Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-04-12
FROM cH4mBERs's r4rras ron THE rropIr,


Atlantic is not only frequently agtated by terrific storms but
that its currents the track Of any vessel sailing
tween England and America The effect of these currents
such, that while the fne packet ships called liners" by
which Communication chiefly maintained with America
could sail from New York to England in about twenty days.
the time occupied by the vessels the voyage
New York usually thirty six days. The estimated guam
y Of coal necessary propel steamboat the Atlantic
seemed stamp the project impraccabe. II was
doubt uc that in 1919, called the Savannah,
Of $50 TONS had performed the voyage between New York
and Liverpool in twenty six days but this vessel used sails
well steam, and she week longer the voyage than
the time usually occuIied by the liners = that her per-
formance was neither precedent nor guide But there
steamships employed Government service the Med
teranean, and other coast stations from which data
obtained serving show that accomplish voyage the
same length that the Atlantic tons Of coal
would be used for each horse power Of the engines
say if the engines Of 300 horse power they would
600 tons Of fuel before they reached the terminus of
5000 mile voyage. But spare supply always be
ed provide against accident delay that the quantity
the supposed be raised about 700 TONS On
the other hand said that if the tonnage Of the vessel
made than four times its horse power the latter
would be inadequate its propulsion the ordinary Of
steamships The tonnage therefore, Of the supposed vessel
could not exceed l2OO and after making allowances for
cabins, ships stores machinery, boilers &c the space left
for fuel would contain than 500 TONS which would
all be consumed before the vessel arrived within 500 miles Of
the American What could be palmer than this
sonng There the figures, vouched and verified by
Government ofcerso have questioned their accuracy would
have raised doubts to the sanity of the questonez and
the conclusions forth unchaenged calling up vivid pic
Of magnificent steamboat suddenly stopped in its
for Of fuel and rolling like helpless log the
ungente bosom of the great Atlantic To prevent such
consummaon it proposed to reduce the voyage its
least length, by taking the most westerly part of Ireland and
the easey Of America the termn and constructing
railway Ireland to communicate with the
But among mercantile another great question
would the speculation pay It is well known that steam
boat much than sailing vessel both in construc-
ton and working the sails Of the latter are filled by wind
for which nothing whatever paid but of the
machinery Of the former will until the furnace has been
fed with COAL to be had the cheapest ports
without considerable outlay of money The officers and
men, too, must be more numerous and the machinery boil
e and fuel occupy very large space that in sailing vessels
is filed with goods The number Of passengers who crossed
the Atlantic every year was certainly great In 1886
might te estimated about 60 bat a or nearly ALL Of
these smigan, utterly unable pay such charges ss
she stsam vsssss weSa ~ Obigs - makU Ina
trade between this country and America certainly mos
exensve but IN carrying The goods bought and sold
steamer could compete successfully with sailing vessels
Unless therefore, remunerative passenger traffic could be
created by the certainty and speed Of the communication and
favorable contract obtained for carrying the mails, it
quite evident that the speculation would not pay.
There were, however, other mercantile considerations,
affecting the entire Of the country, which rendered
clear that If the regular navigation Of the Atlantic
practicable, 1t essential to British Nothing
important extensive commercial transactions early
and regular intelligence, and quick and speedy ransmis
sion Of orders and goods Judging from what steamers had
already done reasonable expect that they would
cross the Atlantic in half the time occupied by the old liners;
that New York would be brought within ten or fourteen
days voyage from London, Bristol or Liverpool and ihst
the arrival of advices might be calculated with certainty
day, if not to hour. The effects of this, not only
commerce, but every department Of trade and manuac
only the merchant and broker. but the
glance at the extent of commercial relations with Anne
RIGA will pesentths in clearer light In 1886 the value
Of the exports from this country f53 $685. 572, little
more than million pounds sterling every week Of which,
while about third sent to Europe, and seventh
Asia and Africa nearly fourth sent to the United
States, and another fourth other parts of America
Again, imports from America consist Of articles that have
become essential both TO the industry and subsistence of the
people. The gigantic cotton manufacture is an example.
The number Of cotton factories in England 1853, m which
292, ,s62 persons employed If to this number add
that large class engaged in dealing in the materials that
other large class employed in making the machinery others
in bleaching, dying and printing and the host Of adesmen
and shpkeepes engaged in supplying their wants, shall
find that ncludng their faies about eighth Of the
population directly indirectly dependant support and
subsistence this great branch of industry In 1886 the
quantity Of cotton imported to supply the factories with
MATERIAL aud the factory workers with employment, n
weight shout four hundred millions of pounds and of hat
quantity than fourfhs from the United States Of
America alone; while the value Of the cotton manufactures
exported from the United Kingdom during the year was
about f70 600 900 sterling But further, very large pro-
portion Of the dyes used in calico printing such cochnea
logwood &c., brought from America and from the same
continent procured the greater part the supplies Of those
articles now become necessares Of fe-sugar and flee
which perhaps consumed to greater among the
factory workers thsn among other part Of the population
obvious that whatever tends give regularity and speed
the intercourse by Of which this immense trade
carried must at the time introduce greater certainty
and sea illness into all its departments and prevent many of
those fluctuations aud changes detrimental to the Interests
Of all concerned but especially Of those whose labor is their
only capital Nr
However, amid all this thinking and prophesying, amid
the calculations of philosophers and the specuaons Of er-
chants hundreds o working engaged Bristol in
large e-me be called the Great Wescrn
which should at epce and forever set the question
The Of practice did share the doubts of the men Of
heery capital was supplied sufficient extent and the
pubic looked on in anxious expectation Of the result The
Great Western was fnished in lSas and announced 10 sail
On her first voyage on the 9th April The appearance Of
his magnificent steamer Inspired all spectators with conf
1ence n her fitness for the work Seen from distance she
had an appearance Of sengh rather than Of beauty above
'The exact figures 40 follows:
europe .&i8, 81, ,4to
Africa. ................... 1901 7is
Asa. 5,o5, ,205
Australia ....................... SS5, ,637
British North America. ca.................. 2.7S2, ,2oi
British west Indies Observation-Disclosures. S7S6,4S5
Foreign West Indies. Observation-Disclosures. f2ss5SS
United States ot America rica........... Ie 425, sos
Rest of America. ............... S. $50, $50
Channel Islands and Man.. n......-s..,....... SlS,609
Total value of exports in ISSo. .... 5s, ,572