Victoria City - Launch

LAUNCH OF THE s.s. VICTORIA CITY

Another Fine Vessel Leaves the Slips.

DOCKYARD LAUNCH.

Northern Daily Mail. 2nd November 1929

Yesterday Messrs. William Gray and Co., Ltd., launched from their Central Shipyards the steel screw
steamer Victoria City, the fifth of six steamers being built to the order of Sir William Reardon Smith and Sons Ltd., Cardiff.

The vessel will take the highest class in British Corporation Registry of Shipping and is of the following dimensions: Length B.P 400ft. 0in.; breadth, 54ft. 3in.; depth moulded to upper deck, 28ft. 0 ½ in. with open shelter deck and forecastle.

She is constructed of deep channel framing, with double bottom carried right out to shell, and has six watertight bulkheads, together with steel centre line bulkhead in the holds and ‘tween decks, with wood shifting boards in way of hatches for special carriage of grain cargoes.

                                                 EQUIPMENT

Spacious accommodation for the captain and officers is arranged in steel house amidships, the engineers being berthed in large houses alongside the casing, and the crew forward. For the quick handling of cargo, 11 powerful steam winches are provided to work 11 derricks. A direct-acting steam windlass forward and steam steering gear amidships are also fitted.

The topmasts will be telescopic, lowering to a height suitable for the Manchester Ship Canal Bridges.

The vessel will be completed in all respects as a first-class cargo steamer; her equipment including
refrigerating plant, an efficient wireless installation, and electric light throughout.

                                              MACHINERY

The propelling machinery will be supplied by the Central Marine Engine Works of the builders, and will consist of reciprocating engines of the balanced quadruple inverted direct-acting surface condensing type, and three forced draught boilers working at a pressure of 260lbs.per square inch. The boilers will be arranged to burn either coal or oil fuel.

A number of auxiliaries of the well-known “C.M.E.W.” type, made by the Central Marine Engine Works of the builders will be fitted, including a thermocouple installation by means of which the temperatures of the gasses in the combustion chambers of the boilers, the smokeboxes, the base of the funnel, and other points may be easily and conveniently read at one place in the engine room.

                                               THE NAMING CEREMONY

The ship and machinery are being built under the supervision of Mr. W. G. Lilley and Capt. E. A. Tamlyn, on behalf of the owners, and the ceremony of naming the steamer Victoria City was performed by Mrs. Willie Smith, of Barry.

The owners were represented by Mr. Willie Smith (director), Mr. William Reardon Smith, and Capt. Tamlyn.

The builders were represented by Sir William Gray, Bt. (chairman), Mr. F. C. Pyman (managing director), A. McGlashan (director), Mr. T. S. Simpson (General Manager) and Mr. J. Young (Yard Manager).

Among those present were Lady Gray and Mrs Pyman, and Mr. J. Aitken, representing the British
Corporation.



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