by eteam, which ie euppllod from the ship's boilers to a dome fitted beneath th* dining-tabla which will seat 34 persons i th* sides of the saloon are pannelled ip picked pitoil pine and highly polished, tho mouldings being of polished white pin* i the coiling ie painted in white and gold, and the transoms are fitted with maple fretwork, sot off with polished hickory. A small but complete library line booh provided i while beneath the transoms are lockers fop the stowage of linen, Ac. The ladies' cabin is prettily fitted up in polished woods, and the settee* round are upholstered in crimson Utrecht velvet , it is well carpeted. *nd dinned with artificiallydevised curtains. On the opposite side of the vessel are tlufaleeping-cabins devoted to gentlemen, These are most comfortably furnished and curtained, while each of the sleep-ing-berths throughout tlie cabins Is fitted up with patent steal spring-mattresses in oddir tion to tho ordinary horsehair ones, Thp number of person, for whom sleeping qooom, modatiqn lias boon provided ora fl ladies and 30 gentlemen, while extra accommodation fqr •looping eon be easily improvisor! in t he ladles' cabin by utilising the velvet-covered ooqohes. Tho pantry i. placed under the companion-’ way, and Is fitted up wi;h every requireincut ( hot water is laid on from u steam hoqter in the ongine : room, and speaking, pipes lead to th* pantry f,«m (the cap.

tain’* stateroom, the smoking-room and outside the pantry is the platecloset, resplendent with an ample supply plated ware. The smoking-room is at the \ top of the companion, and is a really snug little place j it is panelled in bird’s-eye maple with hickory panels, has comfortable seats covered with leather, a sufficiently large table, and is well curtained ; the flooring is laid with encaustic tiles. The second cabin is forward, and certainly lacks nothing conducive to the oomfort of those for whom it is intended ; there is a special compartment for ladies, fitted with every requirement,! and berths are provided for 12 ladies. The gentleman’s cabin will accommodate 28 persons, and is an airy and really comfortable compaftment; there is a large dining-table and ample seating room. A pantry is also attached to this cabin. The ship’s company have good quarters in the forecastle, while the captain’s stateroom is aft of the smoking-cabin, and is plainly, though comfortably, fitted up. There is a spacious bridge amidships, on which is the steering gear, while beneath it are the officers’ quarters, and amidships in its afterpart is that very necessary office, the galley, which is fitted up with every requirement for culinary purposes. The engine-room occupies the space covered by the bridge and between-decks, and it is certainly one of the best we hate seen. The Mahinapua differs from most k of the Company's vessels in her engine ■ department, being, as she, is a twin-screw " etnmer. Her engines are on the com- > pressed direct-aeting inverted principle, the two high-pressure having a diameter of 17 inches each, with a two-feet stroke; while each of the low-presence cylinders is 30 inches in diameter, and has a stroke of two feet. They are fitted with two air-pumps, each 12 indies in diameter, with 12 inches stroke ;

and the circulating pumps are nine inches in diameter, with a IOJ inch strke. She has two k feed and two bilge pumps, each of which is ft 2| inches in diameter, and 12 inches in the The crank shafts are 5| inches in Ipiameter, and the tunnel shaft 5i inches diameter. She has two propellers, each 7 feet diameter, with a pitch of 9 feet. She is fitted with two steam condensers, each of which contains 426 tubes {-inch in diameter on the outside; the condensers are sft. 3|in. in length over all, with a heating surface of 426 feet, Her boilers are 14ft. i-inch in diameter, and 9 feet 1 inch long • they are heated by three furnaces, each 13 feet 4 inches in diameter, with one corrugated furnace 6 feet in length i the grate surface is 62 square feet, and there are 311 common and 32 stayed tubes, each 3| inches in diameter outside , the total measurement of the tubes being 1,350 square feet; and the total heating surface in the tubes, and furnaces is 1,652 square feet. |Mm power.'of her engines is 800-horse nominal 6000 effective. Her coal bunkers have a MKpacity of 42 tons, and the average consumetion during the passage out has been six-and-.-half tons per diem, ths average rate of steaming being 300 miles daily, and the best day's work 275 miles. Her passage out occupied 73 days, exclusive of her stoppage at

The Mahinapu will arrive to-day, and no doubt several of our residents will visit her.