THE SAN FRANCISCO MAIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1323, 7 April 1877, Page 8

THE SAN FRANCISCO MAIL.

Auckland, April 2nd. The passengers for New Zealand by the City of Sydney are Messrs Swarbrick (2) and Macfarlane, Mrs Haydon, and ten in the steerage. She also brings forty-eight passengers for Sydney. The Taranaki leaves with the mail for the South to-day. THE CAUSE OF THE DETENTION. A telegram kindly forwarded to us by a passenger states : — The City.of Sydney arrived at 9 a.m. The cause of the delay was that while at Honolulu ft bolt which was holding the low-pressure pis* ton rod up while disconnected for examination broke, and let it go with a run, cracking the piston. A survey was held by three scientific engineers, and a decision was arrived at that the vessel should proceed to Sydney with one small high-pressure engine. Mr O'Hara, the chief engineer, completed the whole alteration necessary n the short apace of 20 hours without assistance from the shore, and it must redound to his credit that the ship has since averaged nine, and three-quarter miles per hour for 4000 miles. No such distance was ever attempted before under such circumstances.' The engine has registered an average of 1000h.p. since the break-down. The followingwtheofficialrepertof the voyage' to and from San Francisco :— Left Auckland on January 17th, arrived at Kandavu on the 22nd, and Honolulu on February Ist at midnight. Sailed on the 2nd. and arrived at San Francisco on February 10th ; landed mails at 10.30 p.m., and despatched them East by Sunday's train. On the 11th, breaking the connection oi the link of the air pump between Auckland and Kandavu, was delayed about ten hours. Strong head winds, with cross swell, characterised the whole of the passage. While at Honolulu wharf the bolt holding the low pressure piston broke and let it go with a run, cracking the piston. As soon as the extent of damage could be ascertained a survey was held by three scientific engineers, and a decision given that the ship should preceed to Sydney with the one small high pressure engine. Chief Engineer O'Hara completed the whole of the very complicated alterations nepessary without assistance from shore in twenty hours, and the vessel sailed on the 13th, arrived at Kandavu on the 23th, and at Auckland at nine this morning. Notwithstanding 'the accident to the machinery, the vessel has come 4000 miles under a single high-pressure engine at an average speed of 9f knots. The City of New York arrived at and sailed from Kandavu on the 19th March. The City is not. the. same vessel as was sighted at the Bay of Islands yesterday. ' ' .