THE KING’S NEW YACHT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2091, 28 May 1907, Page 1

THE KING’S NEW YACHT.

A furtlior demonstration —if any be needed—of King Edward’s love of the sea is furnished by tlie new turbine yaclit appropriately named Alexandra, which is being built for His Majesty, and which was to be launched from the yard of Messrs. A. and J. Inglis and Co., at Glasgow, on April 30. The new Royal yacht is a most elegantly appointed vessel, her fittings and liandsomo decorations making her, in this respect, quite tho first craft afloat. The Alexandra is intended to replace the Osborne, which is no longer considered to be fit for use. She is a vessel of 285 feet long by 40 feet broad and is 2000. tons gross.

Three Parsons turbines will be the propelling power, each of these turbines driving separate shafts, The yacht’s speed capacity will be seventeen knots.

Shorter by 137 feet than the Victoria and Albert, and of less than

half tho tonnages of the former, the new vessel .is intended for the private use of the Royal Family and their immediate attendants. She is meant primarily for short cruises and for visiting thp harbours where tho draught of water is limited, such as Flushing, Nice, and other Continental ports, which His Majesty when on holiday frequents. The order lor the construction of the yacht was received by the Glasgow shipbuilding firm in competition with a number of other firms who submitted designs, and it was given to them by an Admiralty Committee, including Mr. Philip Watts, Director of Naval Construction, who approved the designs. The Queen’s drawing-room and the smoke-room are on the upper deck aft. The decorated work, furniture, etc., will, as far'as possihle, he made in Scotland,

MAILS FOR GREAT BRITAIN

THE TEHUANTEPEC ROUTE

A POSSIBLE 2:3 ILVYS’ SERVICE,

Mr. IV. J. Napier, of Auckland, who recently returned to Auckland after a trip to tlie United States and. Europe, liqs forwarded the following letter to the Acting-Postmaster-Gen-eral at Wellington on the question of establishing a now direct mail service from Ne\t - Zealand to England : “Auckland, May 14, 1907. The Hon. tlie Postmaster-General. Sir, —ln view of tlio cessation of the Sqi\ Francisco mail service, I desire to draw your attention to the possibility of establishing a new and more direct mail service, to England, yin Tehuantepec, Mexico.; From information I gathered during a recent visit to the United States of America, 1 understand that by July next there will be a steamboat connection between tho Hawaiian Islands and tlie Isthmus of Panama at Tehuantepec. A railroad has been constructed across the isthmus from the Pacific to tho Atlantic side, and breakwaters have been constructed on both sides, enclosing harbors with a depth of 35ft at low water spring tides. An English company, headed by Sir 'Wheelman Pearson], the. Liverpool engineer, holds the concession fo,r the railroad and docks from the Mexican Government. There are excellent wharves, and on the Pacific side the sheltered deep-water harborha s an area of SO acres.; On the Atlantic side steamers are to connect at present with New York. If a steamer could he arranged for to take the New Zealand mails from the railway, on the Atlantic side of tho

isthmus, the letters could bo delivered in London in 23 days from Auckland. The matter is one of suck great importance to New Zealand that it will well repay your early attention. If a reasonable subsidy were given there would be no difficulty in getting steamboat connection with Kngland from the Atlantic side, and we could easily send our mails to Honolulu to connect with the company’s lino from that port to Tehuantepec. Trusting that you will favorably consider this proposal. I —l have tlio honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, W. J. Napier.”

In Italy tobacco is served out to soldiers as part of their regular rations.

Tho Stato Coal Mine (says the West Coast Times) is at present giving very satisfactory results, which is a matter for congratulation all over the colony. Tho average output of the mine at present is 1000 tons a day, and as much as 1100 was recorded one day last week. The miners arc kept working full time, and the plant is working smoothly and well. Tliero aro plenty of orders in Ttand, but troublo is being experienced in getting sufficient trucks and steamers to carry away tlio coal.