THE S.S. MONOWAI.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 480, 14 June 1890, Page 4

THE S.S. MONOWAI.

THE U.S.S. COAIFANY’S NEW STEAAIEK. A FINE VESSEL. ARRIVAL FROM THE SOUTH. Auckland, June 9. About a quarter to one o’clock this afternoon the new s.s. Monowai, the latost acquisition to the Union Steamship Company’s fine fleet, arrived here from tho South on her maiden visit to Auckland and was berthed at the Queen-street Wharf. Aiorethan ordinaryinteresthad been aroused in town in the new ship, and when she came alongside a crowd of two or three hundred people was assembled on the tee critically surveying the vessel. Capt. Carey brought her alongside in fine style and her passengers, of whom there were about a hundred saloon and twenty steerage, were soon disembarked. The local manager of the Company has given instructions that no visitors should be allowed on board, and consequently those wishing to inspect the interior of the fine steamship will not be able to do so until this evening, when a small charge for admission will be made. The Monowai is not a pretty boat. What impresses the observer most is her massiveness of proportions, and her evident immense carrying capacity. She is a great cargosteamer, but, at the same time, she has splendid passenger accommodation. She is the newest addition to a fleet which already numbers no less than forty-one steamers, and typifies the surprisingly rapid advance which the Union Company have made within the last few years. It is not much more than a decade since the advene of the Company in the Australian trade. The old Hero was running from here to Sydney twelve or thirteen years ago, and was regarded favourably everywhere by passengers. Tho Tararua, tho Albion and the Rotorua are names that will recur to the memory of everyone about the same time. The change has been very great since then. Some of the older vessels in the intercolonial trade still keep up a good name, but it is the Alonowais, the Mararoas, the Rotomahanas, Wairarapas, and Taraweras that are in demand by the comfort-loving passengers of to-day.

The Monowai is an embodiment in steel of the latest andmost ingenious contrivances and improvements in marine architecture, fittings and machinery, and is well worthy inspection.

The steamer’s register is 3,500 tons gross, and she resembles the Tarawera more, perhaps, than any other boat in the Union Steamship Company’s fleet. Mr R. Guy, an old acquaintance in this port, fills the office of purser in the Monowai, and supplies us with memoranda of the trip up the coast. The steamer left Dunedinon the3rdinst., and called at Lyttelton, Wellington,Napier,andGisborne. She left Gisborne at 12.50 p.m, yesterday, thus doing the run from that port up to Auckland in exactly 24 hours. She had fine weather up the coast with strong headwinds from Gisborne to Cape Colville. THE OFFICERS. Capt. N. Carey, our old friend of the Rotomahana, is commander of the premier boat in the U.S.S. fleet. Mr A. Cameron, who brought the ship out from Home, is first officer. The officers are : Messrs G. F, Maitland, second; John

