The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-01-21
Affairs on the East Side Of the ALA .ltic.
Our Liverpool Correspond. ence.
LIVERPOOL, December %, 1915


LIVERPOOL, December %, 1919.
The West India MaI Contract Sysism-Ihs Nica-
ragua Question-1he Anerican Steamers, &c.
A good deal of interest Is just now felt in the
mercantile world, at the probability that there
seems to be Of the West India Mail Packet Com
pany obtaining from the government renewal OF
,her contract; and no wonder, for 1t is a we'll
known fact that advces from the west coast Of
America, Vera Cruz, and various parts Of the
West Indies, are continually anticipated via the
United States, by the Cunard steamers, and in all
such cases the dissatisfaction is very great and
very reasonable. For my own part, / can conceive
nothing more monstrous than for the British go
vernment TO venture upon such step. A modlti-
cation OF the routes or circulation for this mail
service has, II Is true, been submitted in the
columns OF the Times, for the guibllity of those
whose Ken cannot see through It; but 1t Is scarcely
likely TO go down. Ii is proposed, you will be
aware, that the company build four new steamers,
OF equal (maTk the word) power and speed with
those of the Cunard line, and of tonnage from 900
TO 5000 each. Very good These steamers are to be
allowed one day to coal at 81. Thomas, Che first
point at which hey VIII touch, aud where, only,
they are 10 coal,) which, by the new arrange meat,
they are to arrive ar, on the outward passage, IN
twelve days must here remark, that for a steamer
to accomplish that distance which - set down as
3,o22 miles, IN TIVE We days, Is equlvalrat 10 her
arriving al New York (supposDg the vessel bound
tor thefe) In ten days But the consumption of
coal IN steamers OF such power would certainly
not be under eighty five tons per day The qua nifty
az coal TO be- taken on board az 81 Thomas would,
Therefore. be over 1000 tons probably not less
than 200 TONS for am satisfied that arer fifteen
Gay S than twelve would be occupied by the pas
sage. Now, | ask any reasonable man. whether
such cooling could be effected in double the time
allowed To run 1922 miles IN twelve days,
would be speed greater by 10 least a mile and
hait-Tcr hour than anything the Niagara, or any OF
hat class, has yet done. The proposed new
ttt amers Will cost II estimated, about $1,000 600.
4 us Is all very tine, and no doubt they Will, when
at0et, be noble craft But what Is To become of the
old ships, Ii a puzzle 10 One thing IS certain.
the government never can consent 20 a grant equal
20 what the company has eujoved under the exist
ny contract namely. 81 100000 per annum.
l. u not most eXiraoldinary, how blind the
Ell glish goveume have been 10 the plain fact,
that a considerable, the most considerable portion
OF The work done by the West India mail ste imers,
could have been performed by the Cunard Steamers
at very Little additional expense TO the country
by means OF line of steamers between New York
ana the several ports In the West Indies, at which
II Is necessary 70 touch. the communication could
be greatly expected. Jamaica could be commu-
hcated with, ordinarily, In IL DAYS or is now ge-
morally l9), New Orleans IN IS 10 90 Ct is an
achievement If the. West India mail steamers ac-
ComPlsh the anne duty in 2S dsys) and through
out the whole wheel an equal acceleration nigh,
be effected al saving Of at least . per cent The
me west india Company receive &2i0.000 per an
nun, and the Cunard Company el4O,0OO or elij-
600 per annum. Could not, ask. the entire service
be performed by one or other of these companies,
for C2S0 000l Who can doubt it2
F. AIr1os Of this subject, the Nicaaguan route to
The Pacific Is likely to occupy mems minds 10 a
great extent: The grand question will be, is his
Mosquito Majesty 10 have the protection of her
Britannia Majesty and if so, does " 81. juan"
eiiGS . ~. John, alias "Grey Town." belong 10
Mosquito or Nicaragua IL is alleged with great
fmness, by winter in the Colonial DIagaz me
Tor November and December, (aud the paper has
lately been re-pubhshed in the form OF pamphleD
that Nicaragua never posse sed any sea coast on
the Atlantic side OF tue lsthmus This question OF
communication with the Pacific is certainly one
ofgreat moment-of paramount interest not only
10 Great Britain, but to Europe generally. There
can be 40 doubt, that shortly the sthmus will be
come the highway TO the East Indies and China
and TO all the numerous islands in the Western
hemisphere, aud Of course to the west coast of
both Americas and the route by Cape Horn will
fall INTO desueude, and will be, ere long, almost
forgotten. | forward the pamphlet referred to
herewith
On Wednesday and Thursday nights, we had
gales OF wind from the north, with tremendous
squalls al intervals During the.ebb tide on Thurs
day and yesterday, there a very heavy sea on
the Mersey, and en- attempt TO dock the Niagara
(Which arrived from the CLYDE on Monday last,)
al high water Yesterday failed. and she had TO let
90 her anchor IN the river. A gale from due north
D SOMEWHAT rare here. do net recoect It blow
log 50 hard from that quarter since the 4h Febru-
airy, 1871, which gale prevented the " Acadia"
gong 10 sea, 40 the mails could not be got on
bCsTd Of her. Some snow fell on Thursday night
ord Yesterday and last night we had keen frost
10 90. a. M.-The wind continues undated but
has yetred point west.