Historic Shipwreck Profile: Additional Background on Vessel

Source: The Washington Standard (Olympia, WA), 15 August 1919, p. 3, col. 1.
Courtesy of The Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

Transcription:

FOUR SLOAN SHIPS FIGURE IN BIG DEAL

FIRST VESSELS BUILT AT LOCAL YARD TAKEN OVER BY NEW SEATTLE FIRM

Four motorships constructed by the Sloan Shipyards of this city for the Australian government figured in a big deal at Seattle this week when they and five others constructed at a yard in that city were bought by a syndicate of which J. E. Chilberg, prominent Seattle banker, is the head.

Millions of dollars are involved in the deal. The vessels are the 4,000-ton motorships Benowa, Bobinda, Balcatta, Boobyalla and Boorika, all products of the Patterson-McDonald yard, and the 3,500-ton Cethana. Colburra, Coolcha and Challamba, built in the Sloan yard. These were the first vessels built at the local yard.

The Cethana, Colburra, Coolcha and Challamba are in full operation, running between Australia and India. The Benowa was delivered to the commonwealth July 10 by the Patterson- MacDonald plant. The Babinda will he delivered August 15 and the Balcatta September 15.

The motorships are twin-screw carriers, each vessel having two Mcintosh & Seymour Diesel engines of a total 1,300 indicated horsepower, giving an average speed of ten knots. In the five Patterson-MacDonald carriers all the auxiliaries and deck machinery are electric-driven, placing them among the most modern ocean carriers in existence. The Sloan ships have steam auxiliaries. All nine vessels are equipped with the latest cargo handling appliances.

The Patterson-MacDonald motor ships have a traveling radius of 12,000 miles and the Sloan ships, 6,000 miles. All are general cargo carriers.