PASSING OF THE S.B. ROTOMAHANA.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 194, 11 May 1908, Page 2

PASSING OF THE S.B. ROTOMAHANA.

Sir,; —It has been announced that a very old and favourite friend and Now Zoalancl identity,; the. s.'s. : Rotomahana, will shortly say farewell and mako lior final bow to' the • ports and harbours, as well as to the citizens of the Dominion, and take up the running on a part of the Australian coast.' She has been a good. old boat, and skilfully handled, by officers and' men, It seems a pity_ to let her depart in silence without a single word of acknowledgment of ,the many' valuable services she has rendered; to this community. A number of years ago sho was '-lying at the' Auckland pier ready for her 1 trip, to Sydney when the mail ateamor from' San Francisco arrived. The officers of the two vessels started to back the speed of'their boats against each other, , and bets were laid 011 the result of a, race . from Auckland to Sydney. ' : The llotomahana got away first in" the aftomoon, and the 'Frisco mail steamci; followed soon after.' ! ; The r got ,-to know that a race was on, and tho greatest interost-, and cxcitoment prevailed 011 ■ board. When tho sun set on the first day the--long black,-'cloud of. smoke,; from the Rotomahana funnel' could be' seen fair -ahead ; by the passengers and crew of the 'Frisco, mail steamer.. , As" soon as tho 'sun rose next all eyes ..were; strained in', search of their competitor,' and there far ahead was the long black .cloud of-'smoke. Air day they watched, and the officers and crew worked their hardest, but when the night came down they .seemed just/as far off as ever. When they looked , out over tho waste of waters' on'tho last day,-the good old Rotomahana was going on ahead as fast and as strong as\ ever. • Every ounce of steam was worked up, and everything, that officers and men could do was done in tho endeavour to overtake the Union Conipany's greyhound, and when tlioj' reache'd the-Heads at Sydney the two steamers were running almost "neck and neck." The ex- ' cited shouts and barracking of the. passengers could be heard from one ship to the' other. The two vessels continued in this . order ,up ' th«* harbour, and tho .New Zea-*, lander, won the 1250 mile race across the' Tasman Sea—l am, etc., - . May-6. / KIA ORA.