SHIPPING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 193, 19 August 1904, Page 1

SHIPPING.

POBT OF NEW PLYMOUrH. FRIDAY, AUGUST 10, 1904. High water, at New Plymouth— 2. '23 a.m. ana 2.58 p.m. High water at Waitara—2.4o a.m. and 3.13 p.m. Bun —Kiwe 6.43 a.m., del 5.17 p.m. Mo<m—Full moon, 26th, 0.39 p.m. ARRIVED. August 17.—Karawa, from OnehunSAILED. August 17,—Rarawa, ior Onehungs EXPECTED ARRIVALS. Takapuna, (rom Manukau, to-day, Rotoiti, from South, Saturday. Rarawa, from 31anukau, Monday. i Rotoiti, from Manukau, Wednesday. ' Takupuaa, from South, Wednesday. TELEGRAPHIC SHIPPING. | Onehungia, August 18.—Arrived, Takapuna from New Plymouth, at 12.40 p.m. Blufl, August 18.—Arrived, Ruapehu from London, at 8 a.m. The Rarawa had a good deal of difficulty in negotiating the wharf yesterday morning owing to heavy seas and wind making a Hasty jobble inside the harbour. The vessel's approach to the wharf was also hampered by the temporary breaking away of the scow ilravo from her moorings, and Captain Nortmry ihad, it is reported, come in against the signals, and the matter will bo referred to the Harbour I Board at its meeting to-day.. THE HYDROPLANE OR GLIDING BOAT, A new word has been happily coined to describe a novel form of motor boat, which already has achieved gome remarkable results. The first official tests of the gliding boat, or hydroplane, were made recently at Paris, and witii a motor of but 14 hp. the vessel attained a speed of over eighteen miles aft hour. Anotheif series of tests was made later with

even "better results, for in one essay a speed of more than twenty miles on

tour was accomplished. A kilometre was also done in lmin. 52sec. These resultß are all the more remarkable when the small power of the engine and unfinished condition of the experimental vessel are consdered. To get similar speeds from a motor boat 'built on the usual Lines it is computed that an engine of about 80 h.pv should be fitted, so that it is evident that there are considerable possibilities before this new type of boat. It, will be obvious from a consideration of ftp principles that there '.should be a great saving in power and a considerable gain of speed, pince it is designed to skim over'the .water rather then to cut through it end the grentei the speed the less is itba vessel depressed in ,the waves. In effect the boat is built up of a ser- . tee of inclined- planes, the degree of inclination increasing from stem to ptern. When the boat is at rest (these planes lie well in the water, but as speed is got up the vessel tends to rise more to the surface, until Anally it skims over the;water .With little more, then tihe propellers beneath the surface. The designer of this system is the Comte de .Lambert, and already several French motor boat builders are taking a keen interest in the trials. With a more powerful motor and im- . proved planes the inventor hopes to attain a speed of over thirty miles i an hour, and doubtless ere the next motornboat race he will haw produced ft boat which will establish fresh fecorda for power-driven craft. Not the least curious point about this vessel is that it resembles in many respects the . aeroplanes with which so many designers! have attemi* ted to solve the aerial problem. On the water the- essays are more successful, and can be earned out with safety. May it not be possible to develop these machines so that they " can SPt up sufiicient speed over the Water to rise quite olear above the surface ? In this way experiments iu aviation can be carried out with far less degree of danger than with aeroplanes projected from sand dunes or other heights, and which have to travel over the earth. Any faidure of the ordinary aeroplane means more or less injury to.the experimenter; with .the (hydroplane the risks are considerably diminished.