The Hawaiian gazette., 1869-03-24
steam ships. Ises.

Although but little, If any. change has been
made on the structure of steam vessels, or in
their machinery, during the past year, there
has been an unmistakable tendency to in
crease their size, and to modify their forms.
The fact, that while the capacity Of ship in
creases as the cube of its linear dimensions,
Its resistance increases only as their square is
becoming more and more, and better, under
stood. In other words, where 500 horse
power is sufficient to drive ship of 1000 tons
displacement at a given speed, a ship Of
1900 tons displacement, and OF the same
form may be driven with only 5000 horse
power. Or, not to fix upon ships of such
widely different dimensions, if we make one
ship 70 per cent longer, wider, and deeper
than another, We give 1t two the tonnage,
while its requisite engine power, for given
speed, is increased less than 60 per cent
Were there not such demand for frequency
of transit very large steam ships would be
the most profitable of all But We have no
less than nine steam ship companies carrying
passengers and freight between Europe and
the United States, and despatching their YES
sells almost every day Of the week. We're it
possible TO effect an arrangement between
these different interests, so that one ship a
these only should be sent off-and this would
fully answer all the requirements OF traffic
vessels of eight times the displacement, eight
times the capacity for passengers, and yet OF
out AOur buAcc tue engine puheI. diu run a.
about three times the total expense, would
serve at first class fare of 10l, where II is
now 2R, and a second class and steerage fare
OF from ~ TO 81 The larger vessels would
also be much steadier, and every way more
comfortable. What is more, with a moder
ate increase of engine power, attended with
but very moderate increase in the total
cost, the passage might be made at an aver
age rate of fourteen instead of twelve knots
n n, knnr hus r,ar har 1ar IN ha
passage. The Great Eastern was built before
her time; but were there traffic for fleet of
Great Easterns, sailing regularly every week
for New York, they would be the most eco
nomical steam ships afoat, supposing only
that they were fitted with proper engines.
Although iron shipbuilding, once such an
important industry on The Thames, has al
most wholly deserted il for the Clyde and the
Tyne, it is not the less satisfactory TO note
that at least upon the Clyde an immense
amount Of tonnage and horse power has been
turned out the last twelve months. The best
customers have been foreigners, the Hamburg
American and North German Lloyd compa-
MES having been large "clients" Of Messrs.
Card and Co. These companies, whose
splendid feet of nearly fifty steam ships may
be said to form virtually German navy, are
rapidly extending their operations. Their
newer ships, of 5000 tons register, and $50
horse power, arc among the finest In the At
lantic, and the Hamburg American Company
is now running regular lines of steam ships
to Baltimore and New Orleans as well as to
New York. English merchants are also ex-
tending steamship undertakings to. all parts
of the world. Messrs. Holt, Messrs. Gray
and Co., and other firms now despatch steam
ers direct to China and Japan; and besides
the Great BritGia, owned by Messrs Baines
and Mackay, Messrs. Money Wigram and
Sons are working one or two steamships d.
rect to Australia. We now have a line of
steamers, sailing three times a month from
Liverpool to the West Indies and Mexico;
and Taits line, the London Belgium, and
Rio Plate" of four steam ships, and also the
vessels of the River Plate Steam Ship Asso-
citation, working between Liverpool and
Buenos Ayres. There is also a new direct
line from Liverpool to Valparaiso. Those
just mentioned are all new lines, and Messrs.
Cards, of Greenock, have in hand four ships
for the French Compagnie Generate Transat-
lantique, to work to the Pacific The old
lines-unless We accept the P. and D. and
the Royal Mail, both Of which have had but
few new ships built-haye largely increased
their fleets. The Cunard Company, and
more especially Messrs. Allan and Messrs.
lnman, have largely increased their fleets,
seven first-class steamers having been taken
in hand for the two last-named firms within
the twelye-month. As we have said before,
the tendency is to exceed the dimensions
formerly adopted for steam ships, and each
new addition TO thes fleets is of the full size |
which but ten years ago, would have been |
thought colossal A fine line of steam ships, |
We should note is now successfully working !
between Brindisi and Alexandria. Even the |
new fleet of Government Transports, the |
new Himalayas," immense ships as they are, |
400 feet long, should be mentioned as results |
of progressive school of naval architecture /