Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-28
RACING AGAINST TIME.
How the American Mails Are Landed
and Delivered in England.

anu delivered In england.
From the London Express.
From beneath the western spur OF Ply
mouth Hoe there steal forth onto the blue
waters OF the sound two red-funneled lit
tie steamers I use the expression steal
iorth because as you watch them thread
ing their foamiess way past brakes Is
land You wonder whittier they can be
bound in such an amhling. Ieisurely FASH
lon When you are told that they are the
tenders going out to await the arrival OF
the American mail you will find quite n
new interest in that brace of tubby,
broad beamed craft
The Marconi station on Rame Head has
picked up the rushing leviathan two
hours distant from Plymouth The wire
Tess message has announced that 80 sa-
loon passengers and go bags OF mail are
10 De landed. This is a medium average
ana the railway people are prepared TO
0eai with IL In a normal. comfortable way.
When the two tenders have crept quietly
out into the beautiful yerdure- nanked
expanse OF Cawsand hay they open out 10
cohsideraoie interval and stop their en-
eineS- on board the enc you will see the
twinkIing uniforms OF q bevy of post Of
flee officials. This is the mail tender the
crait In which for the time our interest IL
conferred. The mission OF the other boat
Is TO land the passe myers and her little
promenade deck Is black with friends
who have come to welcome the transat-
lantfc arrivals
suddenly past the dark green point OF
feniee the towering form of the liner
heaves into view. She springs bodily into
view ike an express train rounding a
curve. IN a breath you have her four
tunnels. two masts and 700 feet of length
null In sight. The two tenders seem 10
start into lie. as II were, like a couple OF
reyihs spiders startled by the approach
OF danger. IL is fine weather so the gi-
Santic steamer win not GO inside the
preakwater. Her machinery ceases pulls
Ing for the frst time In I'VE and a half
Gays, and burst OF spray az her stern
proeiaims the dropping of the anchor.
scarce had she swung to rest when the
lenders are swoopnS down upon her. one
on either side. The craft which casts her
hawsers on the starboard BEAM like n
pair OF clinging antennae is the mail
tender. Almost before she is secured n
number OF post Office officials have
ewarmed over the broadside of the huge
liner In a vast heap against the bufwark
guarded by several of the ships conn
pany and an officer, are the mail bags,
~hich nave been got up in readiness to
facilitate discharge
shoot-like gangway is lowered to the
deck of the tender. and down this the
postal officials begin to pitch the brown
plugging sacks with headlong haste. An
overseer with brass buttons checks each
one as IL speeds over the side. Within
twenty minutes the whole burden OF the
American mail has been transferred to
the tender the TALES signed as correct,
and already are the sorters at work get
ting the bags into some sort of order so
as to simplify the delivery of them
ashore. Scarcely has the last bag alght-
ed with hollow thud upon the tenders
deck when the ropes are let go, and she
starts away at full speed on her three-mile
journey to the Milbay dock
band posted somewhere on topsides
or the liner bursts forth into cheerful
melody by way of a farewell greeting to
the passengers who are landing. The sort
ers on the tender silently curse for the
10. hat
work 1t is all a race against time now
twenty minutes have been spent in get
ting the mail bags out of the ocean steam
er quarter of an hour more is occupied
in their transit to the dock quay ITpon
the siding Great Western train is stand
ing in waiting. Each one OF the five long
cream and chocolate coaches is labelled
Ocean Mails" in great gilt letters and
all the doors are yawning wide open.
regular little army of post office en-
ployes faH upon the piles of bags and In
1renzled haste, yet maintaining such per-
feet order that each sack is checked as IL
is rushed ashore, the mail is entrained
The sopting clerks scramble into the
coaches. peeling OFF their coats in a most
businessiike fashion The doors are
banged, the guards whistle chirrupsS and
little saddle-tank engine with a defiant
scream drags the train off the quay. On
reaching the siding at Millbay station a
halt is called, and the little engine, being
uncoupled. darts away around the curve
Then one of the latest locomotives of the
down, with safety valve roaring forth
white volumes and its gigantic green and
brass form quivering though in excite
ment at the rare in front OF il. Five
eights, shouts the guard to the driver,
signifyng thereby that the train consists
of five eight-wheeed boyle coaches. One
slip for Bristol-rest London. Right away
Another seven minutes in the race
against time-a total OF fifty-two minutes
in all since the American boat dropped her
anchor In the sound. Good work this
even the sorters will admit.
The ponderous locomotive starts painting
like giant afflicted with stertorous breath
Ing. and the rumble of the wheels deepens
into subdued note of thunder. Along the
wires flashes the signal to keep Tine clear
for the American Ocean Mail Special
At Bristol the van containing the north
and midland mails suddenly drops behind,
as though unable any longer to keep up
the pace. The driver pulls out his watch
and mods contentedly. The "oId girl" is
doing well today.
Paddington already Four hours and
forty-two minutes from start to stop of
this journey of 246 miles. The race against
time has been well run.
Within five hours and forty-three minutes
of the American liner coming to anchor
In Plymouth sound her mails are in LON
don.