Marine Tattle

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 193, 4 November 1927, Page 2

Marine Tattle

THE KAWASAKI FAILURE. T During the shipping boom all industries connected with the trade prospered exceedingly, but in practically every case, save where steps had been taken to limit commitments, losses ultimately resulted, states “Fairplay.” For instance, the Kawasaki Dockyard Company, of in the early part of the war, commenced to build steamers on speculation, and tor many years these vessels were sold at a very large profit. Instead, however, of securing contracts from well-established concerns when prices were near the top, the company continued to produce tonnage more or less wholesale, and consequently it in the end found itself saddled with very costly steamers which could not be sold. Money was borrowed from the banks on mortgage, and although, owing to financial troubles, arrangements were made to reduce the interest from 5 to 3 per cent., Mr. Matsukata, the head of the Kawasaki Company and the Suzuki Company, last year had to come to the rescue and paid 1,800,000 yen in interest. The company, it is stated, owns nine steamers of 10,000 tons each, 12 of 9.100 tons each, one of 2,560 tons, and a tanker of 300 tons, which stand in the books at 206 yen a ton and are valued in the market at about 70 yen a ton, which means a loss of between 26 and 27 million yen. The other assets of the concern are also, it is said, very much overvalued. It was arranged for the Government to advance 30,000,000 yen to the Kawasaki Company, but the Opposition was too strong. Should it be found impossible to carry on the company, heavy losses will be made, for there is still a large amount of uncalled capital which may have to be collected from the shareholders in order to meet them.

PORT OF LONDON SANITATION.— Dr. W. M. Willoughby, medical officer of health for the Fort of London, in his annual report to the Corporation, states that 936 vessels were examined by the boarding staff at Gravesend as coming under suspicion by reason of the ports visited during the voyage or because of declared illness on board. In these and other vessels 757 cases of illness were inquired into and 63 removed to Denton Hospital. No case of plague or cholera reached London. An arrangement for carrying on a closer sanitary watch on ships entering at Sheerness and lying in the Swale and Medway were made operative toward the end of the year. The number of rats examined from the dock areas was 2,106. In no case was plague suspected or found. There was no suspicious mortality of rats, either in the docks or in any ship. One hundred and thirty-six vessels were fumigated. The work of the food inspectors had been largely increased in the control of fats which did not bear the official certficate of the country of origin. The examination of apples—s 3 samples—showed that most of the shipments contained but little arsenic. The attention now being given to the matter by exporters would result in continued improvement. Last year 15,907 vessels arrived in the port from foreign parts, and 4,229 coastwise vessels also entered. In all, 36,825 rats were destroyed in docks and vessels, making 1,434,757 since the work of extermination began, 26 years ago. Unsound food weighing 4,011 tons was seized and destroyed. This included 2,664 tons of water-damaged grain.

NOTABLE SAILING FEATS. A few remarkable sailing feats claimed on behalf of the early ships is of interest. The James Baines, while running down her easting, during 1804, ‘covered 420 miles in 24 consecutive hours. In 1556 the Red Jacket averaged 334 knots for eight consecutive days. The Lightning, on a voyage to London from Melbourne, traversed 3,722 knots in 10 consecutive days, while The Sovereign of the Seas, after rounding Cape Horn, “flew” 4,505 knots in 16 consecutive days before a heavy gale. Tn 1862 the Dreadnought sailed from Sandy Hook, New York, to Queenstown Island, in 9 days 17 hours. In 1884 the Loch Toridon (Greenock to Melbourne) sailed 3,911 knots in seven consecutive days, and 642 knots in 48 hours over the same route the following year. At the sametime the Port Jackson (London to Sydney) “reeled off” 532 miles during a stretch of 48 hours. On a subsequent trip (Sydney to London) the latter ship is credited with a run of 5,200 miles for 15 consecutive days, an average of 345 miles daily. In April, 1888, the Port Jackson sailed from San Francisco to Newcastle in 39 days. The Port Jackson was torpedoed in the English Channel in April, 1917. In 1890 the Cutty Sark covered the distance between the meridians of the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Leeuwin (3,737 miles) in 13 days, averaging 286 miles daily; but on a later voyage she ran 7,678 miles in 30 consecutive days, daily average 256 miles. In 1895 the Argonaut “skipped” from Cape Leeuwin to Sydney Heads (about 2,060 miles) in 7£ days. The speed from Leeuwin to Cape Otway was 12 knots, and thence to destination 15i knots (about). In 1896 the Wendur (Newcastle to Valparaiso), 6,894 miies. in 29 days 2 hours, the best daily run being 330 knots. In 1597 the Jacqueline (Marseilles to Sydney) sailed B,7SS knots during 28 consecutive days, representing an hourly average of 13 knots. Though she was launched in 1860 the Cutty Sark is still afloat, and as “tight as a drum,” and is now at rest, anchored in Southampton Water.