The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-12-13
CITY OF SYDNEY.
A Description of the Pacific Mail
COmpany's Steamer.
She Has Been Practically Rebuilt and Il Now
the Peer of Any Vessel in the Line.
Her Regal Appointments.

The Pacific Mail Company's steamer City
of Sydney, which will sail at noon to-day
for Panama and way ports in command of
Captain ID. Z. Friele, was a pretty sight
last evening as she lay at her berth at the
Mail Deck brilliantly lighted from stem 10
stern.
The steamer has been laid up for five
months undergoing extensive repairs and
alterations under the superintendent of
Joseph Matthews. Experimenting Engineer
OF the company, and is now practically a
new boat. She has been fitted with all the
latest appliances known in marine archi-
lecture, and her accommodations for pas
sengers are not eXcelled, il equaled, by any
vessel in theline or on the Coast. Although
no formal invitations had been issued, quite
number of people visited the vessel last
evening and were unStnted in their praise
Of her fine appearance and appointments.
During the time she has been laid nd the
Sydney has been fitted with new fire appli-
ances throughout. She has received seven
new steel boilers six main and one auxil-
iary) and corrugated furnaces, and her
engines have been entirely rebuilt. She
has also received new shaft and a new
manganese bronze wheel, having a 26-foot
pitch. The wheel has four blades, each of
which weighs 2700 pounds. The blades OF
her old cast-iron wheel weighed each $500
pounds. 1t is expected that with the new
wheel the vessel will gain two knots in
speed.
PRACTICALLY NEW CRAFT
The frames. knees and decks of the
steamer are all new, as is also the Joiner
work, so that us far as the interior is con-
cerned she is q new boat Four new bath
rooms for passengers have been added.
These have porcelain tubs, hot and cold
water, and the floors are laid with encaustic
tiles. The upholstery throughout the vessel
Is new, and one novel feature of it is that
instead of being as usual, both in houses and
SHIPS, nailed to the woodwork, it is in
geniously hooked on and can easily be re-
moved for the purpose of cleaning or dry
ing. Mr.. Matthews is the originator of the
idea. The siate-r0oms have been Tefitted in
the latest style, with steamer wash-standS
and spring-beds, and each one has electric
lights and call-buttOn.
The Sydney has moreover been fitted with
an electric-light plant equal to any on the
Coast. She has compound dynamo capa-
BILE of supplying 275 incandescent lights, OF
which there are $40 in the ship. All the
lights are from 16 TO 80 candle power except
the cargo lights, which are of 100 candle
power. There are % lights in the salon
and u in the social hall, the chandeliers and
the promenade deck are 10 lights and on the
main deck 16. In the saloon are fourteen
electric lights of cut glass, half an inch in
thickness, which give a beautifully soft
light. No vessel ON the Coast has similar
lights.
SUPERIOR sTEERAGE ACCOMMODATION.
The smokiDg-room has been enlarged, re-
fitted and upholstered in brown leather.
The steerage accommodations are very SUI
perlor. There is permanent, separate
berth for each individual, and a special
steerage for women. One of the features of
the Storage is the combined dining-tabe
and seats. the design of Superintendent
Matthews. When not in use it folds in
very. small compass against the ships side,
and is most ingenious contrivance. Then
the facilities for hosting cargo have been
improved, and are now equal to those of
any vessel in the line. A new ice-honse
has been added, which holds fifty tons, and
that amount is now On board. The boats
that formerly rested on skids on the deck
have been raised on cross-beams to a height
OF feet inches, thus affording passengers
a fine promenade.
The chief features, and the most interest,"
ing to passengers though, are the dining
saloon, social hall and the state-rooms.
They looked beautiful last night with their
fine carpets and upholstery and snowy
linen. No ship ever left this port with such
handsomely fitted-up cabin. The polish
ing, painting, gliding and decorating was
all done by John G. Edmondson of 220-222
Brannan street, who has no peer on the
Coast in his line of business.
ARTISTIC WORK IN WOOD.
He did all that kind of york on the steam
ers City of New York, Walla Walla and
Umatilla, which were recently rebuilt by
the Union Iron Works. He always does
excellent work, being what might be termed
past master" in all its branches, as his
father was before him, but this time he has
surpassed himself. The panels in the cabin
and social hall are of satin wood. the styles
of rosewood and brd's-eye maple, with
ebony iuting. the pilasters of French wal
nut and Mr.. Edmondson, by his expert
manipulating, has brought out all the beau
ties of these beautiful woods.
The ceiling of the social hall1s decorated
in salmon, pink ana other blending colors
with charming effect, the cornces being
blue and rose pink. In the smoking room,
the captains and chief officers rooms and in
every state-room Mr.. Edmondson's handi-
work is also seen, and the good steamer will
be floating advertisement of his ability.
The City of Sydney now has accommoda-
lions for 100 cabin and 200 steera.e pas.
sengers, and carries crew of 96, all told.
She will sail at noon to-day for Panama.