The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-02-15
S. S. CITY OF PEKING BREAKS ALL
RECORDS.
Pioneer Ship of the Pacific Mail Fleet
Has Wonderful History-Some In
teresting Facts and Figures.

The Pacific Mail Steamship Compa-
ny S. S. City of Peking came into port
this morning, with all her bunting
flying, and the report at once went
abroad that she had brought the long
expected news of annexation. Such
was not, however, the occasion of her
gala day appearance. She is drawing
near the end of her Tooth voyage from
San Francisco to Hongkong, made dur
ing a service of nearly twentyfour
years, and is holding a celebration all
the way across. Captain j. Fremalne
Smith, her popular commander, and
Chief Engineer Mcclure, who is now
on his s0th voyage, have received lots
of callers all day. They have dispens-
ed to the ladies handsome souvenirs of
the trip.
The City of Peking was once the
Queen of the Pacific She was built
by John Roach & Sons, at Chester,
Pa, in 1874, and made her first voyage
from San Francisco in February. 1875.
At the time she was launched she was
the largest steamship afioat with the
exception of the ureat Eastern, and
her advent marked a new era in large
5,079 and her registered tonnage is
3,12S. On her return to San Francis
co it was found necessary to strength
EN- her by the addition of two steel
decks, and she is at the present day, IN
spite of her age, one of the strongest
ships ahoat,. as her record will show.
Her hull and machinery are in as per-
feet order as the day she was launch
ed, and are a credit to her builders.
During her travels across the Paci- !
fic, the engines of the City of Picking
have made 800, 1926, ,42O revolutions, car
rying her 1.31S,4S5 miles, and requIr-
ing the consumption of 2sO,OOO tons of
coal. She has carried $500 cabin and
115,oO0 steerage passengers.
OF her original crew, only two are
now on board, namely Caesar Chris
tian, the steerage steward, who came
out from New York on her as quar-
termaster, and the Chinese porter,
All Yee.
During her career she has had in ali
twelve different commanders, many of
them well known to the residents of
Honolulu. namely Capts. Griffin, Morse
Tanner, Maury, Berry, Cavarly, Sea-
bury. Friele, Dearborn, Searle, Ward,
and for the last twelve voyages her
present popular commander, Capt. ].
Tremaine Smith.
The chief engineers have been as
follows: Messrs. Douglas, Barrett,
HauXhurse (the present superintend-
ing engineer of the company, Fraser,
Cough, Forsyth, Lynch, Stevenson and
Mcclure, who has been in her for
consecutive voyages.
During her long career she has had
out one serious accident, when her
-ail shaft broke 300 miles from San
francisco in 1893, and she made this
distance under sail in thirteen days,
10 mean feat with her propeller drag
slng astern; something, it is said con-
identity by some. that no steamship
u the present age could accomplish.
She has been in no less than twenty
hree typhoons, and has come out of
III of them scathless, never having
the slightest damage to eth
II hull or boats.
In 1887 she was fitted with new boil
rs, but her original engines still drive
Ter, and are in perfect order.
On her trial trip she made fifteen
nd three-fourths knots for four hours
teaming, but had on a limit of coal
or several years a speed of thirteen
,nots. For the last three wears. she
as made an average of fourteen knots !
nd on trip from Honolulu to San 5
rancisco in 1896 made an average f
peed of fifteen knots. a wonderful {
ecord for ship of her age. I
The City of Peking is still consider !
d perfectly sound, and does the same
mount of work as the other steamers 7
the fleet. She will reach San Fran q
sco almost on the anniversary of {
er first sailing, on Washington's a
irthday. II
E. i,