The Chinese Engineering and Mining Company's now steamer Kaiping, which left London on the 22nd of August, arrived hero vid Chinwangtao, on Thursday afternoon the 26th ult. She is undoubtedly a valuable addition to the local coasting shipping and has such excellent accommodation for both foreign and native passengers that she is certain to be well patronised, especially during the winter season. She was built by Messrs. Swan, -Hunter, and Wigham Richardson, Ld., at Wallsend-on-Tyne, and is of the following dimensions:—Length over all, 312 feet; beam extreme, 44 ft. 2 in.; moulded depth, 23 feet; gross tonnage, 2,546; net tonnage, 1,605; and carries a load of 3,543 tons on a draught of 19 feet 4 in, steam ing at the rate of 13 knots per hour. Hor in dicated horse-power is 2,700. She was built to Lloyd's highest class, sparwtleck rule. Her engines, which have been constructed by the Wallsend Slipway and Engineering Company, Ld., consist of a set of triple-expansion engines, having cylinders 253, 414, and 68 inches in diameter by 45-in. stroke, steam being supplied by two large single-ended boilers working at 180 Ibs. pressure. Six powerful steam winches are fitted, and she is fitted with steam steering gear amidships, hund screw gear aft, patent direct steam windlass, Jarge donkey boiler, strong derrick gear, and an electric light installation, including lamps in the hold and deck to enable loading and dischai ing during the night. The cellular double bottom for water ballast extends throughout, except under the engines, the tanks having a capacity of 1,158 tons, the deep (No. 3) tank holding 550 tons. The boilers are fitted with Howden's system of forced draught, and See's patent ash ejectors are used.
In the central deck-house forward is the captain's saloon, which i and well fitted, and just aft of this ladies' lounge aud_ the entrance staircase to the saloon. The saloon is beantifully panelled in light and dark oak, is well upholstered, and has seating accommodation at two large dining tables for 24 passengers. One natio able feature of the saloon is its height—8 feet from floor to ceiling—indeed, all the decks are of unusual height,—and its Inrge port-holes, which are 16 inches in diameter. With entrances from the saloon are seven large and airy state-white-painted wails and coiling, and each fitted with two mab gony bunks and lounge. Each cabin fitted with electric lights and electric fav. There are nine state-rooms in all, accommodating twenty foreign passengers, the other two state-rooms, which is very large and cental being in the starboard allow: There are also excellently fitted Indic ts lavatories and bathrooms ing. Aft of the saloon companion, amidships, but well shut off from the passengers' quarters isan unusually largo aft again being the entrance to the engine room, while in the port and starboard alleyways are the pantry, store room, and tie officers' and engineers' quarters, with the exception of the chief officer's and chief engineer's cabins, which are aft on the promenade deck. " Right aft, on the main deck and in the tween decks, is accommodation for thirty first-class and thirty second-class Chinese passengers, and for the first and second compradores. The, Chinese passengers have certainly far superior accommodation on the Kaiping to that of the ordinary China coaster, There are fifteen first-class cabins, each containing a lavatory, two mahogany bunks and a lounge, the floors being covered with a patent wood-dust composition. The second-class cabins are also well-fitted, containing five bunks each, and all the cabins open on to spacious saloon. On the bridge deck is a commodious wheelhouse, and on this deck is a Kelvin's compass with the latest modern improvements, probably the only one of its kind on the coast. On this deck also are four large lifeboats, and aft are the gig and pim The Kaiping holds the Board of Trade certificate to carry 84 passengers (20 foreign and 64 native) and a crow of 74 (foreigners and natives).
Capt. Macfarlane, late of the Hsiping, brought the Kaiping out from home and remains in command, and he and Mr. Frischling, the Company's Marine Superintendent, very courteously showed our representative over the new steamer.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.