Liners as Transports.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 190, 16 August 1904, Page 2

Liners as Transports.

The ' Syren and Shipping 'o( June 8 remarks that a great deal has been heard from time to time about the Russian purchase, or proposed purchase, of liners for the . transport and other purposes. The following figures have reached an official quarter at Whitehall, and :>l,oukl prove of interest. It seems' that tile actual outbreak of war s there were approximately 110 Brittsh vessels in Japanese waters. Of these, thirty-five were believed to be engaged in general commerce—that is to say, they were in uctlve employment, and had passengers and cargoes to bring away from Japan. The remainder was either laid up or seeking employment at. the hands of the Japanese Government la oon-. uectlon with tho war, there having; been a steady movement of shipping to the Far East ever since, Ootoibcr last 'With this specific and ini .iew. It is now known that tha tw< nty-soven vessels employed in tha ■ blocking of Port Arthur and similar operations, twenty-one wero British, while over 30,000 tons of shipping have been purchased in addition ' from British owners. On the otherhand, much old German tonnage has been sold to Russia, and there is evidence to prove—sot far as it can prow anything in these time?—that altogether, since the Ist January last, the Russian Government hivS purchased over 90.000 tons of for- " eign -chiefly German—shipping—lt would be very interodting to ktmw where it has all 'gone to. or what is boing done with it. Japan, of course is bound to employ great fleets for transport and other work, but one ■ hears nothing from Russia.

Thoro are about 140 steamers plyw inn 1 o and out of the port of' San Francisco which arc using CfiUfornian ail for fuel. At the principal Pacific coast ports (sojb the ".Bp-I*" a>*vring and Mining Jounwl," New \ ork) supplies of oil may bo obuln«1. as well aB at tlu l Hawaiian Is-' lands, Alaska, and some Asiatic ports ;but to most places the stoamora have to tako a supply for both the outward and return trip, Tt ]» generally estimated that four barrvlK. <f oil equal in fuel value one ton n r » ordinary steam coal used on tlio. i Pacific coast. The steamorg airi i.p ually supplied with tankage rnn ßf j t v to carry tt load of oil tor f, ; „ O Lr wand and return trip. If , h(lv got return fuel oil, th o weight Vott necessary for the voyage is out (.0 per cent. of,tho load would 1)0 required&if coal Hut if they ham to carry o ii T round trip the weight of „N ,i th *' HKlerwl about 20 p.. r cent t 0U " of what would, bo iho^I 0 jt XCWiI S v . were used and \v M „ . • coal ' f at each end of the rourl ,1 # ** < tho conditions differ, wdeht "i , in f? considered at tho Jl y menti 0 above i -

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