THE FIRST TRANS-PACIFIC MAIL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 66, 17 March 1908, Page 2

THE FIRST TRANS-PACIFIC MAIL.

. 1 THE PANAMA LINE. (By Will Lawson.) For more than four hundred years, men have endeavoured to find a quick way round the earth by crossing the Isthmus of Panama, and "fifty years ago this problem was as vital and pressing m the minds of statesmen and travellers as it is to-day. There were no transcontinental railways in America—the Union Pacific was in course of construction—and the Isthmus afforded a short route from coast to coast of both Americas. The United iStates Steamship Company ran vessels from .Tew "York. .San Francisco and Vancouver to Aspinwall and Panama, and a railway 40 miles in length traversed the distance between these two places, the journey occupying four hours. There were miasmic swamps extending along the greater part of the line: and at certain seasons of the year virulent fevers were contracted by the passengers overland. The Pacific Steam Navigation Company made connection with Valparaiso, Callao. and other South American ports, and the West Indian Royal Mail Steam Packet Company operated a line of steamers between Aspinall and Southampton, calling at Bermuda and Hayti. The Pacific services were purely coastal. It was not until 1858 that a proposal was made to "establish a line of fast packets of about 2,000 tons, and calculated for an average speed of 12 knots, to run between Australia, New Zealand. Panama and Vancouver Island.'' This proposal was the beginning of negotiations which terminated in 186.3. in an agreement being entered into by the Governments of New South Wales and New Zealand, and the Panama. New Zealand and Australian I Royal Mail Company for the carriage of mails between Panama and these countries. Between Aspinall and Southanipton. the carriage was performed by the West Indian Mail steamers at the ex- j pense of the British Government. At I this time there were four routes offer- j ing. by which to cross the Isthmus—N't- | caragus. Honduras. Teliatttitepec and Panama. The Panama Railroad Company and the Government of New Granada offered special facilities to the mail l company to take the mails and passengers over the Panama route. The rep- ' resentative of New Granada pointed out I in a letter written to the Panama Steamship Company that there had been no deaths from fever amongst through passengers for pome time past, some fatalities which bad occurred being "among' those who lingered a few days en route." Truly a pestilential country to travel through. The Panama Steamship Company, to I g ; ve it a short title, ran four steamers between Panama and Australia, particu- | lars of which were as follows: — Name Tonnage Nominal Horse Power. Mataura 17S8 .. 400 Kaikoura 1501 .. 400 It outline irrflS .. 350 Rakaia 34.->(! .. :ijo And there was also a spare ship at! Panama, the Prince Alfred, of 000 tons j and 180 horse-power. Connection with '. Vancouver was made by the United! States mail steamers. These Panama boats were accounted ! palatial liners and were accredited with I a fair turn of speed. They were two- | masted, brig-rigged and had fine lines j and lofty, raking spars. It is curious to lead, in a report, on the vessels and the route they were to travel, that the ships would "lie so close to the wind tinder the screw, they would run within I four points of the wind." In face of thi~. it is not surprising to learn that ample provision was made for the em- j ployment of canvas to assist the strum power, and being so heavily sparred with so low a horse-power, one can quite] realise that a strong head-wind would j seriously retard the progress of the yes- , sel. and necessitate a tacking course, as | with a sailing ship. The Rakaia. the fin-t ship of the line) to leave Panama, was despatched via ; Cape Horn en 20 April. l.Slili in order; 1 to sail from the American port on 24th 1 .lune. 1 HOC At the Australian end. the j Kaikoura arrived in time to leave Sydney on loth June, and Wellington on' 24th dune. So that this old line of trans-Pacific mail steamers may be said i to have been inaugurated by vessels I from both ends of the route. 'l Extracts from the log of tht! Kaikoura chow that she took '27 days from Wellington to Panama. Her daily runs | varied from 104 to 2SO knots. Twice on j ' her voyage her engines were stopped for ' two and si-halt hours, but. as her milej age on these days totalled 221 and 230 respectively, it is to be presumed that ( she was under sail at the time. It must | be remembered, however, that marine | engineering at that time, and for many ■ years afterwards, was in an almost ex- j perimental stage, and it was no unusual thing for a steamer to stbp several times on a voyage for repairs. The average speed on this trip was a fraction over ten knots an hour. On the, return voyage she made only nine and a-half knots, and on one. day her pro-| pellet was disconnected for sixteen hours, in spite of which she logged 232. miles. principally under sail. The amount, of coal consumed by the Kaikoura is not stated, but the Mataura. a slightly larger ship, burned, on a nineknot speed, thirty tons a day. and on an eleven-knot speed, forty tons. This monthly mail service was maintained for three years, the vessels running to time fairly well, though occasionally one would incur a penalty of a few hundred pounds. And then would follow ;i budget of correspondence, in which the reason of the delay would be demanded and given with a dignity and courtesy rarely met with nowadays.Nind in marked contrast to the correspondence which passed between the Governments and an American firm which ran the vessels, which succeeded the Panama bine. The postage of letters by the Panama route was one shilling per ounce, the Panama Railway charging 22 cents per pound for carriage of letters. The saloon fare to Panama was £0."). and there seems, at first, to have been a number of passengers travelling by this well-appointed line. And that the passengers were not allowed to pass i their time lit dull quietness is shown by some private records of the s.s. Mataura. which include some programmes of con- j certs and theatrical performances. One , of these is here given: — S.S. MATAT-RA. j :567. Under I he patronage of Captain (J. K. I Bird mill a distinguished circle of ladies. I On Thursday next. 31st October, the MilI t.'iuni Society will make tifclr appearance hi j the laughable farce I I.ITIT.i: TOODI.EKINS. Amantlius ('• Abraham. ]'■><: I Annie Miss Kitchener Susan Miss Douglas I C'apt. I.illipop A- Buchanan

Baraby Ea.bicombe, Esq C. Watson Browhsmith, Esq Hugh Millman, Esq. An interval of 15 minutes for refreshments and a supply of laughing gas for the side-splitting farce, entitled, SENT TO DARLINGHURST. Lancelot Banks Hugh Moore Perkyn Puddifoot Tom Browne Ouoler Tom Douglas Prices: Pit, nothing; boxes, less. The public are requested to bring no change for reserved seats, as none will ho demanded. Overcoats and crinolines may, if convenient, be left with the policeman at the door. No da\v__ allowed. Sole Lessee and Director. Hugh Millman, Esq. Stage Manager W. 1\ Wheeler Printed at the Ma taunt Press, SnloouThe last ship to run on the Panama Line was the Rakaia, one of the vessels which inaugurated the service, and she left Sydney for Panama on 22nd December, 1868. With the opening of the Union Pacific Railway, traffic which had used the Panama route was diverted to San Francisco: the fevers encountered on the overland journey made the line unpopular for passenger traffic; and constant friction between the three con- j tracting parties helped to terminate a: service, which, considering the times and i long sea run. was a creditable, if, per- ! haps, an ambitious one. And during the j succeeding sis years, the steamers which followed the Panama, the New Zealand and Australian Mail Line no doubt caused those who had grumbled at delays, to wish the old boats back again. I The Kaikoura, Ruahine and Rakaia were j sold to the Atlantic and Pacific Mail Com- ' pany of America; the Mataura returned! to London. New Zealand and Austra- ! lian ports knew them no more; the 1 winds and the currents obliterated the ' tracks they made, and of all the many - lines which succeeded them, none ran j to Panama. I I And when the road is made through | Panama for the deep-sea ships, thqf/ will j follow the tracks of these pioneers of. trade. ' I