The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-07-30
SIERRA TO CHANGE
ROUTE IS BELIEVED
LurIine May Undergo Alterations
Next Year II Business War
rants the Expenditure

IL is accepted generally in San Fran.
| cisco that the Oceanic steamer Sierra,
withdraw for three months from the
San Francisco lonolulu run, will be
put on the San Francisco 1IOnolul Aus
| traha run, if mail contract can be
made with the United States govern.
ment.. This was the statement made
by an officer of the MatsOn steamer
Lurlinc, which departed last night for
kahului, to return Sunday morning.
Besides new propeller, the Sierra
will have general repairs to her engines
and changes in her cabins, it was re.
ported in San Francisco.
Would Cost 100000
| In this connection, there Is a well.
founded report, which appears TO be
accurate, that the Lurline will be re-
built as to her cabins, should the Sierra
be transferred and business warrant
the change. The plan would be to
| lengthen the present cabin deck to the
! poop and to put on two deck houses, in.
| stead of one the Lurline has now. The
| present deck house would be torn out,
the deck extended, and a new house
built in its stead, so that there would
be no weakness between the two houses.
The change would increase the cabin
| capacity of the Lurline from ffty.four
to 100 or l29. -
1t is expected that the change, even
though decided upon, will not be, mo de
until the slack season of the fan of
1916. The cost is estimated at $780,
900.
Officers Of the Lurline dhscredit the
report that she may go on the Austral-
ian run. They anticipate nothing of
that sort whatever. A rumor had come
here that she might take the through
route as well as the Sierra.
Bookings Are Full
The same Lurline officer said that
there was no chance of getting book
ings from San Francisco for Honolulu
until the middle of September. The
SOnoma is booked full, with a waiting
list of l25, for her next voyage he said,
and POO are on the waiting list of the
Ventura. Pacific Mail and Matson
steamers also are full. He explained
the rush as of persons visiting the ex-
positions at San Francisco and San
Diego, and who are anxious to make the
voyage to Honolulu while in the west.
Contrary to reports of the last few
weeks, he said that the Panama Pacific
Exposition was drawing big crowds,
running $4,000 to 100000 a day, and
that the attendance was in excess of
expectation.
few passengers went to Kahului
on the HTline. She took mules from
San FrantiscO, 1859 tons of freight,
and twenty~one polo ponies belonging
to members of the Maui polo four,
which has completed its games of the
series here. The steamer is due back
here Sunday morning, to sail at four
. clock Tuesday afternoon for San
Francisco with ffty-fOur passengers,
her capacity, 5000 tons of sugar, 20O0
tons of molasses and the usual amount
Of miscellaneous cargo, including canned
pines.
Held For Hilonian
The MatsOn steamer Matsonia sailed
for San Francisco twenty-four minutes
late yesterday morning, having been
held for the steamer Hilonian from
Kauai, which had seven passengers for
the Coast. The Hilonian was expected
here at dayhrcak, but she was delayed
in loading the last of her sugar at Port
Allen, and did not arrive until few
minutes after ten o clock. The Mat.
sonia $ sailing time. There were 24O
first cabin passengers in the Matsonia
for San Francisco, which fell below the
PIG carried on the last voyage, when
the Shriners went to San Francisco. As
on June 80, all yesterday were first
cabin, the steerage being turned into
first cabin. There was room for about
thirty more in the steerage yesterday
In the Matsonia s hold were
1000 tons of sugar, 600 tons of molasses,
200 lunches Of bananas and 10000
Eases Of canned pines.
The IlilOnian sailed at four thirty
o clock yesterday afternoon from Pier
10 with 37S4 tons of sugar and twenty.
five passengers for San Francisco, Her
time will be seven and one.half days,
one day slower than the Lurline and
Manoa. She was placed in passenger
service temporarily to relieve conges.
ton caused by the withdrawal Of the
Sierra.