Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1838-07-20
no. IS.
Iron our Evening Edition
steam Navigation across the Atlantic.

steam navigation. Macgregor Laird, ESQ., celebrated
for his steam voyage ofhe river Niger in Africa and
Secretary the British and American Steam
Con pany, published letter in the Liverpool Albion
stating his for dissenting from the Doctors
opinion on the irpracticabity of transatlantic steam
navigation direct from Liverpool any English or
Irish poIt TO New York.
We subioin the copy of this letter, to show how saga
cous and practical his views at that period two
years and half ago. on this important subject And
the best point this letter. that Mr. Laird calculated,
from Doctors data that the voyage perfectly
practicable and that light be done under fifteen days.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL ALBION
"SIR-In your paper Of the 18th instant, there is
extract from a lecture delivered by DR.. Lardncr,
Steam Navigation which contains assertions upon
Transatlantic Steam Navigation which strikes me
betraying an ignorance on that important SUBJECT hat
did expect find coupled with such celebrated
name. For any to limit the application of steam
power navigation in the present day. in the face OF
the great extension OF 1t within the last few years. TO
me a proof, either that he has not studied the sub
ject at all, or having done has arrived at very
opposite conclusions those that marine engineers
OF the day have adopted, and they have sot ye be-
lieye any idea Of starting steam boat the MooR,
which according TO Dr. Lardner would be easily done
as from any part Of Great Britain to America.
lf there is feature more than another that par
ucuarly distinguishes steam navigation from the old
system is its independence OF winds and currents and
advantages port the west coast OF Ireland
may present 10 a sailing vessel, point OF departure
and arrival practically acquainted with steam
vessel would ever think of stopping short at ValeRa
II would equivalent the Liverpool and Manchester
Railway taking their passengers and goods over tho
seas Of Parr Chat Moss, and there leaving them To
make the best Of their way Liverpool Manchester
1.-THE project Of making Vaenta the port of arrival
and departure is by means new company at
present exists who got of Parliament granting
them extraordinary powers 1926; but after procuring
it, they made the notable discovery, that though was
easy to get passengers from America Vaenta to get
| passengers TO and from London Edinburgh, Glasgow
and Liverpool was no Joke So they laid upon the.
sfresh, backed up by railway from London to Liver
pool the Posto1ice packets to Dublin,he Vaentia Rail-
way; and from thence not to the capital Of the western
hemisphere butte the capital OF Newfoundland, where
sailors gang 10 fish for cod;' but, certainly where
passengers go, if they help it. In short, to get TO
New York by this route involves at least four charge
| of conveyance which may be pleasant enough
DESTROYS Of asng road speed the midland
counties OF England with the counties Of Ire-
laad but family opine, would prefer stepping
on board Blackwell the Prince Pier and landing
at New York in the Of society, business and
communication and vet the called the grandest
projec, that occupied the human mind, and the
other that grappes with the difficulty that takes tho
bull by the horns is chimercal The ~'arld, then,
has stood still since 1925. The march, we h .ar go
much about has been going in every thing but steam
| navigation Ishso Let the Mersey. the Clyde, tho
Thames the Baltic, the Bosphorus the
the Red Sea- the Bay of Bengal and the shores ef Van
Diemens Land answer IL we could, in 1926 20 from
Ireland 20 Newfoundland by steam caRRot we, with
ten years additional experience make the voyage direct
from Liverpool or London TO New York;
BY what process Of reasoning DIR. Lardner has fixed
The ultimate size steam vessels for the Atlantic 500
tons ana 200 horse power does appear which the
more to be regretted. il be peculiar one from
the size Of vessels very little exceeding that Of several
in the coasag trade, and the power being much less
On. am 20. ooana % take lns Tor granted particularly
had complain Of the sire Of the vessel f the
power had been Proportonably increased; the
rary. the Dublin boats have crept up from $50 onsto
| and 600; and the Clyde from 200 to 400 tons and
other lines in the same proportion. In reasoning there
FORE upon a line OF steam commune alton between
Great Britain and New York. l must reason from
analogy. and, fortunately. Dr. Lardner gives me tho
data. The Leeds appears makes the voyage to and
from Bordeaux, distaRce Of about 1900 miles with
one supply of Goals; the Leeds Is, believe 42o tons
and 40 horse power and her displacement between
her light and load marks will be about 80 tons to oao
foot perhaps only 10 Now the distance from Liver
pool or Portsmouth to New York is 600 uc or $500
statute miles little less to Liverpool. Suppose tho
Leeds TO be ebled in capacity so that her aspace-
men should exceed 200 per foot draught il not
necessary tsueble ser power double power propels
than double bulk but allow her 900 horse power
her light drsugh of water would be about eleven feet
with her machinery on board. and with 500 tons of
dead weight sn board about fifteen take the censumy-
non e'as az 20 tor' per dey ana moan speed Of 10
miles per hsHr, and expenditure Of 525 fess of
copmoa cost 42o Of LLangemucA, land nay passss-
gers IN Nsp York, Portsmouth, Eiuerposi IN sonK-
rHiseLLss THAN riFrEEs BAYS. have not allowed
would accrue in these large engines by working them
expansively, but have taken the consumption At ola
lbs. per horse per hour, and with common coal would
have surplus Of 275 tons dead weight for passengers
and goods
One objsctios will, I am awsre. be made, viz, thar
my average speed is too great, and IL admitted that
the beau ideal Of steam vessel embodied in no
Of his Maesy's Mediterranean steam packets the OBJ
lection wosld be fatal but what 10 the fact (no lees
wosderol than trus the average speed Of private ves-
sells Tar exceeds them and to prove that the average
speed Of ten miles per hour Is 'chimercsl Imsy
state that the average speed of the Dundee and PERTH
IN all weahers. winter and summer. fair fosl, ex-
ceeds eleven miles per hour that the average speed
OF the Monarch Is ten miles and half per hour;
and that the Medes, steam frigaie, averaged moro
than ten miles per hour her voyage to Malta.
Now, am OF opinion, that the Dundee Perth, Mon
arch sad Modes to be, and will be bes, bat net
by vessels OF soc tons and 900 horse power.
hope Mr.. Editor. Ihave proved thstit % easier to
60 from Portsmouth Liverpool to New York than
TO the Moon; that IL is convenient 10 go direct
than through the first gem of the ses ana the last
though not the least that II we wsh 10
60 at all by steam, hal better net wait Tor inc
Vaestis Railway. l remain, Mr. Editor, very re-
Fill.