FORTY YEARS' SERVICE.

Shannon News, 20 April 1928, Page 3

FORTY YEARS' SERVICE.

ROTOMAHANA'S END.

| IN SHIPBEEAKERS' HANDS

; After over 40 years' service the iteamer Rotomahana now lies at the new station pier, Port Melbourne, in the final stages of dismantling at the hands of the shopbreakers. :? Undoubtedly the speediest and most elaborately equipped of the Union Company's early vessels, the Rotomahana was" known throughout New Zealand and Australia as the "greyhound of the Red Funnel fleet." Built by W. Denny and Co., for'the Union Company, the vessel was launched at Dumbarton in June, 1879. Of 1777 tons gross register, her engines were of the compound type of 450 nominal and 2700 indicated,- horse-power, with a speed of 16 knots.

The Rotomahana was the first merchant vessel to be built of mild steel, and fitted with bilge keels, and was the first vessel with steam steering gear.She loft Plymouth for Australia on August 9th, 1879, and reached Melbourne on September 22nd, after having taken only 43 days on the journey, including calls at St. Vincent and Cape Town. 1 The new steamer attracted much attention at Melbourne, and crowds visited her, and she was hailed as "fastest and' finest steamer of her kind afloat.". Accommodation in the first class had been provided for 140 passengers, and the saloon and other public rooms were much admired. The saloon itself remained almost unaltered until a few years ago. Polished bird's eve maple, satinwood, rosewood, teak and mahagony were used in its decoration, the most noteworthy feature being the panelling. Decorative corner carving surmounted each panel, each piece of work being hand-carved, and no two designs were similar. The "cabin-de-luxe," as the "bridal chamber,'' was a large state cabin on deck, and the agents announced that it had been furnished specially for the convenience of honeymoon couples, or for those celebrating a silver or golden wedding. GREYHOUND OF THE FLEET.

The-Rotomahana was first placed on the New Zealand-Melbourne run, and was prolaimed the "greyhound of the fleet''. shortly after her arrival, and her proud position was shown by a gilded greyhound carried at the top of her mizzen mast. In August, 1883, the Rotomahana truck on Waipapapa Point at about the same spot where the steamer Tararua was lost. The vessel bumped several times, and remained on the reef for about three-quarters of an hour. As the -sea was smooth and the tide rising she was gradually refloated, and put into Bluff.' Serious damage was sustained to her hull, and only the fact that she was fitted with .a double keel saved her from foundering. In 1894 the vessel was transferred to the serviee between Melbourne and Launceston specially to compete with the HuddartParke'r steamer Coogee, but remained but a few months in this service before returning to her original run. . In 1898 the Rotomahana inaugurated the daily ferry service between Lyttelton and Wellington, where she remained until May, 1908. RECORD LYTTELTON RUN. The Rotomahana was responsible for many fast trips both in the intercolonial Bervice and the Lyttelton-Wel-lington run, her fastest time in the ferry service being 10 hours 35 minutes, a record from Lyttelton to Wellington, in February, 1904, unbeaten by a passenger steamer for many years. Returning to the Melbourne-Launces-ton run in 1908, the Rotomahana was once more in competition with the Coogee, and for two years these vessels were rivals, until the Coogee was withdrawn in 1910. Not until 1921, however, was the old greyhound finally withdrawn from active serviee, hei place being taken by the new steamer Nairana. On the condition that she was not used in the Australian coastal traffic the Rotomahana was offered for sale by public auction in April, 1925. After some spirited bidding she was bought for £I7OO by Messrs Power and Davis of Port Melbourne, who soon after be gan the work of breaking her up. For two years or more the shopbreakers have gone about their work, and little of value remains to be taken away before the steamer that was once thi show vessel of the New Zealand and Australian coasts goes to her last resting place off Cape Scharock; near that of her old rival, the Coogee.