Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-04-12

requiring figaes complement Of seamen, the compaIa
lively small number of thirty sufficient to manage tue
sails Of the Great Britain. Even as sailing vessel was
expected that che would go through the waer as last as
fgae and certainly much faster than any padde seae
under sail only, the would not impede the progress
Of the ship any thing keshe extent Of psdde-boxes ana
wheels. Her entire cost was about fl0O. OO0.
All England proud Of this ship her sailing and steam
ing qualities had been tested with satisfactory results, and
considered that she would for many years be the stest
and safest Atlantic steamer few voyages IN le4o-4o
seemed to confirm this idea but her successful career was
suddenly stopped in most unsccountable manner. Every
knows that you sail from Liverpool TO America, you
must 20 round either the south north Of Ireland The cap
tain Of the Great Britain her last outward VOYAGE IN
tended TO 60 round by the north passage On his way ne
pass the Isle OF Man but through some bunderng
passed without being perceved the Irish coast mistaken
for and the poor Great Britain consequently went ashore
The reports Of this disaster scarcely believed in Liver
pool until the passengers came back in the coasng steamers
to tell the sad tale The popretors were oil course mucn
dsheaened but their consolation that their noble ship
quite innocent of the accident and that the same thing
would have happened any vessel that had been steered in
the direction. The Great Britain lay for whole win
YER in Dundrum Bay the finely furnished ladies' boudo
completely dsmanted, and converted into snug apart
for sailors and mechanics, cooking and drinking their
coffee; berhs broken up; the water came and went
with the tide through the saloons bot msn did not
tosed across the Irish sea and though she lies in
Of the Liverpool DOCKS sad and melancholy sight, yet there
every reason hope that she will agsn walk the
waters like thing of life and retrieve her tarnished fame
She was sold in the latter part OF 1855 for and 70
all probability ere 1851 has been brought to close the
Great Britain will again be "rung the waves Of the Attain
tic or Pacific Ocean.
But we now turn brighter page in the history Of the
bold advenures this Atlantic route In November 1885,
shortly after the successful voyages Of the Sirius and Great
Western the Government advertised for tenders for carrying
the mails in between this country and America
Both the companies which these vessels belonged made
offers; the former 60 month from Cork to Halifax
for f45 00O and for 965 900 per annum if New York were
ncuded-the vessels be of 24O horse power The Great
Western company proposed perform the service to HALIFAX
month"; with three vessels Of $50 horse EACH for
945,0OO per Neither of these tenders was accept
ed but shortly afterwards proposal made to the Gov
eminent by Mr. Samuel Cunsrd Of Halifax in Nova Scotia
This gentleman had had for fifteen twenty years previous
y, contract for carrying the mails between Halifax and ber
muda for which he received e4 46O per annum his vessels
running twice each month and he proposed to take the
Atlantic contract and carry the mails week. This
proposition acceded to at the time but ultimately
arranged that he was to receive a65 per annum Tor
years. for conveying the mails twice each month be-
Liverpool Halifax, Quebec, and Boston. This was
the commencement of what is well known Cunards
line In the Of ls40 steamer named the Britain
n Of 200 burden, 40 horse power, and 23O feet in
length, (he same dimensions nearly as the Great Wesern
arrived in the Mersey the ul6ment Of Mr. Gu
nard contract She left Liverpool the 4th Of July, ar
irving Halifax in twelve days hours, and performing
the voyage homewards from Halifax in ten days The other
vessels this line at the outset were the Acada Columbia
and Caledonia They all built in the Clyde and their
dimensions were nearly the same the Britannia More
powerful vessels afterwards constuced and, In consld
eaton the payment raised to f90 600 per annum, sub
sequeny reduced 9s5 000 when the service to Quebec
taken off Since the accident to the Great Britain, up
to the spring Of 1885, no other than Cunards
found this route and the regularity with which the mails
carried theme Of general admiration The yes
sells looked o and usually arrived on the appointed
and passengers went board TO the Atlantic with
as little as felt stepping into railway
rage Delays indeed, did sometimes occu the winds often
succeeding in retadng the progress Of the ships the fogs on
of Newfoundland sometimes pepexed the captains
and caused them to reduce the speed OF the at
tain seasons the year large Of ice foated down from
the arctic regions the steamers homeward track, render
ing the navigation somewhat dangerous; and once, during
the long period Of years. serious accident occurred by
the Coiunbias striking on rock called the Devils Limb
about hundred and thirty miles from Halifax but no lives
lost and indeed every thing, machinery included was
saved except the hull the vessehe mails and passengers
being hoeward by the Margaret steamer OF ak
hundred tons, kept the Halifax station. But, generally
speaking the voyages made with such regularity that
thing for the captains to tell on the eve
Of sailing when they would be back to dinner and they usual
" kept their time Let the reader imagine about to
perform voyage 5000 miles of ocean, and instead Of
thinking about making bis will arranging his affairs, cooy
specifying The time when after having crossed to America
he will back dine in Europe Where, even in the
"Araban Nights" can parallel to this be found
We have already that the first steamboats, ever used
for conveying goods and passengers built New York.
and piled the Hudson in 1907 Since that me the PRO-
gess of navigation the rivers and lakes and along
the America has been both rapid and wonderful In
the five years ending 3lt December 1885, the steamers de-
parting from New York alone sailed in the aggregate
$685. $50 miller and conveyed 25 900 passengers,
whom seventy lost their lives by accidents But wit
the exception Of the voyage Of the Savannah in the
citizens Of the Uoted States had hitherto taken any par
in conducting the navigation Of the Atlantic and
until after all but Cunaris ships had been withdrawn
that American built began ply between England
and New York. The formation of several companies for this
purpose made Mr. Cunad anxious to extend his contract as
carry the mails week. and thus render him able
to the expected competition. Mr. Cunard said, before
committee of the House of Commons in July, lS49, 81 was
anxious have he extension ofhe conracD done
because knew the consequences of having these val
lines Of packets running against and that would ect
the Cow rument than would afct could not
increase the number Of passengers but the number Of letters
would be considerably increased doubled because one
person writes, the whole must write The proposal was
agreed to- the mails were to be carried from Liverpool every
Saturday and from Boston New York every Wednesday,
(excep, during four winter months when was to De Tort
niehy being made by which the detour 70
Halifax be abandoned oefectnis service he Ves'e
must steam al ogeher 272 500 miles year. and for II
MI Cunad was TO receive fl45, 600 per annum. This is
the contract now in force Mr. Cunard consderedt not as
new but extension OF the old and as the
service was doubled and the postage of the steam
ers had bhe been equal the contract he naturally
supposed that the payment would be doubled Bot Mr.
oubun hen Chancellor Of the Exchcquer would not give
than fl45 900, which Mr. Cunard said was very
unus, thing aud quainy added, al beg to say this
with any disrespect Mr. Gouburn; he did II the
money 10 the country but he took G25 600 year from
for the coed # the country"