The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-01-31
The Clipper Ships Of AMsrIea-The supre-
macy Of the eeas.

The Clipper Ships OF AmexIea-vhe eupre-
macy OF the sess.
The appearance OF the American clipper ship
Oriental in the Thames, and the extraordinary hsn
freight she commanded over all other vessels load
ing in China have attracted great deal OF atenuon
n It only IN Europe, bat in this country, and IN
duced us TO place the following few facts in con-
nection with this peculia. branch of our commerce,
before our readers.
The city that claims the proud honor Of being the
first TO build clipper vessels Baltimore. From the
Potomac have issued vessels that have become
famous throughout the world, under the name of
"Baltimore clippers" not only for their astonishing
speed, but also for their beauty of model. The
vessels built there, however, have been seldom
larger than briggs, the number of barks or ships
constructed being very small, owing, we presume,
to the want Of water room. The ship Ann McKim
owned by Messrs. Rowland IL Aspinwall, Of this
city, was tult at baltimore, and was, some years
back, crack clipper ship, and made some excel
lent passages. There are, also, the Grey Eagle
and Grey hound, both hailing from the Monumental
City, and now, we believe, somewhere IN The p
cific both excellent vessels.
Ii is My within the last few years that the
merchants of New York and down East have
clipper ships; but no sooner were their eyes opened
to the benefits doth nlt.onally and pecuniarily0
to be derived from them, han they set to work
with will, and the result is fleet OF the finest
looking and swiftest merchant vessels, mostly
owned and built either in this city or Boston, that
ever spread canvas to the breeze.
Among the many splendid trips made by this
class OF vessels, those of the Oriental and Celestial
of this port, stand preeminent. The former, on
her last trip to China from New York, accom-
plished the distance Q4,52l miles by log, and
l4,l60 by observatory in less than Sc, enty-one
days, her average sailing per day being two hum
bred miles. The latter made her trip to San Fran
cisco from New York in nineiy.five days, calling
time, which was two days quicker than the trip
of the Sea Witch, till that time the shortest passage
on record. The Orentals trip from China to Eng
land was also the quickest .ver made between
those countries by any description of vessel, she
having accompi she'd the distance from Hong Kong
TO the London docks il ninety-eght days.
!, would seem inpo IS be 10 beat such travelling
the al owe; bat the hit to excel beats strongly
in the breasts of our mercas n captains as ever,
and we should not be at Ell urpr> q to hear that
even these fine passages have been ou.done by
vessels now c n their way to and from the golden
shores of the Pacific and China.
The nam-s Of these vessels are also feature in
themselves, most of them being called after some
bird or other animal ceb brated for feetness of
wing, foot, or tail-as the Sea Serpent The owners
of one of them have even gone out of the beaten
way so far as to bring down the m lediction of
portion of the Eastern press upon their devoted
heads, in their attempt at originality in christening
their vessel Among those named, we have the
White Squall and Black Squall, the Sea Serpent
and Sea Witch, the Cele stia and Eternal, the
Stag Hound and Grey Hound, the Grey Eagle and
Game Cock and many more, equally as original.
For convenience, We i'll place them all in tabular
form as follows.--