The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-07-22
The colisns Line.

when the COLLINS line OF stehHs'" w"
the whole country was proud Of The ensefprise .a.
sxilI which bad produced sneh vessels op'o ."s'
time. OCEAN s,eam navigation was In British HANDS
add conducted By British capital. iheoo'ias se
se, Al once ec,jpsea their rivals In model, con
..ructio.. eleusnce ard speed. In order at all TO
compete with them 10 these qualities, Cunard had
10 fashion his own ships fer those Of Collins. in
ALI but machinery they were superior to the Eng.
,i.h vessels In that they inferior, and so are
all our steam vessels, both public and private, to
thi. DAY. Certaialy Collins paid enough TO insure
good machinery $o50,00o for steam engine
ought to command good work: but 1t seems Anne
,ioan shops are ss far behind those OF England In
machinery a. Eogiish ship builders are behind cur
owH In naval architecture. However, for q time
the Collins line maintained It's supremacy, and no
prouder asa happier man walked the streets OF
New York than Y. X. Collins. He was the head OF
the vast marine Of the Empire City. and had wrest-
cd nom the hand OF England the commercial scep-
tire b: the Atlantic.
All this has disappeared, like 'thc baseless Ia
brio ,f vieion" The triumph of our ocean s'ea-
mers was as brief as 1t brilliant; the glare Of
~ rocket, momentary sparkle, cad then deeper
darkness than before. Where now Is that msgni-
Rcent array OF floating palaces; those three tho"
sand ton we. sells, with their resplendent saloons,
gorgeous furniture, giitieripg plate, their orieh'a
rtn, =, Of ad0r nment 10 cabin and in siaferooIns
The Arctic and Pacific have gone to the bottom OF
the ooesn. carrying down in each terrible wreck,
million of dollars worth Of property, and THAI
which no treasures OF earth can measure, or re-
store, human lives, by hundreds The lives OF the
yonug and gay. the rich aud powerful, the leaders
Of fashion and of society, whose bones are mingled
with those OF the steersge passengers and OF the
hardy mariners, who in vain sought to save them
from destruction. An emigrant ship may be foun-
dered, and multtudes Of the children Of poverty
and misfortune perish, but dozen such caIami-
ties do not injure that line of travel; the emil
grants must come, and poor mems lives not ss
highly valued in acsmmercal community as those
of cattle, whose fesh is good for food. and their
bones for manure. But, when disaster followed
disaster in those vessels which are designed for
people whose wealth and position have made
them forget that they are mortal when not only
the Collins line. but every other American lire Of
sea steamers whether to Europe, to our own ports,
to Central Americas seemed to be built for no eth
or purpose than to offer rich tribute to the god
of the seas the travelling community deserted
Coliins in a body, 80 that his line had to be sus
pended and his best vessel, the magnificent Adj
attic, The final achievement Of George Steers, the
greatest shp-builder Of the world, aud which
ought to be at this moment the acknowledged
Queen of the Seas lies idly at her docks, splendid
monument of naval skill and energy, but a monu'
meut of dead, not living enterprise. The Ameri
can people would prefer TO go in American vessels
bat their pride in their own ships is not equal tc
their love of life, and SO they patroLize the Bri
fish steamers which, II slow, are sure. The mys
terions fatality which has attended SO many Anne
rscan vessels has produced its natural effect, and
thefostconfdence of the community cannot be
regained until our ship-builders and nayigatori
give proof af racial change of character and
policy, by conscentionsly constructing their ships
for substance instead of show; providing them
with water-tight compartments, even though il
may lessen the profits; rgdly preferring saet &c
speed and selecting their officers with exclusive
reference to their superior and complete qualifica
tons, both as thorough seamen and stern disciple
narians, for their responsible position. We fear
that there much avoritsn on the sea as on the
laEd, and that too mauy of our ships are command
ed by men who in sailor rarlance, have "crept in
at the cabin windows" instead OF working their
way aft from the forecastle"