The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-11-05

subjoir ed synopsis of the log OF the royal mail
steamship La Plata, on her voyage out and home
to st. Thomas, and with the account Of her per-
foIMarces under steam
Daily Distance. Gsmayk, Q" the Wsa.ssrs
LIST day. cI iss h 70 Stopped two hour, '"''
ana threequar
I'd day.. 2i6 259 Head indstorpod
three-quarters Of Fore and AFT sails
"a day rs rs 81 EsSs s. Head sea-
stopped half an .v
9th day.. zs ssl LsSs fair wind; - '''' y"
stopped half an Head sea and
9th day.. 20 TT Ditto. Head sea in
e. day 81 G Calm wind H hss ,:,a v and
swell.
9th day.. as5 2ss Calm STOPPED Sses
~, %, or ar. an hour Head Head sea- ss.s 80.
liz ss S @ Breeze AFT
high
M a' ss..s seal tss u
water.
18th day.. 2es 2c2 Stopped svSShours ma,
18th day.. sOd 2s6 Fair wind. Strong westerly
siderable
The above table shows La Plata's outward and
homeward daily runs from Southampton to ST.
Thomas, and back The outward voyage occupied
only IL days and lS hours, steaming with the IN y
ohinefy ne. and untr.eo, Dnd not working smoothly
and satisfactorily, as il will be made to 40 on sab
sequent voyages, after being adjusted IN many little
ton. The bomeward voyage. which at first pro-
missed to be IL days run, has, however, occupied
l3 days and 10 hours steamiDg; but, when the
foregoing table is analyzet it will be found that, in
reality, the homewa-d voyage of this noble ship is
. most wonderful performances, when the wea-
ther is taken into account. On the seventh day
outwaIdS she had steamed sol miles, being a. the
rate OF 257 miles per day, or lo2 knots per houri
bat on the seventh day homeward she mad steamed
500 miles, being at the rate Of al miles per day.
or III knots per hour. Consequently, as she was
thus abou. 100 miles ahead on the honeward
voypge, there is every reason to suppose that had
IL days one, if not under that time
When it is borne in mind, that 4" with strong ad-
verse gales" high running, ana much water
being Shipped, La Plata steamed her 229 miles,
teirg upwards of 81 knots per hour, it may reason
ably be presumed that this ship is equal to run
across the Atlantic to or from the West Indies in
IL days. that with heavy weather during part OF the
voyage she will do it in IL days, and that In the
winter season during the heaviest weather she will
perform the run in 131 or IA days the latter even
being day less than allowed by government, and
although La Plata left st. Thomas.s considerable
the proper time, on account of the Dee not being
this reminds that on the present occasion, that
back from Mexico in que time, yet. La Plata, even
against head winds during the latter part Of her
voyage, has arrived at Southampton before her
mails were due there.
There is no doubt that the Introductory voyage
Of this fine steamship has been very satisfactory.
The average of speed does not yet come up to soma
OF the most favorable averages OF tno CoIns auu
Cunard lines. but no ship should be judged by her
first performances, as II is invariably found that
ocean steamers generally do not attain their maxi
mum rate Of steamiDg till several voyages have
been performed. and till the most suitable trim has
been sscertained, ard tho machinery IS properly
worked to its bearings, whereby unnecessary tight
meas aud frction Of the working parts are removed
st. Thomas ia upwards Of Six hundred miles fur
Their from Southampton than New York is from
Liverpool; steamers on the West India route. there
fore aye necessitated to 60 to with nearly two
hundred tons more fuel, ard with greater weight
Of water and provision stores than would be required
for tie New York voyage This is a disadvantage
which, owing to the greater immersion IN the
eallier part Of the passage, materially reduces the
speed Of the vessel and consequently lessons the
general average of speed when contrasted with the
mileage made by the American steamers. Even
with these drawbacks, IL is copjectured that La
Plata will eventually show as high average as
any of the British or American stesm OF present
en,pIo, cd in crossing the Atlantic ocean.