The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-07-12 00:00:00

TRANSATLANTIC STEAM NAVIGATION.

The following calculations (which, we believe, will be found
to be accurately worked) of the comparative distances be-
tween New York and Bristol, and New York and Liverpool ;
and also between Boston and Liverpcol, via Halifax, will be
valuable to those of our readers who may be desirous of com-
paring the respective length of the passages out or home
of our trans-Atlantic steam-ships running between these
ports :

FROM BOSTON TO HALIFAX

From Boston Wharf to the Light
11
„ the Light to Cape Ann.. 25
„ Cape Ann to Cape Sable (course N.
78 deg. E.)
„ Cape Sable to Sambro Light (N. 55 deg. E ) 111
„ Sambro to Halifax ict

- 382

FROM HALIFAX TO LIVERPOOL.
From Halifax Wharf to Sambro lB
„ Sambro to Cape Clear (N. 79 deg. E.).... 2207
„ Cape Clear to Tuskar
Tuskar to Holyhead.
" Holyhead to the Bell Buoy 6O
" the Bell Buoy to Liverpool l4

- 2524
Total from Boston to Liverpool, via Halifax .... 2911
FROM NEW YORK TO BRISTOL.
From New York to Cape Clear (N. 76 deg.
30 min. E.)
~ Cape Clear to Lundy Island (S. 85 deg. E.) 182
„ Lundv Island to the Flat Holm
„ Flat Holm to anchorage, King's Road l6

FROM NEW YORK TO LIVERPOOL. —_ 3010
From New York to Cape Clear 2754
" Cape Clear to Liverpool (as above)

353
Taking, therefore, the direct course in each case, as by the
calculations given, we have the following results :
The voyage from New York to Liverpool is 43 miles longer
than from New York to Bristol.
From New York to Liverpool is longer than from Halifax
to the same port by 529 miles.
From New York to King's Road, near Bristol, where the
Great Western anchors, is 99 miles further than from
Boston, via Halifax to Liverpool.

On their last homeward voyage, the Great Western started
from New York for Bristol, and the Acadia from Boston for
Liverpool on the same day, and nearly at the same hour.
The Columbia arrived 32 hours before the Great Western,
and her average rate of running towards the end of her pas-
sage was 11 knots an hour. She made the shortest passage
across the Atlantic on record, being but 91 days from Hali-
fax. Allowing the same rate of speed to both vessels, and
averaging it at 10 knots, we have
Thirty-two hours at 10 miles an h0ur........ 320 miles.
General detention at Halifax of the mail ships
in receiving the letter-bags, &c , 6 hours,
equal to

380
Deduct greater distance to be run from New
York to Bristol, than from Boston to
Halifax and thence to Liverpool ...... 99

The Great Western is therefore astern of her
contemporary 2Bl miles.
We do not offer this statement of facts in any invidious or
partial spirit of comparison, but merely for the information
of those who (erroneously, we think,) looked upon the voy-
age in question as a sort of trial, or race, that would decide
the question of their respective powers--and we leave such
parties to make what they please of it. For ourselves, we do
not (in common with many nautical men) consider that a
single long trans-Atlantic voyage of two ships, though start-
ing from one port at the same hour, and navigated with equal
skill and attention, would furnish a decisive proof of their
respective speed. Much depends upon the chance of winds
and the state of the sea after they lose sight of each other,
and one may fall into favourable veins of wind and smooth
water, while the other, though only a few miles further north
or south, may find the elements altogether adverse, and be
thereby constrained to shape a different and more circuitous
course. Of this numerous instances may at any time be ad-
duced. Both the vessels alluded to (as have all the Boston
and Halifax line) have proved themselves to be crack ships.
They have, indeed, done wonders ; and even were a slight
shade of difference established between them, we should
lament the exhibition of any public feeling towards them,
save that of a generous encouragement of that science and
enterprise in which they originated, and which, notwithstand-
ing the obstacles to be overcome, will vet, we hope, lead to
the full and profitable establishment of ocean steam navi-
gation.