The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-03-23
MAIL FOR THE ANTIPOD E

From the New York Times.
To place on board the Cunard liner
| Campania 256 bags of New Zealand and
Australian mail the greater part of
which was consigned to the British gov
eminent, three mail wagons dashed
across town from the Grand Central
station to the Cunard piers yesterday
morning. The dash in itself was nothing
unusual but when it is known that the
mail they carried had been rushed as
fast as the magnificent new twin-screW
transpacific liner SOnoma of the Oceanic
Steamship company of San Francisco
could propel it and then transported
across the continent of North America
on the swiftest mail specials that in
genious American railway manipulators
could furnish to connect with the out
going Cunarder the scope Of the under
taking can be appreciated.
With the reports of her British majes-
tvs officials in the far east on board, be-
sides other important documents, papers
and communications of state the
Sonon1a sailed from Melbourne Nov. so
and Auckland Dec s. The steamer is the
fastest of the transpacific liners. After
touching at Honolulu on the 18th inst,
for mail consigned principally to Ameri-
cans the SOnoma was pushed at full
speed and passed in the golden gate a
6 o'clock Christmas eve.
Then the race against time began A
special train to start on its dash across
the continent was in waiting. The at
taches of the San Francisco pOstOf5ce
who had been assigned to the task of
train did their work with all possible
dispatch and before the Pacific grey
hound had been Iashed to her dock the
transfer was COMPLETED and the over
land race from the western 70 the east
ern metropolis began. Through the tun-
rels of the Rockies. across the western
plains as fast as steam could carry it,
with only stop at required Intervals
fer a fresh engine, the special dashed.
With a Tnomentary stop at Chicago.
where the mail car was transferred to
Central, the race continued with un-
abated and if possible increased speed to
Buffalo and started on the home stretch
for the metropolis, arriving ten minutes
late, owing to some unavoidable delay
up the state
It was enc minute of 10 o'clock when
the train came to a stop and as the
Cunarder was scheduled to sail an hour
later the attaches of the New York
p0stoffice who were on hand to make
the transfer from car to wagon lost no
time. Checking the mail as hey drew it
from car to floor and then TO wagon, q
few minutes later the driver of the first
wagon with al adm0nitiOn to make the
trip to the piers as fast as his horses
waiting Cunarder. Across Forty-second
street to Eighth avenue then down to
Fifteenth street. the wagon ruTnbIed as
wagons of its kind seldom rumble over
the paved and asphalt streets of New
York 1t was two minutes past the
Campania's sailing hour when the wagon
arrived at the piers Twenty Eight min
utes had been consumed in making the
trip, but as the steamship company had
agreed to hold the liner for a reasonable
time the delay was Insignificant and
superintendent Half Of the new post
Office station at Morton and West streets,
together with the Assistant SuperIntend-
ent of Foreign Mails Tiedenann, had-fhe
consignment Of ninety-seven sacks on
board the waiting liner in few minutes
after its arrival An extra force Of men
was on board to aid in the transfer and j
as soon as the first consignment was
transferred the wagon backed out, ex-
pecting the second wagon to follow in
few minutes Everybody was ready
and matters were SO arranged that the
transfer would be a matter Of but a few
minutes
Ten minutes slipped by and the rum
BILE of the second wagon had not beer
distinguished superintendent Half and
Tiedemann were becoming impatient,
for everyone connected with the transfer
had been impressed with the necessity
of making the transfer from station to
pier in record breaking time. Ten min
utes more elapsed and impatience gave