The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-12-07
Z THE "ALAMEDAA
Refitted and Improved for
the Australian Route.
All Chinese on the Steamships Dis
charged.
Additions of Magnificent StaterOOms
Prescription of this Mod
ern Vessel.
IS. F. Examiner. November aoth. /.

longing 10 the Oceanic Steamship Com
pany, which is to start on her maiden
trip to Australia tomorrow afternoon,
has been reftted and improved, and is
now doubtless one of the handsomest
and most comfortable vessels ahoat. The
Alameda and Mariposa, sister steamers,
were brought to this Coast about two
years ago for the Honolulu trade, and
have been considered the fastest and the
most elegant vessels in the Pacific
waters. Owing to the contract recently en-
tered into, by which the Australian
mails will be carried by way of Homo
lulu, the Alameda and Mariposa have
been put on the through line, at least
until the new steamers for the line from
Australia to Honolulu are built The
improvements which have been made
in the Alameda, besides the refitting
and inside repainting, comprise the
building of staterooms upon the upper
deck for the accommodation OF twenty
eight extra cabin passengers. The Direct
ors' room has been cut up into four large
and
ELEGANT BRIDAL STATEROOMS,
Finished with mahogany, oak, maple
and other beautiful woods. Each OF
these rooms, as do all the other stated
rooms of the vessel, contain electric
light burners, which, by touching a.
knob, emit a soft radiance, only attaina1
BILE by this modern invention. Neat
marble-top stationary washstands, sur
mounted by elegant toilet brackets, are
placed in every room, besides luxurious
lounges and settees. In addition to
these fifteen palatial staterooms for pas
sengers, there are also on the same
deck magnificent social hall and the
apartments of the Captain, first, second
and third officers, physician and the
chief engineer, all fitted up as individual
taste and fancy may dictate. The social
hall, which occupies the central portion
of the deck, is replete with soft-up-
a choice library and piano. Aft in the
vessel is located a commodious smoking
room, where gentlemen may retire for
their after-dinner smoke and chat. On
the main deck below is located the ca
pacious dining-room, capable of accom-
modating 10S guests at one time. Large
electric lights illuminate this handsome
apartment, rejecting various radiance
from the cut-glass decanters and
tumblers that adorn the tables. This
deck also contains th.rty-six tirst-class
staterooms with large double hunks In
the fore part is a set of apartments fitted
up handsomely as a ladies' bath and
toilet-room, with red plush furniture.
Leading aft from the dining-room is the
neat and cleanly-kept ship pantry, OPP
posite to which is the galley. Next to
these is the barber shop, continually
open, and adjacent to which is the gen
tlemen's bath. A large ice house occu-
pies the stern, which contains twenty
tons of ice.
LADIES' HOSPITAL,
Fitted up with improvements and CON
veniences for the care of the sick, is also
on this deck On the deck below are the
apartments for the steerage passengers,
capable of accommodating 100 \ por-
ton of this has been partitioned off ana
has been fitted up as parlor and cabin
for ladies in the Storage. The fourth
and lowest deck is occupied with freight
Every precaution has been taken on the
vessel against fire, and besides the large
hose to be found everywhere, ready for
instant requisitiOn, are several fire ex-
tinguishers and boxes of hand grenades.
The dimensions of the vessel are as fol-
lows: $40 feet long, 20 feet beam, 80 feet
deep, with four decks. Motive power is
supplied by three cylinder engines, rep
resenting 5000 horse power. Upon her
maiden trip from Philadelphia the Ala
media scored the fastest time on record
from that port, making the trip in forty
four days. The fastest time to Honolulu
has been made by the Mariposa The
Alameda has never been speeded on this
route, but her best time is
REMARKABLY FAST,
Being 5 days and 10 hours down and
days and 4 hours back. Captain Morse
expresses himself confident of putting
her through to Australia in twenty-five
days. Her fastest days run recorded is /
3S7 miles.
The company has discharged all of its
Chinese employees on the steamers and
will engage white men.
In conversation with an Examiner
reporter last evening, Claus Spreckels
said: "When the Mariposa arrives she
will be similarly fitted for the new line"
Chow long do you expect these steam
ers to make through trips?"
cat least six months, perhaps year
and it may be they will be run perma-
nently. The purpose of running them
now is an accommodation to the Union
line, which viii carry the mails from
Honolulu to Australia 1t may be that
in a year the two companies will be
joined and conducted as one company"
Professor NJ. NJ. Scott. Principal OF the
Fort-street school, who has been visiting
the Government schools on the island of
Kauai for the past two weeks, returned on
Sunday by the steamer Planter,