THE UNION COMPANY'S NEW STEAMER WAIRARAPA.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1166, 4 October 1882, Page 2

THE UNION COMPANY'S NEW STEAMER WAIRARAPA.

This splendid vessel, the latest addition to the Union Steam Ship Compiny’s fleet, ' is expected to arrive at Gisborne on Sunday : next. The Wairarapa is a sister boat to the Manapouri, and, with some slight differences, which are decidedly advantageous, is fitted up in a similar style. She is intended for the trade between New Zealand and the Australian Colonies and will, no doubt, become a great favorite with the travelling public. She was built, like the rest of the Company’s vessels, at Messrs Denny Bros.’ shipyards, Leven, Dumbarton, ami is constructed of Siemen’s patent steel. Her h ; s 28.3 ft, breadth of beam 36ft 3in, and depth of hold 25ft, which gives a register tonnage of 1830 tons, and a net of 1022 1 ..oils. She is fitted with patent compound ! surface-condensing engines of the latest ' patterns, the diameters of the cylinders j »eing respectively 41 in and 70in, with 4ft; length of stroke. The nominal horse-power i is 293, and the indicated power 2009. The 1 engines arc capable of maintaining a speed of I4A knots an hour, ami to effect a speed of ! 14 knots an hour her dailv consumption of I fuel will average 30 tons. The aver ige speed during the outward passage was from to i 14 knots an hour on a limited supply of coal. ; She is lighted by electricity, but in of ' j need her electric lamps, which are of rub', - coloured glass (in the saloon), fitted info ! electro-plated fretted frames, can be used for i the consumption of oil: while coimmmica*ion | with every part of the ship is maintained by means of pneumatic bells. The social hall I is decidedly the best we have yet seen. It | far excels those of the Pacific mail steamers, ■ I and is fitted up with great taste. Maple, ; i sycamore, ami other choice woods have been ! largely used for the p - mc!.«, all of whi li are I de-orated with hand-paintings of no me n 1 order of merit. The ship’s library is placed in this compartment, which is also provided j with a piano and a choice supply of music. : Next to the social hall is the ladies' cabin, which is similarly fitted ami decorated. ' while the smoking-room is superbly fi'.trd . with marble panels and polished woods. The saloon is splendidly fi’ted in oi n tment d • woods, the panels being hand-p-inted. while . the roof is of white enamel. It is lighted [ by 28 electric lights, ami possesses accommo- ! dation for 136 passengers. There is also a | luxuriantly-fitted cabin for ladies ; while in I the matter of baths, lavatories, and other ] offices she is unsurpassed. The second cabin, ( which is in the after part of the vessel, will accommodate fully 209 persons, and is very comfortably fitted up, while there is also ample space for the accoimnoditiou of a third-class of passengers should occasion require it. It is with pleasure that we bear testimony to the scrupulous cleanliness of both the passenger compartments. Ti e Wairarapa is commanded bv Captain H. W. H. Chatfield, who was formerly in the Ringaroomu, ami was sent Home by the Company to bring her out. He brings with him a first-class staff of officers, of whom Mr Fenn (late R.N.) is chief, Mr Downey late of the ship Jessie Readmun) second, Mr Colquhoun third, and MrMacmeikan fourth. Our old friend Mr Taylor is purser; while \\lrM‘Nicol, formerly chief steward of the OuOMpios b in

the new boat, his pn -cm-.- there being a. sufficient guarantee that the comforts of (he pissengcrs have been thoroughly attended -.0, The officers of the engineer departnerit, consist of Mr Mowatt, chief; Mr L iddev. second ; Mr M’Vwar, third ; and Mr Buchanan, fourth. Dr (.‘ottcrill, a wcllkm wii 1 nv.Teargill resident, comes out us medical officer. The \\ airarapa brings a L»r-"‘ nu’obi r of nassungors for this and forward ports, and from them we learn that the ' • s lw»e;i a most pleasant one, both Captain Chatfield and the otriiers doing all in their power to render tin in comfortable. \ variety of entertainments were given during the passage, am! a clever little weekly ; >urna’, named after the vessel, was con-br-ted bv Yr R. K. Davis, of Auckland, •uid after her arrival at Melbourne it was printeil for private distribution. Captain Chatfield, we are pleased to hear, was the •e -i'uent of a congratulatory address from ‘he passengers on the vessel reaching Melbourne, and we are sure he richly deserved his mark of confidence. The Wairarapa left Greenock at 3 p.m. ”i Julv I Sth, experienced a strong south- > 1 -■•••,.] -.nil heavy head sea down the Irish Channel, and landed her pilot off t ermrd at 8 p.m. on July 10th ; strong icad-winds with a chopping sea were met ’•oss the Bay of Biscay, and she sighted the western extremity of the Island of ladeira at 8 a.m. on July 24th ; thence she nicked up light N.E. trades, and reached St. r incent, (’ape de Verde Islands, on July '7th at 9 p.m. ; coaled, and left again at 10 n.m. on July 28th ; crossed the equator on -Yugiist 3rd, in longitude 10.25 W., and exwienerd strong S.E. winds down to the 'ape of Good Hope, which she rounded on \m'n< 13th. in latitude 34.21 S., and experienced strong N.\V. wimls across the •‘u‘h< m Ocean, with very heavy seas;

i 'hied Amsterdam Island, distant 2 miles. G S a.m. on August 23rd, and passed Cape IHvay at 1*.30 n.m. on the 2nd inst., and •nehove l off Williamstown at 3.15 a.m. on the 4th, after a passage of 43 days and four murs from Waterford. She left Melbourne «t 4 p.m. on the 9th inst., and cleared Port 9 hillip Heads at 6 p.m. ; breasted Swan Island at 11 a.m. on the 10th inst., and ex•hanged signals with the s.s. Te Anau at ’.30 n.m. on the 11th; experienced light variable winds and fine weather during the o issage across; passed the Solanders at <3O a.m. on the 13th, and reached the Bluff >.t 2 n.m. ; discharged cargo, anil left again t '..so n.m. arriving as above. We thank Mr Tavlor for report and files.—“Otago ’)aily Times.”