The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-04-12

During these ooyags, the ressels steamed neari!
ITO 900 miles. that their 0usrage expenditure toa
more than a pound sfeiing for ersry mile.
According 10 Captain Ciaxton, managing direc
| tor Of the Great Western Steamship Company
emo sooner had the Great Western performed he
voyage with the greatest ease to New York ane
back, than the directors found that steamships o
larger dimensions would offer better chances OF
| remuneration" 'They now determined that their
second ship should be built of iron instead OF wood
| and propelled by the screw instead Of the paddle
wheel" Accordingly the keel of the Great Britaia
was laid at Bristol in 1899. and the vessel wa;
launched in lS43-Prince Albert acting as sponsor
ON the occasion The flisiortunes OF this i'll fatcd
| ship began ut the cradle Perhaps reader
| may have heard of the keeper of the lighthouse
whose better half throve well in that useful
building, that for years all ext through the narrow
door was denied To her; and after her worthy fus-
band died, his successor was obliged to take the
stout widow "for better, for worse" one OF the
fixtures OF the establishment. The Great Britain
at the outset OF her career, somea bat like the
heavy lady in the lighthouse; the addition OF her
machinery brought her lines of greatest breadth SO
low, that the entrance Of the dock or basin in which
she lay would not permit her exit, and the great
est ingenuity OF the greatest engineers exered
for her release. She was freed at last, and pro-
| ceeded TO London, Dublin, and Liverpool. to be in 4,
spected by the public previous to sailing for
America.
| All England was proud of this ship; her sailing
and steaming qualities had been tested with salts.
| factory results, and it was considered that she
would for many years be the swiftest and safest
Atlantic steamer. A few voyages in lS45-46
aeemed to confirm this Ideal but her successful
career was suddenly stopped in most unac-
| countable manner. Every one knows that il you
sail from Liverpool to America, you must go
round either the south the north of Ireland
The captain Of the Great Britain, her last
| outward voyage, intended to go round by the
north passage. On his way he mus: pass the Isle
OF Man; but through some laundering it was
passed without being perceived-the Irish coast
mistaken for it--and the poor Great Britain consc
quently went ashore. The reports of this disaster
were scarcely believed in Liverpool until the pas
sengers back in the Coasting to tell
the sad tale The proprietors were OF course much
dIsheartened, but their consolation was, that the
noble sh was quite innocent Of the accident, and
that the came thing would have happened 10 any
vessel that had been steered in the direction
The Great Britain lay for whole winter in Dun
drum Bay; the finely furnished 'lades' boudoir'
was completely dismantled, and converted into
snug apartment for sailors and mechanics cooking
ard drinking their coffee; berths were broken up;
the water came and went with the tide through the
lower saloon; but man did not "yied these things
to decay" After much labor she towed across
the Irish sea- and though she now lies in Of the
Liverpool docks, a sad and melancholy sight, yet
| there is every reason to hope that she will
again "walk the waters like thing of life" and
retrieve her furnished fame. She WAS sold in the
latter part Of 1850 for Els 900. and in all proba
bility, ere 1851 has been brought close, the
Great Britain will again be "roling the waves OF
the Atlantic or Pacific ocean.
But we now turn to brighter page in the history
OF the bold adventures on this Atlantic route In
November, 1888, shortly after the successful voy
ages OF the Sirius and Great Western, the govern
ment advertised for tenders for carrying The mails
IN steamers between this country and America
Both the companies to which these two vessels be
ionged made offers; the former to 80 month
from C,rk 10 HatVor for E45 900, and for Eos 900
per annum If Nsto York included the pesstLs to
hso O.
Western Company proposed to perform the service
to Halifax once n month, with three vessels of $50
horse power each, for f45,CJ0 per annum Nei
Their OF these tenders was accepted; but shortly al
terwards proposal was made TO the government
by Mr. Samuel Cunard, of Halifax, in Nova Scotia
This gentleman had had, for fifteen or twenty
years previously, contract for carrying the mails
between Halifax and Bermuda, for which he re.
ceived E4,46O per annum, his vessels running
twice each months and he now proposed to take
tie Atlantic contract, and carry the mails once
week. This proposition was not acceded TO at the
tlmej but ultimately ii arranged that he was
to receive Eos 900 per annum for seven years for
conveying the mails twice each month between Liv-
erpool, Halifax, Quebec, and Boston. This
the commencement of what is now well known
Cunard's line. In the summer OF lS4O, a steamer
named the Britannia, of 200 tons burden, 440
horse power, and go feet in length. (the same d.
mansions nearly as the Great Udstern,) arrived in
the Mcrsey to commence the fultiiment of Mr. Gu
nard's contract. She left Liverpool on the 4tb
July, arriving at Halifax in twelve days ten hours,
and performing the voyage homeward from Hall
fax In ten days. The other vessels placed this
line at the outset were the acadia, Columbia, and
Caledonia. They were all built In the Clyde, and
their dimensions were nearly the same those OF
the Britannia. More powerful vcssels were after
wards constructed. and, in consideration thereof
the payment was raised to 10000 per annun,
subsequently reduced To GS5, 900 when the service
10 Quebec wac taken Oft sinre the accidcCt to tho
Great Britain, up TO the spring OF 1850, no other
steamers than Cunard's were found THE route,
vii "a he ma lls Vcr CA
ried was theme Of general admiration.
We have already seen that the first steamboats,
ever used Tor conveying goods and passengers were
butt at New York, and Piled on the Hudson in
1907. Since that time the progress of steam navi-
gaon the rivers and lakes, and along the coasts
of America, has been both rapid and wonderful
In the five years ending 3lst December, 1893, the
steamers departing from New York alone sailed
in the aggregate 9,6,3,65O miles, and conveyed
%, 100000 passengers, oil whom 10 Sst their lves
by seven accidents. But with the exception Of the
voyage Of the Sorangah in 1919, the citizens of the
United States had not hitherto taken any part in
conducting the steam navigation Of the Atlantic;
and it was not until after all but Cunard's ships
had been Withdrawn, that American built steam
ers began TO ply between England and New York.
The formation of several companies for this pur.
pose made Mr.. Cunsrd anxi .us to extend his con-
tract, 50 ne 10 carry the IN lis once week, and
thus render him more able Ia meet the expected
competition Mr. Cunard said before q committee
OF the House of Commons in July, l549: al was
most an aous To have II the extension Of the con
! tractJ cone, because knew the consequences oil
having these rival lnes Of packets running against
US, and that IL would affect the government more
! than II would affect | could not increase the
number of passenger; but the number OF letters
would he considerably increased, or doubled be
cause, il one person writes, the whole must write"
| The propossl was agreed 30; the MALE to be
carried from Liverpool every Saturday, and from
/ Boston or New York every "Wednesday, Except
during foor winter months, when IL was To be fort
/ nighily,) arrangements being made by which tho
deiour 20 Halifax was TO be- abandoned.
The steamships originally possessed by Mr.. Gu
nard were now superseded by others Of greater
size and power. the tonnage being incrcnsCd from
| 200 to more than 1000. and the horse 20 o
] the engines from s40 10 500. The Coiunbia, we
have seen, wes lost; the Britannia, Aeadio, Gale
| donna, and HibUnio, were sold, (the two last e
the Spanish government, shortly after the attemp
made ON Cuba In l550D and Cunard's fleet nov
consists Of the following magnificent vessels:
Length. Iiorse-poDr Tonnage