Eighth Vessel for Norwegian Firm:
New Offices Inaugurated by Local Shipbuilders Sponsored by Mrs. C. A. Skinner, who broke a bottle of champagne against the bows, the str. Hafthor was successfully launched on Wednesday afternoon at the shipyards of the New Engineering & Shipbuilding Works, Ld., Yangtszepoo Road. There was a large concourse of visitors present to witness the christening of the vessel and cheer as she gracefully took to the water. Following the launching ceremony, guests were served with refresh: ments in the new offices of the company.
Mr. H. E. Arnhold, who acted as toastmaster, in proposing a toast to the vessel, said:—The Hafthor, which vessel you have just witnessed so gracefully glide into her natural element, is the eighth steamer built by this company for the same owners, Messrs. Bruusgaard, Kiosterud Ca. of Norway. Among those who have honoured us with their company to-day I notice several who also attended the launching of the first of this fleet of eight vessels about 22 years ago, and I am sure you will be pleased to Know that the sister ships have each in turn been kept busily engaged plying their trade, some in distant ports where their visits appear to have left a favourable impression of what can be achieved with Chinese labour under foreign supervision.
It is but 14 months since, on the occasion of the launching of the str. Halvdan, I drew attention, to the fact that four steamers remained to be constructed for these same owners, and it is a matter of considerable gratification to us to be able to show that not only can these works produce vessels of the highest class and workmanship but also that in quickness of construction they can equal the large shipbuilding yards in home lands, Tue New Oreices.
We have every confidence in the labour at our disposal and the natural aptitude of the Chinese in this respect augurs well for the future of the engineering and shipbuilding industry in Shanghai, where very rapid strides have been made in the last few years. These ever-growing demands have necess-irated considerable extensions and improvements in our yards to meet the requirements of the future, tensions which would not be complete without suitable accommoda-tiou for our increasing staff—hence the necessity for the construction of this new building which reflects the growth of our business. As further evidence of this progress I am sure you will be pleased to hear that the berth just vacated by the Hafthor will be immediately occupied in the construction of a. 3,000-ton steamer for the Yangtze trade, so that despite the temporary general depression in the Reproduced with pet
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.