R.M.S. "PORT KINGSTON" (7,584 TONS),
of the Imperial Direct West Indian Mail Fleet.
In Feb., 1902, Sir Alfred Jones, K.C.M.G., the chief of the Elder Dempster steamship line, set out from Avonmouth in the "Port Antonio" for Jamaica, with the object of promoting further developments between Bristol and the West Indies by means of the Imperial Direct West India mail service. The occasion of his departure was unusually interesting, as it took place on the first anniversary of the sailing of the first boat of the direct service carrying H. Majesty's mails to the Island of Jamaica from Avonmouth. The picture portrays the mails being embarked on the "Antonio's" sister ship, the "Port Royal," which arrived at Avonmouth on the day before the royal visit, and was inspected by Their Royal Highnesses, who were much interested in her banana cargo. The "Port Kingston," a steamer of larger size and splendid construction, has now been added to the Jamaican fleet, and she makes the passage from Kingston to Bristol in ten-and-a-half days. By a coincidence, when Bristol was "feasting" on the 5th March, 1902—the Red Letter Day—and its senior Burgess, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the other Members of Parliament for the city were felicitating with a goodly array of Bristol Fathers over the great event likely to be fraught with untold benefit to the historic port from which Sebastian Cabot set forth years and years ago to seek and find the continent of America, the feast of "St. Martin's" was being held at the Criterion, in London, and the Post Office K.C.B.'s, Sir George Murray, Sir Spencer Walpole, and Sir William Preece, under the courtly presidency of Sir Robert Hunter, were eloquently descanting to a large assemblage of Post Office literati on the usefulness of the Post Office Service magazine—St. Martin's le Grand.
EMBARKING MAILS AT AVONMOUTH ON THE JAMAICAN STEAMER, "PORT ROYAL."
The Chamber of Commerce at this time urged on the Canadian Government the desirability of making Bristol the terminal port for the new Canadian fast mail service, on the grounds that mails and passengers from Canada can be carried into London and the Midlands in the shortest period of time via the old port of Bristol. From the Holms, 20 miles below Bristol, a straight line in deep water, without any intervening land, may be drawn to Halifax. Bristol can be reached from London in 2 hours. The time which could be saved in the passage from Queenstown to London via Bristol is 5½ hours as compared with the route via Liverpool, and 5 hours as compared with the route via Southampton. By the Severn Tunnel line there is also direct communication with the Lancashire and Yorkshire manufacturing districts, as well as the Midland and Northern parts of the United Kingdom generally. Thus in the two important elements of speed and safety Bristol has paramount advantages as a terminal port for the transatlantic mail service. There is evidence generally that Bristol trade and commerce have revived, and are now indicating a vigorous growth. The Bristol post office statistics show a phenomenal progress during the last decade. In the year 1837, before the introduction of the penny postage system, and when people had to pay for their missives on delivery, Bristol could only boast of 1,040,000 letters delivered in a year; in 1841, the year after the uniform penny postage was introduced, the number rose to 2,392,000. In another ten years, 1851, 5,668,000 was reached; in 1861, 11,062,252 was the number; 1871, 12,158,000; in 1881, 19,484,000; 1891, 29,000,000; and in 1901, 55,473,000, or an increase approaching that of the preceding forty years. The numbers stand in 1905 at 73,000,000.
On Sunday, the 10th January, 1904, the liner "Philadelphia" (which, by-the-bye, as the "City of Paris" went ashore on the Manacles and was salved and re-named) was the first of the fleet of the American Line to call at Plymouth and land the American mails there, instead of at Southampton, as formerly. In connection with the inauguration of this service to the Western port of Plymouth, Bristol—undoubtedly a natural geographical centre for the distribution of mails from the United States and Canada—played an important part in distributing and thus greatly accelerating the delivery of the American correspondence generally. Bristol itself distinctly benefits by the American mail steamers calling at Plymouth, for it enables her traders to get their business correspondence many hours earlier than by any other route.
Owing to a severe storm encountered off Sandy Hook, the "Philadelphia," on the occasion alluded to, due on Saturday, did not arrive in Plymouth Sound until early on Sunday morning. The mails were quickly placed aboard the tender, which returned to Millbay Docks at 6.20 a.m., and an hour later the special G.W.R. train moved out, carrying over 21 tons of mails. Eight tons were at 10 a.m. put out at the Temple Meads Railway Station to be dealt with at the Bristol Post Office, and the remainder taken on to Paddington. The mails dealt with at Bristol included not only those for delivery in Bristol city and district, but also those for the provinces. They were speedily sorted and dispersed by the comprehensive through train services to the West, South Wales, Midlands, and North of England.
The second American mail was brought over by the "St. Louis," which arrived off Plymouth at one o'clock on Saturday morning, the 16th January, 1904. The G.W. train reached Temple Meads at 6.23, and 350 bags which had to be dealt with at Bristol were dropped. The premises recently acquired from the Water Works Company by the Post Office were utilized for the first time, there not being sufficient room in the existing post office buildings to cope with such a heavy consignment. The letters were sent out with the first morning delivery in Bristol. The Birmingham letters were despatched at 10.30 a.m., and those for Manchester and Liverpool were also sent off in time for delivery in the afternoon.
The third mail arrived per "New York," at 7.35 p.m. on Saturday, the 23rd January, 1904. One hundred and fifty bags were deposited at Bristol. The New York direct mails for the North went on by the 7.40 p.m. (G.W.) and 7.55 p.m. (Mid.) trains ex Bristol Station. The direct Plymouth and Bristol service is still being continued.