The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-03-25
The Collins Steamers.
from the Washington Union.

To THE EDITOR OF THE UNIoN:-
SIR have noticed an article in your columns of
the l4th instant. the signature Of Fair Play"
which wears the garment Of sheep, but the tone
OF the article betrays the wolf
Taking up the points Of the article in succession,
first notice the assertion that the triends Of the
Collins steamers confined principally to New
York, by asking any man in doubt upon this point
to read the expression OF the press from every part
Of the Union during the construction, debut, and
subsequent unequalled passages Of the Collins
find a genuine American who has not felt an addi-
ticnal national pride in consequence Of the splendid
achievements Of these noble steamers.
The next assertion, that the steamers are not
easily converted into war steamers, and that, if
capable of being. they would cost the government
al least 800 000, will answer by saying that an
| eminent United States naval constructor asserts
| that he convert them into war steamers for
100000.
II is not denied that. when the Collins steamers
we've first commenced. they had before them the
crence Of the Cunarders excepting in such points
| Is the Cunardcrs. in their admirable sagacity and
| coed management. chose to keep to themselves;
ard in this they have displayed great tact in the
management of their steamers, which, with their
| osr.rienee makes them indeed formidable rivals.
When the Collias steamers commenced, the
| new Cunard steamers America, Europa, Niagara
ard Canada were in the field, and astonishing the
world with their unprecedented quick passages and
it was these steamers that the Collins steam were
| built to compete with. During the construction
the officers and engineers Of the Cunard boats
frequently visited the ship-vards and engine
works engaged in the construction of the Col
| Inns boats, and were uniformly treated with
| courtesy, which they always reciprocated, look
ing upon the matter as an honorable rival
| ry between the two great commercial nations
Of the earth. Their convictions Of the charac-
ter Of the opposition they were to encounter, is best
provedby the facts that before Collins boats were
completed, the Cunard company contracted for two
additional steamers, the Africa and Asia. They
were both longer and sharper than their associates
of much less tonnage than either of the Collins
boats, while they put in engines Of precisely the
viz: 95 inches diameter, nine feet stroke-(the
largest diameter and the longest stroke before
built in Engand) The expectation in favor of the
new Cunarders may be best illustrated by quoting
the language ola Liverpool paper:-
| The CuHard Company have contracted for two new
steamers ve hundred tons less tonnage than the Collins
line, but Of the power. Their models and
dations will be greatly improved and whom they
afoat. for moment will entertain the absurd idea
that America can compete with England in ocean steam
| navigation.
| The six Cunarters above referred to- and the four
Collins steamers, have for time been before the
world in the glorious and praiseworthy for the
supremacy Of the In the contest (Which has al
ways been conducted with the best offeeng on both
sides,) the performance Of the four new Cunarders
which were to be the competitors of the Collins line
have been lost sight Of and performance
and Africa alone compared with the Collins boats.
The result is before the world, and it is one that
should awaken the pride Of every American. The
Cunarders in good earnest, are not willing to give
up the glorious contest. which they acknowledge
have lost. and now building two other steamers,
the Arabia and Persia, much larger than any they
have adopted before They have built tubular boilers
and braced them for carrying from ID to pounds to
the square inch pressure Of steam, which is the pres
sure of the Collins boats As the Arabia, from some
cause best known to themselves, has been sold to
the West India Company, it is fair to infer that
the Cunaiders are going to make another and more
powerful attempt to regain the laurels they have
lost
Fair Play" accuses "the projectors of the Ame-
rcan line with being resolved to eclipse the English
line, and OF considering expense no object This
will admit, and will endorse the accusation; for /
witnessed the liberal disposition on the part Of the
projectors whenever they found what was necessary
to produce steamers equal to their task A reasona
bic compensation was allowed for it; hence the OBJ
legation of the government to encourage the enter
prise for they just as much nationally interested
as the projectors themselves
"Far Play" next asserts that the cost OF the
Sunard steamers is not known. 1t may not be to
nm; but is well known to others; and it is also
Wen known that each of the Cunarders cost as
much IN proportion to their capacity as either the
Collins boats; and the expression that either Of the
Collins boats cost as much any s'four OF the Gu
narIers, exhibits how little he knows Of the sub
lect he writes about. That the reader may decide
this point for himself give the cost of the Brish
Queen" the president" and the sLiycrpool''-
steamers that preceded the Cunard line. and Of
smaller capacity-as published by the association.
~ COST VI iiuOWV, or $500 900 each. Is it, then.
fair to presume that the Cunarders-any one OF
thcm-cost less, when, in every feature, they were
Of larger dimcnsionsl
:. FAR Play makes q srecious argument Of the
Disadvantages Of fush deck" As he is so fond
OF referring to English examples will do likewise
and refer him to the five new ships for the Royai
Man West India Company---the Amazon, Oronoco
pemaiara' Parana. and Magdalena--- Of which
nave hush decks, and engines of exactly the same
diameter and length Of stroke as the Atlantic and
mn upn x.tttnl1 hn orrn
nearly the same length and two and ahalf feet less
oeam. And again---to quote English authority con-
cening the " flush deck"---I refer to the New York
dfbioa OF late date, containing an extract IRON q
London paperi--
In reference TO the 0ronoco steamer just completed
te y regarded the most complete and Efficient vessel
tlnatfl ~ IL Anol IL