Vessel Was in Yangtze Fire Five Years Ago For the third time lh its seven years history the Ming Chen, formerly the an before that the I'tu, will go on the Yangtze River Service, Under her first two names she was owned by the Yangtze Raplds s. Ca, now @efunct. At present she is owned by the Ming Sun Industrial 'On the morning of July 29 she had her final trial under M.D. W. Murphy, of the marine surveying' firm' of Eisler, Reeves & Murphy. She started from the Kiangnan Dock, where she has been undergoing repairs, ai Proceeded up the river at @ good of speed to the upper reaches of the iver. No report has as yet been made on' the final trial, but expected that shortly she will be back In service again.
Many changes have been made in the vessel besides her nomenclature, For one thing she has been lenge thened by about five feet, She has had her two Diesel engines taken out and replaced by bollers and steam engines, which give her considerably more horsepower. She can now do about 14 knots. "New accommodation, has been built into the ship for the carriage of passengers, and public rooms have all been renovated. She also has better deck space.
The Ming Chen has had an eventful career. As the I'tu she regularly made the runs from Shanghai to Chungking for two years. Then on November 15, 1931, she caught fire owing to an explosion in the engine sin. Four people lost their lives fen were missing. The fre ocr curred 323 miles above Tchang on the way to Chungking. Captain C, Ophermann managed to beach the vessel in the face of great difficulties, and 200 passengers were saved. The fire raged for two days, She was at first thought to be a total loss, but investigation showed that she could be refitted. She was towed back to Shanghai and for some months was laid up while repairs were made on her. When ready once more for the river service she was renamed the Iran, Last year when the Yangtze Rapids S. S. Ca. became defunct some of her vessels were sold to. the China Navigation Ca, and others to the Ming Sun Industrial Ca. The Ming Chen was one of those sold to the Chinese company.
The Ming Chen was built in 1920 by the Huh Shing Engineering Shipbuilding Ca, of Shanghel.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.