The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-10-21

11I<1NLA was a CGit utSii vi SPCNH
lation here as to what time the
- Alameda would arrive 1t was
known that she had been reftted and
had received entirely new engines and
boilers and that she had developed con-
siderable speed. That she did not arrive
before Saturday morning was due more
to the lack of efficient help in the fire.
room than to any inefffciency of the
engines.
The Alameda has been practically en-
tirely refitted. The woodwork was torn
out and replaced with new material.
and where the ironwork was corroded
this also was replaced. All the decks
have been rebuilt, especially the upper
deck, where new flooring was put
over the ironfloor which has also been
remade.
| The saloon has been artistically fur
nished and decorated with ornamental
painting; the dining saloon has seat
ing capacity of 1O4 persons. The smok-
| ing room has also been reprinted and
decorated with fine gliding. The first
class cabins have all been furnished
with the latest thing in washstands.
The washbowl is stationary on a slab
of wood which can be turned back hid
ing the bowl entirely from view in
| small closet This not only adds to
the comfortable appearance of the
ROOM but also gives a great deal more
space. The steerage has been espe-
cially well cared for. 1t is welI-fitted
and airy with plenty of light and room.
Connected with it is a bathroom with
a porcelain bath. 1t would be hard to
find as comfortable steerage accommo-
dations anywhere.
Another great Improvement is the
round portfolio which has taken the
place of the old square ones which were
continually leaking in bad weather. The
new round portfolios which have been
installed all over the ship have close
fitting brass frames, which entirely ex-
clude wind and water.
1t is in the machinery of the Ala
media, however, that the greatest
and triple-expansion engines have been
installed, and it is expected that the
Alameda will be able to develop con-
siderable speed when the conditions are
more favorable than they were during
this last voyage. On her trial spin at
San Francisco the Alameda made six
teen and one-fourth knots with a hot |
bearing, and placing conservative es-
innate on the decrease which this de- |
feet caused at half a knot would give |
the vessel a speed of almost seventeen |
knots. That she did not make the pres |
ent trip in better time, it having taken /
her six days and fifteen hours from |
San Francisco to this port, is due to
unfortunate circumstances, one of |
which was the inefficiency of the Jap |
anese firemen and coal-passers. They |
were employed as a matter of expert
ment as they have been known to give
great satisfaction to several large
steamer lines
1t is stated that the company does
not object to running with Union labor.
there being several union sailors in the
Alameda's present crew. but that the
Japanese were employed because of
their sobriety and because they are
much easier to handle than white men
The Japs, which the Alameda had on
this trip, proved to be very inefficient
as only seven or eight of them were
experienced hands, while the rest of
them were taken with sea-sickness,
etc, there being at times eight
or ten men laid out at once. The con-
sequence was that it was a very diff
hcult thing to keep up sufficient steam
to make any kind of speed, and sail
ors and others had to be pressed into
the fire-room.
Another reason for the slow trip was
the bursting of one of the ammonia
pipes in the big new refrigerator which
had just been installed in the vessel.
The accident might have been quite
dangerous one had not the engineers,
who were present just then, promptly
shut down the machinery. AS it was
quite a number of men in the place
were nearly suffocated. The vessel had
to make stop of about three hours
to get the ammonia fumes out, and
about 1000 pounds of meat and pro-
visions had to be thrown overheard.
This partly caused the great list which
was noticeable when the Alameda came
up to the dock
Although the trip thus was subject
to several failures the officers of the
boat are quite satisfied with the ma
chimes as they say that new machinery
can not be expected to act we'll right
away. They expect the Alameda TO sur
prise the shipping some day.
The Alameda carries a big cargo and
also a big deck load of fruit for Ho
nolulu consignees. She brought sixty
one cabin and seventy steerage pas
for this port and also 211 sacks
Of mail.