The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-01-29

ferent bids were telegraphed to London
some days ago and the contract cannot be
awarded until reply has been received
from the underwriters. The exact amount
of each respective tender is, of course, not
known, but il is an open secret that the
repairs and outfit will figure up to between
ninety and hundred thousand dollars,
and dame rumor already has it that the
Union Iron Works is the luckily firm.
The Miowera is a double-bottomed ship !;
that is to say, constructed in cellular
compartments which are utilized as water
ballast tanks. The top of these tanks is a
steel-plated deck and forms a second bot
tom TO the ship. Had it not been for the
double bottom the big steamer would not
have been IN condition to make the vOy-
age between Honolulu and San Francisco
"a distance of about 2100 miles, with her
hull in such a damaged condition. for
when the vessel was examined in dry
dock il was found that no less than 120
steel plates would have to be taken out of
the bottom, some of which will be re-
placed after having been furnaced and re-
rolled. but the rest will have To be re-
newed; and 100 feet of new bllge keel will
have to be fitted on the starboard side.
The Miowera has no center keel, but is
built with bilge keels, which run
along each side of the vessel and help very
materially to steady her in a sea way.
The inside framing of the vessel has
also suffered very extensively, and 100 of
the frames and floors will have to be taken
out and replaced. The new stern frame
will not be made in San Fran cisco. but is
TO be supplied by the builders. Messrs
Swan 81 Hunter of Newcastle, England.
This stern frame is a massive steel casting
weighing, with the attached rudder-p post,
something over thirteen tons. 1t will be
remembered that the rudder and stern
frame were carried away while the steamer
was humping on the reef. The illustration
shows the broken stern frame and the
temporary repairs that were made in Hon.
olulu. 1t will be seen that the rudder and
stern frame were bracketed and strength
enged by angle irons aud that heavy iron
shores were bolted from the ships sides
to the top and bottom of the stern frame
TO support and steady the rudder- post in
the absence of the heel plate.
1t is not an easy matter to adjust the re-
pairs of steamer that has been SAWED by
the underwriters. The vessel must be re-
paired, placed in her original class and
handed back TO the owners IN every re-
spect as sound ship as she was before
the accident occurred, so that there are
three interests at stake. First. the own
ers. who want all they can get in the way
of improvements, new outfit and other
compensation; second, the underwriters,
who have to pay for all the repairs, equip
pair the ship and do everything in their
power to make the vessel what is techni-
cally called good risk, naturally object
to be saddled with any extra costs in the
shape of unnecessary alterations and eX-
travagant outfit of stores, etc.
Formerly an underwriters job was
always looked upon as a good thing for
the ship. for everything used up. worn
out or missing was put down as expended
in the saving operations and a new and
complete outfit was quite a godsend for
many an old badly found vessel. The
third and last interest at stake is that of
LlOyd's Registry. and their interest con-
sists in having the vessel repaired under
the inspection of their local surveyor, who
is responsible to the committee of classitl-
cation for the work being properly carried
ont, and whose certificate must be given
before the vessel can be classed in Lloyd's
Registry.
In the case of the Miowera the owners
interests are being looked after BY John
Wildrdge, consulting engineer to Messrs.
Huddart, Parker q CO.. the managing
owners; Mr.. Wawn OF the London Sal
wage Company represents the under
writers. and Lloyd's Registry is repre-
sented by Captain John Metcalfe. one of
the surveyors in the establishment.
The settlement of marine insurance
claims is often very difficult and of CON-
dictated nature, for 1t may easily be
imagined that owners of vessels who are
fully insured would be in a better position
II they could receive their insurance
money at once instead of having to take
the vessel back when the repairs are COM
pleted. which practically means the with
drawal of so much capital from their bust
ness for some months, for they often have
TO purchase or charter ship to do the
work of the one under repair, and it at
first sight does seem somewhat of an