The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-09-27
TRANSATLANTIC STEAMERS.


..-o(.c~-> c.-ss.. 1890.
=. 81 - New Y0k1, Sept. "A, 1865.
To THE EDITOR OF TUE HERALD
The annexed slip from the Glasgow Herald shows
what one company and one building yard ON the
Clyde Is doing for transatlantic steam navigation.
This large fleet IS not built for q British company,
but for German company. who can have no induce
ment to go Clyde for their steamers other than
the fact that they procure the class OF vessels
which experience has demonstrated to be the best
for the trade cheaper terms than they can build
them for In the shpyards Of Germany or the United
States. When American citizens are permitted TO
do what this German company Is doing we Will re-
cover a portion OF the transatlantic trade which
our present registry laws has thrown into the hands
OF foreigners 1t will be observed that the fine ships
| OF the North German Lloyds cost about $780, OO
gold and our prices must be brought to this stand
ard to enable merchants and shipOwners to Com
| pete with German and British ship0wners. II our
| shipbuilders and machnsts can furnish equally
good vessels for the price, the fault OF letting the
tass ana erchonts c but ~ the shin and engine
builders are unable to supply the vessels at the Oyde
prices there is no course open to us snort OF grant
ing American registers to ships and steamers owned
by American citizens without Discrimination as to
| the country where the vessel is built
TRIAL TRIP OF THE STEAMSHIP RHEIN.
[From the Glasgow Herald Sept. l2
Yesterday the magnificent screw steamer, recently
launched from building yaru OF McS5rS. cara "
Co., Greenock proceeded on preliminary trip pre-
vous to being handed over to her owners the North
German Lloyd,s Company. the Rheln Is vessel
| feet depth OF hold. She Is propelled by engines
OF coo horse power, nominal and Is in every respect
| similar in arrangement to the numerous feet Of
steamers built and engined by this eminent firm for
| the North German Lloyd's Company, to ply betwlNt
| Bremen and New York, via southampton. Yesterday
| a speed OF fourteen knots was attained under easy
steam. Mr.. Overlook, managing director, and who
represented the company, expressed his entire salts
| faction with the ship. She will be commanded by
Captain Meyer and Is expected to leave for Bremen
tomorrow. IL is only ten months ago, we believe,
| since this vessel and the Westphaa "a sister
| steamer, which left the river last week. were con-
named Maine was recently launched. while fourth,
to be named D0nau, now In course OF construction,
is to be launched and fitted out this year. During
the past eleven years MesSrs. Card & Co. nave built
| and engned for the North German Lloyd's Company
the following steamers, of an average tonnage OF
three thousand tons eac and at COST we believe OF
about GS5 900 each, viz. bremen, New York. Hansa,
America, Hermann, Deutschland, Union, Weser.
| VIII be finished this year. All these handsome
steamers now ply between Bremen and New York,
| via Southampton. Besides these, MesSr3. Card Is
| Co. have likewise built for the Bremen and Baltimore
line, owned by the same company, two ships, named
dimensions are now building in their yard at Green
! ock. This year Messrs Card GO. VIII have
launched seven vessels the aggregate a Tonnage OF
last three years the North German Lloyds Company
| have been paying their shareholders twenty per
cent the invested capital of f375,OOO, besides
building the above magnificent fleet OF vessels out az
earnings The company began their line OF trans
| atlantic steamers in 1857 Their ships have per-
| formed some of the fastest passages across ul'
| Atlantic on record.
The Commercial Navigation Company.
To THE EDITOR or THE HERALD
Having read the various published statements OF
the President OF this company setting forth the
extraordinary advantages to the country which he
alleges will follow the establishment OF line OF
ocean steamerslOn the plan he proposes, naturally
felt desire to the models and learn the condi-
ton which such glowing estimates were based.
accordingly called at the companys office in South
street to-day and favored with sight of these
wonderful efforts at naval architecture the consum-
nation OF which is to be the production of ships that
are to 'beat all creation" in speed and comfortg
which are, In fact, 10 raise such glow OF patriotic
ardor IN the breast OF every native citizen and ndig
nation in that oil every naur allied foreigner at the
wrongs he suffered in his own hated native country
that they, one and ALL will patronize other line.
nor send their letters in any other ships. The
averment of Mr.. Baxter that the Post Offics
Department will delay the mails 1.-TWO or tlires-
days. in order to send them by his wonderful ships,
ito be landed two or three days In advance Of the
foreign mail steamer lines sailing the same day.
led me TO expect great scientific treat from my In
| spection of the aforesaid models. How much such
sanguine representations may weigh with capitalists
| or POSTMASTER General Randall am unable TO say.
| do feel assured, however, that by scientific and
truly capable naval archtests-men who have had op-
pOrtunties and experence-they are always looked
| at with suspicion. II charatanism has any meaning
in these days those who indulge In such vague gen.
erates lay themselves open to being cassed in that
| category.
| Now for my own opinion "a a scientific as well as
practical investigator into the dlcut questions in-
VOWED in naval architecture, mans opinions
| these questions must be valued to some extent at
| least by the opportunities he has had for inquiry
and observation. "A rule OF thumb designer
doubt often produces good aud toerably fast ships:
hut il is with him ali anesswork, founded on precon.
celyed ideas formed 6y comparisons WITH other
aIV w hoy md
is besides able 10 give "a for the faith that b
| In him." Within few years have visited many OF
the shpyardS IN this country and nearly all those on
| the Thames the Mersey and the Clyde, and have
amned most OF the models and drawings OF noted
| ships OF the English, French ana our own Paohs
| lines OF steamers
by the light thus obtained and long years of study
| and observation | have arrived at the CONCLUSION
| that there Is great room for Improvement In the
| models OF ocean steamers, that the average time 81
fleets OF such vessels may be reduced even more thaa
MIR. Baxter estimates. 1believe with the eminent Eng
| lish naval architect, Mr. W. Scott RUSSELL that when
the public "beleve In It, almost any speed that capital
| may command and commerce support may be at
tanned with safety and certainty on the ocean,
must, however take leave to assert that neither the
| models proposed by Mr.. Baxter nor the dimensions
and other conditions stated Will produce ships equal
to even the second class foreign lines now monopo-
lizng the transatlantic trade. The proposed ships
to be s25 feet long by ASS beam over all, and 2!
Deep and are only TO draw IL feet ut ''oad ne,n
and their draught TO he but foot less at the end
| Of their voyage than at the commencement.
No one can attach higher value to light draughtas
ameans to the attainment OF high speed at ecOno-
| mical rate than I do. IL is, in fact before all
se one SAVE Snr ane nee anu pr0pSr neSe s
| draught nor fine lines can be had on
those dimensions and proportions. TO get botb-aat
they must both be combined In order to get ecOnon
| cal high specd-you must materially increase hs
length. To beat the fastest Cunarders and French
men YOU must build ships OF greater length IN pro-
portion to beam. These crack ships vary from 800 10
near 400 feet In length. II to beat them in
this severe competition the great "hghway OF ma
tions must build our ships nj least $50 feet long,
with beams about onetenh their LENGTH 80 as to gee
fine lines well light draught from length rather
than breadth. Furthermore, Mr.. Baxter proposes to
| build four OF his ships OF wood, which adds,
pared with iron. one.third to the weight of hull IN
| other words, If an iron hull OF given dimensions
weighs 300 tons. similar one constructed OF wood