DIRECT STEAMER AORANGI. Description of a Model Steamship.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 108, 27 June 1885, Page 3

DIRECT STEAMER AO RANGI. Description of a Model Steamship.

The N. Z. Shipping Company's Aorangi is due here from Plymouth, via Hobart, tonight. She is almost a new vessel, and has not yet visited this port ; hence some partioulars concerning her conutruotion will b« of interest. The Aorangi is a finely, modelled screw steamer, built by Messrs John Elder and Co., of Fairfield, for the direct service between London and iNew Zealand. She is asistership to the Tongariro, and, like that vessel, she is built of steel throughout, having a. cutwater stem, and figurehead, which give her a very graceful appearance. She is divided into eight water-tight compartments. Five dl/isions are carried up between main and upper decks, and fitted with water-tight fire proot doors, giving access from one part of the ship to another. By this arrangemant the danger of firesproading, should it break oui in any part of the ship, is obviated, and greater safety ensured by being able to isolate any one compartment in case of damage to the hull or a compartment being flooded. The special care taken in providing for the safety of the ship and the persons o.i board entitles the Aorangi to rank as a transport of the highest class. Sbe was also built under special survey to the requirements for Lloyd's highest class for hull and machinery. The two upper decks are of steel, covered with teak on the upper deck, and with pine on the main-deck. The principal dimensions of the vessel are as follows ; — Length between perpendiculars, 380 ft .; length over all, 410 ft ; breadth, 46ft. ; depth 33ft. 4in. ; with a gross tonnage of about 4,200. She has three decks, with large foretopgallant forecastle for crew, potty officers, and conveniences. A large bridge deck-house, about 160 ft. long, is fitted amidships, enclosing engine and boiler casings, and containing accommodation for officers, engineers, galleys, sculleries, bakery, <fee. A short poop with rounded oversidos is fitted aft, below which are placed smoke and card rooms, bath-rooms, and lavatories, wheel-house, and sorvants' accommodation Forward of the poop, and in continuition of the poop deck, is fitted a shade deck, extending over the after deck-house and out to the full breadth of the vessel, forming an extensive promenade, about 115 feet long, for the sole use of the first class paesengora, who havo also the bridge deck for a similar purpose. The after dock-house encloses saloon entrance, music and social hall, two special state-rottna, saloon well, and captain's room, which is unusually large and finely furnished. On the bridge forward are placed the chart and the wheelhouses. Over the latter is fitted a hurricane bridge, upon which are placed repeating telegraphs for communicating orders to the engine-room, and also to the after wheel house. Two large lighthouse towers are fitted at the after end of the forecastle, with admittance from the lamprooms below iv the topgallant forecastle, thus affording the greatest facility for trimming the side lamps at any time. Accommodation is provided on the main deck for about 80 firstclass, SO second-class, and 250 third-class passengers. The first class accommodation id situatod abaft the engine room, entrance being obtained from the upper deck by means of a ep icious staircase placed in tho after deck house. The main saloon, placed in the midship portion of the ship mimediatly abaft the engine room, is a fine, large and elaborately furnished apartment, 42ft. by 32ft. Over thecontie ot tho saloon is a large well, with a skylight on the hurricane deck above, giving ample light and ventilation, and making the total heigh b of tho saloon fully 17ft. Numerous extra large lights are also fitted in the sides of the saloon. The first-class state-rooms are unusually large and well furnished. The corridors are also very spacious, ample light and ventilation being obtained from large trunk ways and skylights extending to the bridge and hurricane decks. The ladies' boudoir is fitted immediately forward of the salooc, and furnished in a handsome manner. The main saloon entrances, social and music hall, smoke and card rooms, special state cabins in deck-house, and the captain's cabin are furnished in polished hardwoods — these, consisting of teak, oak, satinwood, and walnut, forming a very rich combination. The second-claB3 saloon and staterooms are arranged forward of the machinery ppace, and all are fitted up in a most, substantial and complete manner. Tho second-class saloon is lighted and ventilated by a large trunk well similar to the firstc'ass. Forward of this again are placed the third-class passengers, for the comfort of whom special care has been taken in all the arrangements. The saloons, entrances, corridors, ladies-room, smoking, &c, rooms, social hall, captain's cabin, engineroom, &c, are lighted throughout with the electric light on the incandescent principle, which greatly adds to the comfort of tho passengers and to the effect of the tasteful decorations throughout. The Aorangi has seven boats ot large dimensions placed on the bridge and promenade decks, as far as possible beyond the risk of damage from the sea. Steam steering gear of the best and strongest typo is fitted uft in the wheelhouse under the poop, with connection for steering tho vessel from the bridge. As an additional safeguard, a powerful screwsteering apparatus, with double wheel, is fitted on the poop deck. Four large steamwinches are fitted at the hatchways for the prompt loading and unloading of the cargo. A powerful steam windlass is fitted on the topgallant forecastle with a capstan placed forward of it, drivon by gearing from the windlass engine, forinameiirring the vessel in harbour, Kefrigerating clnunbors, with two refrigerating engines of the most improved type, are fitted in the forehold lor the carrying o£ a large quantity of frozen meat for tho English market, and also for the carrying of an ample stock of fresh pi-o-visions for the veeu c c of the passengers. The engines, which indicate about 4,000 horse power, are compound surface condensing, and have two inverted cylindeis-one high pressure 46 inches in diameter, and one low-pressure 88 inches in diameter, each adapted for a stroko of 4 feet 9 incho?. The crank shaft is made of Vickers, Sons & Co.'s stool, and the thrust shaft and propeller shaft aro also made of the same material. The surface-condenser is placed on the back of the engine, the water being supplied to it by one of Messrs W. H. Allen & Co.V» centrifugal pumps, capable of discharging 1,200 tons of water per hour. The steam is supplied to the engines by three cylindrical double-ended multitubular boilers, having in all IS of Foxe's patent corrugated furnaces. The boilers are constructed entirely of steel, and made for a working pressure of HOlbs per square inch.

A movement in Napier to erect a drinking fountain as a memdriai to Mr Sheehan is generally popular. The first La Monte water jacket .furnace is expected by the next Union steamer from At the beginning of the present century tho population of Franco was increasing at the rate of 602 per thousand per annum. It is now only 2 42, solely due to diminished birth rate.