DESTROYED STEAMSHIP AND TOURING OFFICES.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12484, 21 April 1906, Page 10

DESTROYED STEAMSHIP AND TOURING OFFICES.

'-Messrs Thomas Cook and San," saiiT Mr J. O. Jameson, the local agent of the firm, in the coursv ot a talk yesterday, "have had very bad luck lately in the matter of convulsions of Nature. They were the owners of tho i'uhicukir railway -and the

Electric Tramway which were used to convey visitors up Mount Vesuvius. You will remember tho Editor of "The Press," who had travelled on the lines, gave a detcription of them a few days ago. They were purchased by Messrs Cook and Son from an Italian firm. So far as we know, the tourist, office of Cook and Son in Naples is all right. Now comes the San Francisco earthquake. Our office in No. 621 Market street, which is part of tho Palace Hotel building, has boon swept away. But it will make no cifference to our business, as it will be carried en in temporary premises, and we are booking passengers by the next boat. Bishop Grimes is booked to leave on Wednesday next to join th© Sierra, and wo always have very heavy booking in May. but perhaps this catastrophe may hare the effect of deterring people from going. S:range to say. we did not book anyone by th? Sonoma." As presenting a somewhat remarkable commentary on recent events. Mr Jameson called" attention to a quotation which appears on an illustrated leaflet by the A. and A. Co., giving a binl's-eve view of tbe St.a.te ct California. * "It seems rather incongruous," said Mr Jameson, "in the l;_ht of the events which are to read tho quotation with regard to San Francisco, which heads the leaflet. Here it js:—-A good Sand, a land of brooks of water, of foi_;t ; _:_s of! elep'tlhs that spring out of valleys and hills; a land ot wheat and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil, olive and heney; a land wherein thou sha'Jt ©at bread w-kihunt scaipenoss; thou sha.lt not lack anything in it; a land whoso stones are iron, and out of whos;» hills thou mayest dig brass.

••There is, you will observe, no mention of earthquakes." In conversation with Mr Charters, of Kin-ev, Barns and Co., the agents of the A*, and A. line, to which the Sonoma belongs, he said .-—"Beyond Mr and ■Mrs Basse'tt and family, nnd Mr ond Mrs Joseph Gould, wo did not, 1 think, book any one from Christchurch in the first or second saloon. AMr Mollov booked steerage from here. There was an unusually small number of passengers from Christchurch in the Sonoma. Tho head office of the lino in San Francisco was in Sprocket's building, wfilch was demolished. The building, which was one of tho largest in the city, was situated at the corner of New Montgomery street and Market streets, and was an enormous one, being sovetite.Pii storeys high. 'The Sonoma was to have sailed yesterday, but wo have not heard whether she was able to leave. The following aro her officers: —Commander, C. F. Herriman; chief officer, J. J. Kouglnan; second officer, M. C t Smith: third officer, R. Miklcson; purser, G. A. Hcd-son; surgeon. Dr. B. P. Barnard; chief engineer, A. D. Little; first assistant engineer, T. Blackburn; second assistant engineer, C. Norton; chief steward, A. Hackett. Of course, as tho cables received to-day state, that the elamage to shipping is not so great sis anticipated, there may lie no interruption to tho sailing of the Sonoma.'"'