THE 'FRISCO MAIL STEAMER.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 4 January 1901, Page 3

THE 'FRISCO MAIL STEAMER.

Bad Luck on the First Trip

(per press association)

Auckland, This Day. Arrived Sierra from San Francisco, 44 days late with mail. The delay caused by bad weather, and the breaking of the low pressure piston. After repairs were effected she came on under reduced speed Arrived Sierra 4J-days late. The passage occupied 517 hours. Her steaming time was 497, and met with a heavy gale on the rumto Honolulu, which took 7 days. , < The low prsssure piston broke on 21th near Pago Pago., The engineers removed the broken piston and redpeed the revolution s of the engines. A quantity of water was shipped near Honolulu and the woodwork in front of the bridge broken. The Sierra proved herself a splendid, sea boat.

' The Mail agent reports that the best time the Sierra made was sixteen knots an i hour for 24 hours. A. few days before the arrival at ’Frisco a nailroad accident the final portion of the mail for 12 hours and a further delay of 7 hours was caused through six bags of letters and eleven bags of newspapers from New York for New Zealand and Australia being loft behind at Ogden. Owing to the gale between Frisco and Honolulu the steamer had to go half speed most of the time. She was delayed 24 hours at Honolulu owing to the vessel not having appliance for landing cargo smartly. The steamer has accomodation for 238 first-class passengers, 80 second, and 84 steerage. She has four cold storage rooms with a capacity of 360 tons. Half a million of salmon ova shipped at ‘Frisco for New Zealand have arrived in excellent condition.