["The S.S. Gorgon at Geraldton", Geraldton Guardian (WA), Tuesday 12 January 1909, page 3]
The S.S. Gorgon at Geraldton.
A NEW NOR'-WEST STEAMER.
There arrived at Geraldton yesterday afternoon, to the agency of Messrs. Dalgety and Co., Ltd., Messrs. Alfred Holt and Co.'s new steamer Gorgon, which has been built specially for the Fremantle-Singapore trade to replace the familiar s.s. Sultan. At Singapore, all the Sultan's officers, excepting the engineers, transferred themselves to the Gorgon, so that she arrived in charge of Capt. P. Townley, and with him are most of the Sultan's navigating officers and crew.
The Gorgon was registered at Liverpool on October 31. Her registered tonnage is given at 1,733 tons. She has accommodation for 126 first-class passengers, and 69 second-class passengers, and carries a crew of 71 all told, or a total of 266 passengers and crew. The first-class accommodation, and also that of the officers is amidships, the former adjoining the comfortable and spacious dining-room, which is below the music room, both of which extend the full width of the ship (as in the ill-fated Karrakatta), and are lavishly fitted with electric fans. The upholstery is of a light, airy pattern, and the walls and ceilings painted white, which give everything a cool appearance. The gangways are wide and well ventilated. The second-class passengers are accommodated at the stern of the vessel, the bunks being formed of iron frames, and are consequently well ventilated. The dimensions of the Gorgon are as follows:--Length, over all, 300ft.; beam, 42ft.; depth 26ft. She has five hatches, and is well fitted up on the 'tween deck for the carriage of stock, the stalls being removable, and the partitions fitting in iron posts.
The new steamer is well fitted with life-saving apparatus, and carries seven lifeboats, 267 lifebelts, 8 life-buoys, besides the usual complement of blue lights, rockets, cannons, etc.
On her maiden trip from Liverpool to Singapore, the Gorgon was in charge of Capt. R. J. Woodgate, who handed the steamer over to Captain Townley at Singapore. Captain Townley expresses himself delighted with his new charge, and says she is a splendid sea boat. Mr. Preston, the chief engineer, has been in charge of the machinery, since the steamer left Liverpool. The engines are of the triple-expansion type, 1,070 horse power, and capable of driving the Gorgon at 14 knots. On the run from Broome to Port Hedland, the steamer averaged 13.6 knots. All the machinery worked smoothly.
As tha name Gorgon is an unfamiliar word, the following information taken from a dictionary of mythology may be interesting:--The "Gorgons" were three frightful female monsters who turned all they looked upon, into stone. Their names were Medusa, Euryale, and Stheno, and they were daughters of Phoreys and Ceto. Their heads were covered with serpents in place of hair, and they had wings, frightful teeth, and brazen claws. Of the three, Medusa alone was mortal.
