NEW LINE OF STEAMERS. THE STAR OF ENGLAND.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 417, 6 November 1889, Page 4

NEW LINE OF STEAMERS. THE STAR OF ENGLAND.

Judging by the efforts which are being made by various steamship companies in Britain and on the Continent, the trade with the Australias is not only a growing one, but its prospects of expansion are particularly bright. Among the old companies vhich have had extensive dealings with the colonies, that of Sir J. P. Corry and Uo., of Belfast, is neither the least known nor the' least popular ; on the contrary, their Star line of clippers have always held a high place in popular estimation. Their trade has grown accordingly, and to meet the increased demands of their constituents, and to keep abreast of their competitors, they some ' time ago decided to "go into steam," the result now being that their firsb pteamer, the Star of England, made its first appearance at Melbourne last week. The Star of England is a cargo-carrying steamer, with straight stem and elliptical stern, and built of steel throughout. She is from the yard of Messrs Workman and Clark, of Belfast, and was launched in January of the present year. Her principal dimensions are: — Length, 371 ft. Bin. ; beam, 44ft. 2in. ; and depth of hold, 27ft. 2in., which give her a net register of 2,298 tons, and a grossmeasurement of 3,511 tons, while her deadweight capacity is 5,800 tons. The refrigerating machinery was manufactured by Mr Benjamin Goodfellow, of Hyde, near Manchester, who has made a speciality of this description of work, and is claimed to be the largest, as well as the most efficient, yet made. It is technically known asa " 160,000 ft machine " — that is, that is the quantity of cold air ie can supply to the refrigerating chamber per hour. All the modern improvements have been embodied in it, one result of this being that in case of a breakdown ot one half of the machine the other half could be utilised with such effect that all danger of the cargo spoiling would be prevented until the necessary repairs could be effected. The refrigerating chamber has space for 43,000 carca&es of mutton. There are about 2,000 tons of freight for Melbourne and an equal quantity for Sydney. When the Star of England has discharged her height for Sydney, she will proceed to either Rockhampton or a New Zealand port to load I frozen mutton for the London maiket.