THE FIRST TRANSPACIFIC MAIL

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 11 March 1908, Page 15

THE FIRST TRANSPACIFIC MAIL

THE PANAMA LINE.

By ,Will Lawson. For more than 400 years men have en- j deavoured to -find a quick way round the earth by crossing the Isthmus of Panama, , and 50 years ago this" problem was ac vital and pressing in the minds of statesmen and travellers as it is to-day. There were no trans-continental railways in America—the Union Pacific was in course oi construction—and the Isthmus afforded a short Toute from coast to coast of both Americas. The United States Steamship Company ran "vessels from New York, San Francisco, and Vancouver to Aspin"wall 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 ; at- certain seasons of the year virulent fevers were contracted by the passengers overland. The Pacific Steam Navigation Co. made connection with Valparaiso, Callao, and other South American ports, and the West Indian Royal Mail Steam Packet Co. operated a line of steamers between Aspinwall 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 2000 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 1863 in an agreement being entered into by the Governments of New South Wales and New Zealand and the Panama, New Zealand, and Australian Royal Mail Company for the carriage of mails between Panama and these countries. Between Aspinwall and Southampton the carriage was performed by the West Indian mail steamers at the expense of the British Government. Ai this time there were four routes offering by which to cross the Isthmus—Nicaragua, Honduras, Tebauntepec, and Panama. The Panama Railroad Company and the Government of New Granada offered special facilities to the mail company to take the mails and passengers over the Panama route. The representative of New Granada pointed out, in a letter written to the Panama Steamship Co., that there had been no deaths from fever amongst through passengers for some time past, some fatalities which had occurred being "among those who lingered a few days en route." Truly a pestilential country to travel through! The Panama Steamship Co., to give it a short title, ran four steamers between ■Panama and Australia, particulars of ■which were as follows : —

And there Wiis also a spare ship ah. Panama, the Prince Alfred, of 900 tons and 180 horse-nower. Connection with Vancouver was made by the United Statps m^il steamers. "-C- Panama boats were accounted U.w<uin,l liners, and were accredited with a fair torn of speed. They were'two-masted, brig-rigged, and had fine lines and lofty, raking spars. It is curious to read, in a report on tbe v<assel6 and the route they were to travel, that the ships would "lie «o close to the wind under the serew —• they would run within four points of the •■wind." In face of this it is not surprising to learn that ample provision was mad© for the employment of canvas to assist the steam power, and as they were heavily sparred, with so low a horsepower, one can quite realise that a strong nead wind would seriously retard the progress of the vessel, and necessitate a tacking course, as with a sailing ship. The Rakaia, the first ship of the line to le?ve Panama, was despatched from Tendon, via Cape Horn, on Apiil 20, 1866. in order to sail from the American port on June 24, 1866. At the Australian end. the Kaikoura arrived in time to leave Sydney on June 15, and Wellington on June 24. So that this old line of trans-Pacific mail steamers may be said to have been inaugurated by vessels from both ends of the Toute. Extracts from the lose of the Kaikoura show that she took 27 days from Wellington to Panama. Her daily runs varied from 164 to 280 knots. Twice on the voyage her engines were stopped for 2£ hours, but as her mileage on these days totalled 221 and 250 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 experimental stage, and it was no unusual thing for a steamer to stop several times on a voyage for repalirs. The average speed on this trip was a fraction over 10 knots an hour. On the return voyage she made only 9-^ knots. and on one day her was disconnected for 16 hours, in spite of which «he logged 232 miles, principally under sail. The amount of coal consumed by the Kaikoura is not stated, buit the Mataura. » slightly larger ship, burned on-a 9-km>t speed, 30 tons a day, and on an 11-knot speed 40 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 a ifcidget.of correspondence, in which the reason of the delay would be demanded and given with a dignity and courtesy rarely met with nowadays, and in marked contrast to the correspondence which passed between the Governments and an American firm which ran the vessels which sue- J oeeded the Panama Line. The postage of | letters by the Panama route was" one I shilling per ounce, the Panama Railway charging 22 cerrts per lb for carriage of

letters. The 6aloon fare to Panama was £65, 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 their time in dull quietness is shown by some private records of the s.s. Mataura, which include some programmes of concerts and theatrical performances^ ' One -of. tfiese is here given: — ''-"^ r — - '■-*" '- S.S. MATAURA. 1867. . . - 1 Tinder the patronage of Capt. G. JE. Bird and a distinguished circle of ladies, on Thursday- n«xt, Octobsr 31, the Mataura .Society will make their appearance in the laughable farce, Little Toddi/Ekins. Amanthus C. Abraham, Esq. Annie Miss Kitchener Susan Miss Douglas Ca.pt. Lillipop -^ A. Bushman Baraby Babicombe, Esq. / C. Watson Bro-wnsmith, Esq Hugh Millman, Esq. An interval of 15 minutes foT refreshments and a supply of laughing gas for the sidesplitting farce entitled, Sent to D.vrlinghurst. . I/ancelot Banks Hugh Moore Perkyn Puddifoot Tom Browne Gaoler Tom Douglas Prices. — Pit, nothing ; boxes, less. The public are requested to bring no change for reserved seats as none will be demanded. Overcoats and crinolines may. if convenient, be left with the policeman at the door. No dawgs allowed. Sole lessee and director: Stage Manager: Hugh Millman, Esq. W. F. Wheeler Printed at the Matmra Press. Saloon avenue. The 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 December 22, 1868. With the opening of the Union Pac'lic Railway, traffic which had need Fiie Panama route was diverted to Sin Francisco, the fevers encountered on the overland journey made the line unpopular for passenger traffic, and constant friction between the three contracting parties helped to termina<te a service which, consider : ng the times and the long e-ea run, was ai creditable, if, perhaps, an ambitious one. And during the succeeding six yeans the steamers which succeeded the Panama, New Zealand, and Australian Mail i^ine no doubt caused those who had grumbled at delays to wish the old boats back again. The Kaikoura, Ruahine, and Rakaia were 'sold to the Atlantic and Pacific Mail Co., of America ; the Mataura returned to London. New Zealand and Australian norts knew them no more : the winds and the currents obliterated the tracks they miade, and of all the many lines which succeeded them, none ran to Panama. Yet, There's nothing new beneath the sun, The sages said of yore. There never was a sea-course run But what's been run before And when the road is made through Panama for the deep-sea ships, they will follow the tracks of these pioneers of trade.

Name, [staura . • InikouTa .. uahine . . Lakaia Tonnage. . . 1786 . . 1501 .. 1503 . . 1456 xvommal Horse-power, 450 400 350 350