The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1869-04-17
The Ocean Race.


Queenstown o. j. stated that the IN CHt
Of PGrIs. of the Imam line. arrived at Queens
town yesterday morning at h~alf-Iast ,iN O'Clock.
an hour and = half ahead Of the RuSNiG. of tie
Cuulrd line. IL j. almost useless t. state. -
well has the fact been known. that during the
past week n very large amount Of money has
changed hands concerning this race between these
two vessels. although one 81 tie ITuQrletOrs Of
one Of tile lines saw fit, = few days ago. 10 deny
that there was such a thing a. a race conteIn-
plated by tie captains OF the steamers when they
lett this port. The proprietor IN question as
serted what hc thought % be true. but tnat the
commanders Of the vessels intended % contend
for supremacy Of speed On leaving New York,
there cannot be a reasonable doubt. The strong
ct proof that could De brought o. sustain this
fnct - a circumstance which occurred ON b1ard
one VI tie steamers before she took her departure.
\ gentleman who always maniiests a great deal
Of interest in the steamship business happened 70
be on board one Of the two steamers an hour or
two before she was % leave her wharf, and dur
ing a commonplace conversation had on various
subjects with the Captain, remarked that II he
was n betting man he would feel inclined 10 bet
on the other vessel. You would. would yOu?''
exclaimed the Captain in his official mask d. well.
I'll tell YOU one thing, and that i that I'll drive
my vessel To- he'll OF win this race" Can there
be any doubt Of there having been any race in
the face Of this rather too frank assertion On the
part Of one Of the commanders?
TIE START.
The CITY gf Paris, Of the Iuman line. left her
dock ON the 10th inst, at fifteen minutes before
two O'Clock in the afternoon, passing, on her way
down the bay, the Russia, Of the Cunard line,
which had at the time Just taken on the mails,
aud which followed ~iorty-iiye minutes afterwards.
The excitement which wns caused by the almost
simultaneous departure OF these two vessels. il Is
almost needless 10 state. was due 10 the fact that
NJ present the question l. before the House of
Commons a. To which line Of steamers plying he
tween America and Great Britain should he sub
. gIlIZpl tr CARRYING the mails ir has all nl,pp
been the law that the subsidy should be given 10
the fastest line, and IL naturally follows that the
rivalry that already existed between the Cunard-
ers and the lnmans has been greatly intensified
by this fact, 1t being well known that the Cunard-
ers are as DESTROYS TO retain the subsidy which
they now possess, a. the prOpTictOrs Of the In
man line are to wrest it from the grasp of their
formidable rivals. The Cunard Company have
always enjoyed the mail carrying between this
port and Liverpool, and have for years showed 4
schedule of shorter passages than any other Com
Ilny, and before the establishment Of the In
mans. manifested very little concern about any
of their opponents. The result Of this race 10
Queenstown, although 1t has been decided in n
manner that settles all the bets that have been
made upon il, Is not quite decided enough to
place the one line above the other as being the
superior in point of speed, but it will most as
suTcdly intensity the contest for supremacy be-
tween the competitors for the mail subsidy, which
the law cnlOius shall bc given to those steamers
which make the shortest trips across the Allan
tic. IL may be stated, rs a matter of gratiica-
ton To those most concerned, that the counsel of
one of the Companies in asserting that there was
no race ON the tapis, or rather the ocean. between
the two steamers, positively and Indignantly
stated that the starting of the CIfy gf Paris III
advance Of her usual day. on the 10Th instant,
was in no manner connected with the sailing Of
the Russia, but was owing To- an entirely different
cause, which was we'll known to the mercantile
community, and which might have been known
To anybody who thought fit to call at tie Com
IaHy's Office for Information. The counsel also
designed o. state that the Russia, before leaving
port, did not prepare for sen in any other than
her usual manner, but sailed entirely full of
cargo, which statements may be taken with the
usual cre,lcncc that Is generally given to all -
Parfe evidence.
TIE e CRY OF PARIS
The City of Paris WIS built expressly for speed
and safety in the carriage Of the United States
mails. which the vessels Of the Company carry
for ocean postage only. Her dimensions are 373
feet Ia length, 80 feet in breadth, and - feet i'm
depth her tonnage. $500 tons, old measurement.
The hull is divided into eight watcT-tight COIN
IartmenJs by bulkhcads, which, while imIarting
great strength to tie broad sides Of the steamer,
prevents her from sinking ON the occurrence Of
any slight accident. Each of the watcr-tight
compartments into which the vessel j. divided is
filed with n steam fire aunihilatJr and n %ccntrilu-
eal pump that can liit upwards OF | 900 gallons Of
water Per minute. She II fitted with q poop and
luEttiSltts ahu lutHt II uIlltu DN n
which runs along tie centre Of the
srar deck and has Il double set Of steering gear,
whccl-hOuses, being erected both fore and aft,
contrivancc greatly reducing the labor of the
men ut the wheels in heavy weather.
The steamship IL propelled bya pair Of direct
lcting horizontal trunk engines of nOminally $50
morse power, and constructed with the latest i'm q,
prDycIncnts in surface condensation and feed heat
The CITY Of Pans was launched from the ,
ward Of McSsrs. Tod Il McGrcgur, Pat '
-seE (.I.-rYrv prrlr IN Dgq.trtar 1<tt anl ny
lived ut this port 4 few DAYS after being launched.
having experienced during the passage q Success g.
ion Of heavy westerly gales. She Is commanded >
~ Cept. James Kennedy, an experienced seaman.
who has had charge of the largest vessels butt, i'll !
.luding the Greaf Eastern, and who, moreover, =
.niDys the cnviablc title of Commodore ofthc line. =
The other officers are: Mr.. Mathcrsun, chief =
ihiccr McSsrS. Frelon, Street and Duck>bury. as
istants Mr.. John kayanaSh. purser DIR. Black,
physician, and Mcssrs. Hamilton and Kidd, chief
assistant engineers. y
TIE RUSSIA" c
This fine ocean steamship combines in her con- !,
all the recent improvements in naval :,
rchitecturc and steam engineering that have 10 :
he present day been fully demonstrated. She :,
constructed both IN hull and machinery by the :
mincnt marine firm OfJamcs X George Thompson, g
( Glasgow i wholly Of wrought iron plates one -
ud a quarter inch in thickness, has a round stern /
ud a head Of a dcmi woman. Her length on =
J. 3JS feet, breadth Of beam - feet. depth -
+ hold - feet : inches, has three decks. j. bark J.
.ggcd. and 2.ll5 tons burden, old measurement. a
hc accommodations for passengers are extremely =,
raciOus, and are fitted with all the couvcnIcnccs :,
lat experience could dictate. The main saloon is L
furnished. and i Of such extent a. to ~
at with comfort over 100 passengers. Its deco J.,
itIOns and paintings are IN the highest stvlc Of \,
e, suggestive Of ease, not cxcelled by many PAR -
r. in private mansions. The motive power Of
&c Russia consists OF two direct acting engines, o.
&c cylinders Of each being eighty-six inches in >,
lmcicr by three feet nine inches stroke ofpi-ton.
cam j. generated by four tubular bOilors that -,
I've water bottoms. Her propeller j. nineteen 81
q in diameter, has three blades and J. Of east i
On. In pumps, both independent, steam, fire,
lSc and hand pumps, anchor, boats and every l.,
u.-ILlLL. c..ulrIALn.. Inn. -.n...-.ir. - .nL.t- 30