The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-08-15
The steam Ferry of the Auantio-The
BnSiish and American Ferry 9OaSs.

lFrom Chambors' Edinburgh JOURNAL IOt june
In the summer OF 1885 the Atlanuc Ocean was
s<sseed for the rst time by vessels exclusively pro-
Pelled by steam power. These pioneers were the
Sirius and Great Western-ihe former built for
another class Of voyages, and afterwards lost on
the station between Cork and London the latter
built expressly for Atlantic navigation, and which
has ever SINCE been more or less employed in ira
versng that ocean. Other ships followed the
Bri dsk Queen, afterwards sold to the Belgian GO
vernnent; the Great Liverpool, subsequently,
altered and placed on the line between South
anpton and Alexandria; and the President, lest,
no man knows how or where, in the year 1871.
Then came what is called "Cunard's Line" con-
s,stng OF number Of msjestc steamships built in
the Clyde, To carry passengers and mails between
Liverpool in Europe. and Halifax, Boston, and New
York in America; service they have performed
with the most marvellous regularity The only
great misfortune that has beiallen this line, has
been the loss 4 one of The yessels-the Columbia
which, in nautical phrase, broke her back on
some rocks on the American shore Of the Atlantic
Then came the Great Britain, the greatest OF them
all, differing from the others IN two respects-hrst
an being built OF iron instead of wood; and, second,
IN being propelled by the Archimsdean screw, IN
stead OF by the old paddle-wheels; and, alas she
has differed iom them all in a third respect, mas
much as neither the same good luck attended her,
as in general fell the lot of the ships of the Gu
nard line the same irrerievable bad fortune as
was mel by the President aud the Columbia; for,
after having made several voyages very success
fully, she, 10 the amazement of all mankind, very
quietly went ashore in Dundrum Bay, on the east
most uncomfortable winter, she was brought back
TO Liverpool and now lies in the Bramley v Moore
Dock there, ike huge mass of iron suffering
under premature rust But all this time, these
ocean steamers, that periodically brought to New
York passengers and intelligence from Europe,
were British built. They had been constructed in
the Avon, the Mersey, and the Clyde, the greater
number having been launched in the same waters
az hrst received Henry Bells little Comet. Why
did America not embark in suoh enterprise AS
regards steam navigation, Fulton was before Bell,
New York before Glasgow, the Fulton's Folly be-
tore the Comet; and was
The greatest nation
In All creation"
20 he outdone in the field of enterprise by the old
instinct said Mo-" and, above all, American
capitalists said No" Keels were laid down in
New York, the shpbuilders' yards became I'M
usually active, and the stately timbers of majestic
ships gradually rose before the admiring gaze of
The citizens Of the great republic.
But the race Of William the Doubter is not yet
extinct, and many, as usual, sheok their wise
heads at the enterprise IL was admitted that in
inland navigation the Americans had beaten the
world-that, except an oc casional blow-up, their
rver steamers really models of enterprise and
skIl-but, II was gravey added, the Mississippi is
not the Atlantic, icebergs are not snsgs, and an
Atlantic wave is somewhat different from Ohio
ripple. These truisms were, of course, undeniable;
but to them was quickly added another fact, about
which there could be as little Inistake-namely,
the arrival at Southampton, after a voyage which,
considering II was the first, was quite successful,
OF the Amercan-built steamship Washington, from
New York. There seemed to be touch of calm
Ir.y IN thus making the Washington the first of
their Atlantic crossing steamers, as if the Amer-
cans had said, 4" You doubling Britishers, when
you wished to play the tyrant over us, did we not
raise one Washington, who chastised you and
now that you want to monopolise Atlantic navi-
CATION, we have raised another Washington lust
TO let You know that we will beat you again %
The Washington. however, was only the pre-
cursor Of greater vessels. These were to sail be-
tween New York and Liverpool, carrying the mails
under contract with the American government.
In size, and speed and spendor Of fittings, these
new ships were TO surpass the old even their
names were, If possible, to he more grand and ex-
pressive. The vessels Of Cunard's line had lately
appropriated the names of the four great continents
OF the globe but the oceans remained, and their
names were adopted, the steamers being called the
Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, Baltic, and Adriatis.
The hrst OF these was despatched from New York
on the 9th April last, and arrived in the Mersey
on the 10th Of May, thus making the passage in
about thirteen days The voyage would have been
made in shorter time, but for two accidents the
bursting OF the condenser, and the discovery, after
the vessel was some distance at sea, of the weak
nees Of the floats or boards the paddle. wheels.
ABOUT Two days were entirely lost ia making
pairs, and the speed reduced, in order TO pre-
vent the floats from being entirely torn away from
the paddle-wheels. These ;hings considered, the
passage was very successful. The Atlantic has
since made two passages in less than eleven days;
and, according to the report Of the Niagara, Just
arrived al Halifax, her fourth passage will be in.
side OF eleven days.-ED. NKw YORK HERALD.l
The average time occupied, during 1870, by the
vessels Of the old line between New York and Lii
Verpool, was twelve and half days; but their
voyages were longer than those of the Atlantic, as
they called at halifax. The shortest passage was
that made by the Canada, from New York TO Lii
hours. THE Europa made the passage from Ii
yerpool TO New York, touching at Halifax, in
1873, in eleven days, two hours, and thirty mi
nutes ED. NV YORK HERALD
The Atlantic remained for nineteen DAYS at Lii |
verpool, and during all that time she had to lie in
a part Of the river called the Sloyne, in conse-
luence Of none Of the 20 ,k-entrdI ces being wide |
enough TO allow her TO pass in. Her breadth, |
across the paddlewheels, is seventy-hve
feet OF the vessels OF Cunards line about seventy
feet; and the widest dock.entrance is barely suf
1cient TO admit the latter. The Great Britain,
nougn iGng,1 than any Other steamship Una. ever
,elled by the screw, she has no paddIe-wbeels. A
lock at the north shore is now In course Of con-
struction, expressly for the accommodation Of the
Atlantic and her consorts.
For several days, during her stay at Liverpool,
he Atlantic was open TO visiters, on payment OF
sixPence each, the money thus realized upwards
,f SOD being paid over 20 the trustees Of the nsti
luton Tor the Blind whose church and school are |
how being removed to give greater space round the
station Of the London and North western Railway. |
On the day OF my visit, crowds OF people were |
gey them TO the Atlantic. Whitsuntide vsiters |
rom the manufacturing districts were Fastening on |
board the numerous vessels waiting to take them /
On pleasure excursions 10 the Isle OF Man, Forth /
Wales, or round the hght-shp at the mouth Of the |
liver There was great risk Of making mistakes
n the hurry and the remark OF an old sailor, that
he vessel "could easily be known by the Yankee
lag flying at the FORE, served only still further TO
confuse the many, who could not tell one flag from
mother However, small tug-steamer soon ap-
cared, with dirty piece Of bunting, just recog-
disable as the famous star sPangled banner. flying
{ the fore and her deck was in a few minutes so
rowded that orders were issued TO take no more
n board, and away we steamed, leaving about
hundred people to exercise their patience until the
teamer's return. A man at my elbow. who after
Yards appeared in the capacity Of money-tsker,
There's the captn - and on looking
~ the gangway, | saw
man q middle age,
In aspect manly, grave and sage
cooking calmly IN the direction Of the colossal ship
II which he was the commander, his complexion
,rovned by exposure TO and wind. storm and
prsy, and his whole demeanor in floating the calm
trength acquired by long familiarity with the ele-