The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1899-03-17
WILL CALL here
Contracts n,ls FOR New Oceanic
Liners.
LARGER THAN the CHINA
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PHILADELPHIA, March 4. - San
Franciscos feet OF ocean-going mer-
chant steamers will have three of the
largest and best appointed vessels Of
their cIass ever seen In the Pacific
added to its number before 1900 is very
old.
The steamers are to he built for the
Oceanic Steamship Company and will
replace the Australia. now running be-
tween San Francisco and Honolulu.
and the Alameda and Mariposa, now
on the ruin between San Francisco and
Sydney. n. 5. W., via Honolulu, II. l.,
Apia, Samoa. and Auckland. N. z.
The new steamers will be 5000 tons
gross burden, or nearly a thousand
tons bigger than the China Of the Pa
cifc Mail Companys feet. At the pres
ent time the China is the largest YES
sci snterng the port Of San Francisco.
10 the dimensions OF the new vessels
now contracted for can he gathered
from the following comparisons:
China, gross tonnage 5,060.s2; length
400; breadth 4S1: depth 32.s. New
steamers. gross tonnage 5000; length
$50; breadth 80; depth IS.
The new vessels will have double
bottoms and watertight compartments.
They will each have two sets Of triple
Expansion engines. which will develop
5000 horsepower, and twin screws will
drive the vessels al seventeen knots an
hour.
The China has magnificent cabin ac-
commodation. but her second-class
quarters could easily he improved up
on. The new Japanese steamers Am
erica Maru, Hongkong MaIT and Nip
pom Maru are away ahead Of the China
in this respect, but even these new
steamers will not be able to compare
with the fiers now under way for the
Oceanic Steamship Company. These
will accommodate 175 first class, 150
second class and 100 steerage passen.
Igers, and In each section the comfort
lof travellers will he better looked after
than on any vessel ever seen on the
Pacific.
The new vessels will. Of course, be
lighted with electricity throughout
They will also have something that has
long been required on steamers In the
Australian trade and that Is a refriger.
ating plant. Australia and New Tea
land are large exporters Of frozen beei
and mutton, and shipload after ship
load are going from there To Manila
to feed the United States soldiers and
sailors There IL demand for the
frozen meat In California, and the new
steamers will meet this demand by
carrying New Zealand mutton TO San
Francisco. Five Genus a pound Is big
lprice to pay for mutton in Australia
or New Zealand, while here 12k cent
Is considered cheap.
Besides the frozen meat cargo the
steamers will carry $500 tons of gen
eral cargo and 1000 tens OF coal IN
their bunkers. They will be built &c
comply with the navy regulations ant
when In service can be turned int
auxiliary cruisers inside OF thirty-si,
hours.
II was originally the intention OF thu
Oceanic company TO have the steamer
tniilt at THE Union Iron Works in SaI
rranc,sco. John ID. Spreckels, presl
dent OF the, steamship company, an'
Irving NJ. Scott OF the drOn works hell
n number OF conferences, but owing Il
the number OF contracts In ham 1t wa
found impossible TO build the vessel
In the specified time. Mr.. Spreckel
wants 10 see the vessels In commission
In March or April, 1900, at the --latest
Mr. Scott decided that what with tn
warships and merchant vessels he wa
a now at work on and those the work
y under contract TO build, II would b
% impossible TO accept the building OF th
three steamers II they had to be con
pleted In year. Mr.. Spreckels az
cordingly came East last month, an
y to- might gave out the news that tn
y contract had been let TO the Cramp
II