THE MAIL STEAMER SONOMA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11631, 19 April 1901, Page 5

THE MAIL STEAMER SONOMA.

ACCIDENT TO, HER .MACHINERY.

The American mail . steamer Sonoma arj rived from San Francisco, Honolulu, and l,Samoa, last" evening, after a passage of 17 I days 10 hours 30 minutes. The Sonoma left San Francisco at half-past four a.m. on March 30, having been detained owing to | the English mails 1 being late in arriving, as the steamer across the Atlantic met with extremely bad weather, which delayed her arrival at New York. 'V ~. *

For the first twenty-four hours after leaving Honolulu, the Sonoma met with very bad weather, a strong head wind and high seas prevailing. At twenty-two minutes past seven a.m. on April. 1, the high pressure piston of the port engine broke, knocking the head and top of the cylinder off, and the rest of the voyage to Honolulu was continued with one engine, notwithstanding which an average speed of 14 knots per hour was maintained. '

I Whilst at Honolulu the engines were compounded and the voyage resumed on the morning of the 6th, the engineers working all the time to get everything in order. An average speed of. knots per hour was maintained until twenty minutes past eleven a.m. on the 10th, when the low pressure .piston of the compounded engine cracked, and the remainder of the voyage had to be run with one engine, the average rate of speed being 14 knots pet hour. The lime occupied on the voyage, exclusive of delays at wayports, was 17 days 10 hours 30 minutes, which is a.wonderful performance considering the circumstances, and shows clearly the great advantage of the twin-screw steamer. The Sonoma; proceeds on to Sydney to-day, and on arrival at that port will undergo the necessary repairs to her disabled engine. It may be remarked that the Sonoma, although travelling a distance of nearly 5000 miles under one engine, landed her mails on contract time.

On arrival at Honolulu Mr. A. D. Little, the chief engineer of the steamer, was presented with an' address by the passengers congratulating himself and his staff and assuring them of the sincere appreciation of the passengers of their skill and judgment under the circumstances of the accident to the machinery.