The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-11-07
DAILY CRESCENT.
From the London Daily News, Oct II:
-rto Sunrem1ey of the Seas--ColIins and
CunnFdt

From the London Daily News, Oct H.
The Supremacy Of the Se"S--ooiiiiAS an"
Racing ia the great passion of the EDgshman.
Horse racing, boat racing, foot racing, donkey
racing--no kind OF racing comes amiss TO HIM. |
Wherever the Euglishman goes he must have his
races There regular boat races at the Cook s |
Strait settlements, in New Zealand, and there Is
race course at Sierra Leone.
A race is even now coming Off" on which |
England has a stake Of terrible magnitude. we
aIude to that of an indefinite NUMBER oil 9ea'S,
now running on the Atlantic by CunaFd 5 ana Co- |
Inns ocean steamers. The stake is neither more
or less than the ascendancy on the seas we use
the word not in silly and obsoiete sense OIL those
who used to dream Of any one nation asserting by
force of arms a mastery in maritime affairs over
all other nations Henceforth there can be no So
vereien nation the great community of nations is
and must continue q republic. But even in repub-
lies there are individuals who possess more wealth,
more powers than Others England is still the first
citizen of the community Of nations the flag OF
England is still the foremost on the ocean. II
England loses the Cunard and Collins race, it
will be event of bad omen for her maritime
pre-eminence. French pageants at Cherbourg,
Russian demonstrations on the Baltic, can only
alarm old women in and out of petticoats Pre-
eminence at sea must belong to the nation which
possesses the most numerous and best appointed
mercantile marine, and the most important branch
Of the country's mercantile marine will ere long
be its ocean steamers. Ifit be true that an Amer
can steamer has beaten our fastest ana nhest yes
telS on an AIlantlC Is
have more searching inquiry INTO the state OIL
our ocean steam communication than was Vouch
saied by Mr.. Heney's committee
According to the New YORK accounts, the
American ocean steamer Pacific made her last
VOYAGE from Liverpool to New York in ten days
four hours and three quarters from wharf to wharf
We suspect the time little longer. writer
in yesterdays Times states that the Pacific LETT
Liverpool at p. M, on the 18th of September
The New York papers state that she reached that
city at 5h. 45m. P. M, on the 2lst ult. Add Al
45m for the difference of longitude, and we have
ten days eight and half hours for the length OF
the passage.
made her last homeward voyage in ten days and
seven hours. Allowance must, however be made
for the greater speed with which owing to the set
of the currents, the voyage from America to Eng
land is accomplished, than the voyage from Eng
land to America The Asias outward voyage to
New York was accomplished in ten days, eleven
hours and thirty-sx minutes, mean steaming time.
From this, are told, must be deducted five
hours for the detour by Halifax But this allow
ance is in excess the increased distance is not the
only element to be considered the less resistance
for oceanic currents on the Halifax route ought also
to be taken on account.
On the whole, disposed to admit that the
Pacific, not the Asia, has made the quickest pas
sage yet made between Liverpool and New York
1t is, however, neck and neck affair. In July
last, the American steamer Atlantic made
the voyage from New York to Liverpool in ter
days eight hours and twenty nutes, only one
hour and twenty minutes in excess of the time
taken by the Asia.
We anxious to state the facts correctly, for
there is an evident and not unnatural strainng on
the parts both Of English and Americans, to make
out the best for their respective steamers
the assumption that the victory is still doubtful
the result cannot be very gratifying to our nation
al pride. Cunard's Company have had ten years
practice the first experiment in Atlantic steam
navigation, on the part Of the Americans, was made
last year by the New York and Bremen steamers.
The Pacific and Atlantic are the first steamers
launched by the Collins Company. YetOne of these
trial Ships lift has not beaten, has equailed the ma
tured production Of Cunard's Company. Is there
any thing in the history Of cur ocean steam navi-
CATION that can account for this
Some years back, Government, unable or un.
willing TO carry the mails the Atlantic, gran
ted contract to MIR. Samuel Cunard, which that
fortunate gentleman is understood TO have sold at
great premium 70 a Glasgow company, for the
conveyance by steam-vessels fher Maiesty's mails
between Liverpool, Halifax and Boston. In 1916
this contract was renewed for ten years from the
LIST of January, 1S4S; and, in expectation of the
American competition, which has since arisen,
leave was given to omit Halifax and make the
voyage direct from Liverpool TO New York. Both
the original contract and irs extension were given
without any competition. The owners ofthe Great
Western and others steam vessels, who had Tsked
their money in establishing the practicahility Of
making the Atlantic voyage, were unceremoniously
brushed aside, and the contractor has had yirtua
monopoly of the steam communication hetweeI
the United States and this country for the last lei
years. For this service the country pays $4,000
per annum.
Following the example of tile English govern
ment, the United States granted, in 1913, to
New York Company a contract for carrying tn
mails to LiVerpOol and their two first vessels, tn
Atlantic and the Pacific, made their first appear
this year, to be followed next spring by thu
Arctic and the Baltic, The Cunard Company, thu
put to their mettle, constructed the Asia and lh
Africa, which were also placed on the station thi
year. The result of the contest, as far as it ha
been carried, is stated above.
=" We are ten years before you in ship-building,
said Yankee skipper, " and ten years behind VO
in machinery in five years more we will be ahea
of you in both" To prove Jonathan wrong, W
shall have to get up some competition at home, an
not wait to be taught the old lesson that there is
such thing in nature an improving monopoly
Cunard's Company commenced with vess els
], 100 tons and engines of $50 horse power. The
have, step by step, reached 1900 tons, and 81
horse power. But the size and power are the on
things changed the model has remained the sam
The Asia, of $500 tons, is an enlarged edition
the Britannia, of 100 tons and goes bowlii
down the Mersey, carrying sea before her enou!
10 swamp a revenue cruiser.
The American steamers are Of large tonnag
and less power than the Asia and Africa but
exquisite model They are " ten years ahead
the Asia and Africa, far the hulls are CO
cerned, and as far behind in the engines. Thu
slip down the Mersey with scarce a ripple at h
poWI ul'luius tuS wafer Ihe d IIdNesenu steam
In accommodation, ventilation, and general arrans
ment, the American vessels are far superior to
thing that has been before seen in this country.
1t will doubtless be said that we attach too mu
Importance to the success of our trans-Atlan
cousins. We shall be told that Z" one swallc
does not make a summer one extraordinary pi
sage is not criterion" We shall be advised
wait for twelve month before we give an opinic
In spite, however, of these and other wise sa,
that may be poured out, we confess that to us t
voyages of the Atlantic and the Pacific looks Ii
the handwriting on the wall to our rulers viii
it behooves them to lay to heart
List of Vessels Ina Port Not Cleared.
NetSIn the First munepkl tdtAguLh ia tbs follsE
table hy mi ne Ma! csInasnct the EAIssd nun 40
~ ths sscouI nE ths Hs eomAsnea above The steanuls