The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-03-14
WILL CALL HERE
Contracts Made for New Oceanic
Liners.
LARGER THAN THE CHINA
To Be Built ey Cramrs-Joha D. SrresS.
els Places the Order - Re-
fr'gersfor Plants

|
Francisco's fleet of ocean-going mer-
chant steamers will have three OF the
largest and best appointed vessels %
their cGass ever seen In the Pacific
added TO its number before 1900 IS very
old.
The steamers are to be 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 run between San Francisco and
Sydney. y. 5. w, via Honolulu. II. l..
Apia, Samoa. and Auckland. y. 4.
The new steamers will be 5000 tons
gross burden, or nearly a thousand
tons bigger than the China of the Pa
cific Mail Company's fleet. At the pres
ent time the China Is the largest ves-
sci entering the port OF San Francisco.
so the dimensions OF the new vessels
now contracted for can be gathered
from the following comparisons:
China, gross tonnage 5.O60.S2: length
44O4: breadth 4S.1: depth 32S. New
steamers. gross tonnage 5000: length
450: breadth so: depth 35.
The new vessels will have double
bottoms and watertight compartments.
lThey will each have two sets OF triple
Expansion engines. which will develop
5000 horsepower. and twin screws will
drive the vessels at seventeen knots an
hour.
The China has magnificent cabin ac-
lcommodation. but her second-class
quarters could easily be improved up
on. The new Japanese steamers Am
erica Maru, Hongkong Marl and Nip
pom Maru are away ahead OF the China
steamers will not be able to compare
WIN the fliers now under way for the
lOceanic Steamship Company. These
will accommodate It's first class. $50
second class and 100 steerage passen-
gers. and in each section the comfort
of travellers will be 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 Yea
land are large exporters OF frozen beef
and mutton. and shipload after ship
load are going from there to Manila
TO feed the United States soldiers and
Tsailors There Is n demand for the
frozen meat in California, and the new
lSteamers will meet this demand by
lcarrying New Zealand mutton to San
Francisco. Five cents a pound is a big
price to pay for mutton in Australia
or New Zealand, while here 1915 cents
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 "a
comply with the navy regulations and
when in service can be turned into
AUXILIARY cruisers inside OF thirty-s!S
hours
Ii was originally the intention ot the
Ocean4c company to have the steamer:
built at the Union Iron Works in san
FRANCISCO. John ID. Sprecllels. presi'
dent OF the steamship company. auj
! Irving NJ. Scott OF the iron works held
} a number OF conferences. but owing q
the number OF contracts in hanI u was
found impossible 20 build the vessels
in the specified time. Mr.. Sprecke.s
wants 10 see the vessels IN commission
in March or April. 1900. at the latest.
Mr.. Scott decided that what with the
warships and merchant vessels he vas
now at work on and those the works
under contract to build. IL would be
Impossible to accept the building os the
three steamers IL they had 20 be CON-
pleted in n year. Mr.. Sprecke!s ac-
cordingly came East last month. and
tonight gave out the news that the
lcontract had been let 10 the Cramps.