The trial trip of the American West China Navigation _Co.'s steamer Mei Ren, which will ply through the Yangtze Gorges between Ichang and Chungking, took place on Sunday afternoon and was highly successful. About 150 people were guests of the company, including officials of the New Engineering & Shipbuilding Works, Ld., their families and friends, also officials of the Pacific Mail Ca., which has the chief interest in the new company, besides other stockholders and their families and friends. The steamer left dock at 12.30 p.m., steamed up the Huangpu a short distance to turn around and then headed for Woosung She went out about 20 miles from Woosung, making an average speed of about 12 knots an hour, and then returned, completing the trip at six o'clock. In her trial for specd, the Mei Ren made 14.35 knots, an average taken from three runs with the tide and three against it. All those interested, either commercially or professionally, were enthusiastic about the performance of the vessel and also in the construction of the boat, those commercially interested being space. She was also found to be particularly pleased with the cargo
exceedingly comfortable.
Contrary to expectations in a ship so light and yet outfitted with such heavy engines, there was little vibration, it being possible to write letters on any part of the boat at all times, except perhaps over the tunnels. The light displacement of the vessel is about 400 tons, and at 6-foot draft, she will carry about 350 deadweight tons of cargo. The steering gear is strong and very heavy to insure absolute reliability for the difficult run through the Gorges.' Accommodation is of the best and every comfort is provided including an ice plant and cold storage, the arrangement of the foreign galley on the saloon deck so that no food is carried on the open deck, and, in particular, the provision of a comfortable and attractive tea garden aft of the saloon.
Many departures in design and construction of the vessel have been made. The hull has raised tunnels for the propellers for light draft and as a protection and in addition has the shell plating carried up to the second deck more than two-thirds of the vessel's length, thus giving increased cargo can: city and added protection from fire. The deck houses are constructed of light steel, whereas the adopted practice has been the use of wood. and wood linings have also been excluded from the staterooms. The staterooms are large and com. odious on the second deck and cil other passengers, first class Chinese and steerage, are more than ordinarily well taken care of.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.