Smith, third; and H. li. Cassells, fourth ; Robert Guy, pursor; C. H. Napier, assis-tant-purser; Ed. Rabbitts, chief steward. The engine department is under the charge of A'lr David Ai'Caig, late >,f the Mararoa, who has associated with him Messrs J. M. Ferguson, second ; E. F. Elliott, third ; G. G. Aluller, fourth; John Alurray, fifth ; A. R. Paxton, i efrigeraiing ; John Ferguson, do ; Johnston, elect rii.,,; n. " DESCRIPTION OF THE VESSEL. Ihe Alonowai was launched from the yams oi Alesf-r-' Denny Bros., Dumbarton, on December lliu, 1889, an . was christened by Airs Toppin.., the wile of the London sei.ro;ary to tho Company. She is built entirely of mild steel on the cellular bottom prin iple, with rive watertight compartments, with provision *n>- 340 tons of water ballast in five separuu She has-a et'aight stem, like ai! mnd*-ni steamers, ami an elliptic stem, Siu, nuo two masts and is schouiier-riggcd. There are four deck- in all—spar deck, main deck, ’tween t 0;.., ami shade deck, which last runs right aft to tho flyiug bridge, forward of tne tunnel, only broken at the necessary plat- * to allow of cargo being worked. Under this passengers are absolutely independent of the weather. The fine steamer is very well appointed in every department, and is fitted up with most modern improvements. She has accommodation alt and amidships for 133 first-class passengers, and forward for 100 steorage, in thu fore-part of, the main deck. THE SALOON. The saloon, which is on the main deck, is approached by a very handsome doublo staircase from the music saloon, and is very tastefully decorated throughout. Dining tables are placed along the centre and sides. The couches anu involving chairs are upholstered in amber-colourecl plush ; one feature iu the chairs being that the seals are reversible, so ibut cane bottoms can be used in hot climates. At the fore end of , the saloon is a magniiicentsideboard, which was exhibited by Messrs Denny Brothers at the Glasgow Exuibition. On each side of the stairs is a very handsome bookcase. At the fore end of the saloon, but not entered directly from it, is the bar and a largo pantry. Passing through the doors at either end of the saloon, access is given to the state rooms, which are arranged in the centre and sides of the vessel—the side rooms being of larger dimensions than those in the centre —and all fitted up in the same manner with crimson velvet cushions. Each room is provided with lifebelts. There are five bathrooms, four of which are solid marble tepid baths, and one shower bath, the room being tiled all over. The washbasins are also set in solid marble slabs ; in fact, nothing has been left undone which would conduce to the comfort of passengers. The ladies’ cabin adjoins the main saloon, and is a very handsome apartment, finished in terra-cotta, and communicating with it are dressing-rooms and two baths of solid marble, the washstands being also of marble, with hot and cold water. Every provision has been made in the event of fire, there being a hose and patent tire extinguisher placed in various parts of the main deck. MUSIC SALOON. The music saloon, which is situated on the spar deck, is a splendidly-fitted-up apartment, rivalling quite similar saloons on the finest European steamers trading to Australia or even the magnificent Atlantic liners. It was exhibited by the builders at the centre avenue of the Glasgow International Exhibition. About Bft of the height of the walls are finished in magnificent satin wood panels, above which is coloured glass, which has a splendid effect. At the fore end of this apartment stands one of Brinsmead’a pianos, while at the after end is a very large handsome mirror, on each side of which is a special state room, containing two berths each. There are six other similar state rooms in the after deckhouse, where there is also the smoking room, most tastefully finished in sycamore, satin wood, walnut, and marqueterie, the walls being of polished woods of various colours. The floor is laid with encaustic tiling, sofas covered with buffalo hide, and divisioned off into single seats, with five marble-top tables, glass racks and electric bells. The second saloon, which is also on the main deck, and approached from the spar deck, is a very roomy apartment, the upholstering being of buffalo hide. There are several enclosed state rooms, bath, with lavatories, etc. The galley, butcher’s shop, bakery, etc., are on the : main deck. The captain’s room, purser’s office, and first and second officers are quartered on the spar deck, the other officers on the main .deck, while the engineer’s quarters are in the engine-room, the crew being in comfortable quarters on the forecastle. HER MACHINERY. For ventilation purposes she is fitted with one large fan, made by Alessrs Al. Paul and Go., and driven by one of their special engines. She has also a refrigerating machine, on the Kilburn patent principle, which is located forward, under the second-class compartment. The whole of the cargo gear throughout is Brown Brothers’ patent on the hydraulic principle, there being two derricks aft, also one to the fore hatch and one to the main hatch. The windlass i 3 also worked by hydraulic power, and the ship is steered by means of two rams placed aft connecting with the flying deck by a telemotor, a most ingenious contrivance for doing away with all steering chains and rods. Her engines are on the triple expansion principle, her cylinders being 25in, 41in, and 68in, steam being supplied by two double-ended boilers working at a pressure of 1701 b per square inch. The engineroom is most extensively provided for, all manner of auxiliary machinery being supplied—two Weir’s pumps for boiler feed, three Worthington pumps, centrifugal circulating pumps, Brown’s patent combined steam and hydraulic starting gear, Weir’s patent feed heater and distiller, etc. The vessel is fitted throughout with electric light supplied by the builders, there being double sets of dynamos and engines. THE VOYAGE OUT. On the voyage out from Glasgow, when off the New Zealand Coast, on May 24th, an address, couched in very warm terms, was presented to Captain Cameron by the passengers. One very remarkable feature during the voyage of the Monowai is that the engines did not cease working for a single moment from the time of leaving the pilot in the Irish Channel until arriving off Taiaroa Head, Dunedin. This, we believe, is un- 4 precedented in the history of marine engineering. The engines made 4,333,148 revolutions, equal to 82,329,812 feet, or 13,524 knots, being an average of 10’58 miles per hour.