A LONG TRIP TO AMERICA.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 115, 17 May 1916, Page 3

A LONG TRIP TO AMERICA.

A message from Christhurch gives an account of the extraordinary roundabout trip that had to be made by the Toromeo (which arrived at Lyttelton on Monday last), on her last trip from Australia to an American port. To carry the same cargo across the equator three times was the experience of the steamer Toromeo, now at Lyttelton discharging general merchandise from New York (states the

message). After leaving Port Pirie (South Australia( with a cargo of some 5000 tons of concentrates, the Toromeo preceded to Newcastle and bunkered before sailing for the Panama Canal. She arrived at B’alboa on October 12, and it was then learned that, owing to the last great slip ■in the canal, it was doubtful whether the vessel would be able to get through. She was detained three weeks in expectation of the waterway being repaired for traffic. The captain eventually put about in order to get to his destination by another route. To go via Cape Horn, it became necessary to cross the equator a second time, and the Pacific a third time. After crossing the Atlantic the Toromeo arrived at her destination — Galveston (U.S.A.) on January 4, The reversion to the Cape Horn route involved an additional journey of some thousands of miles. The Toromeo is not the only steamer that has had such an experience. The Conargo and other British steamers bound for North America from Australasia had also to weather the Horn for a similar reason.