The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-11-24

have to describe not intricate manmuves under can
vas but the peris OF the coal hole and the darlrgl
the noble fireman"
Amid the surfeit of hashy gasconade about
the expected wonders to be wrought by the
Suez Canal, we have met nothing quite so
absurd in its extravaganza as this grave de-
livery by paper which affects some know
ledge of commerce. If it be true that the
opening of the new canal gives the finishing
blow to sailing vessels, and will chase them
out of existence, then prodigious effect will
be produced by small cause. Nine-tenths
of the vessels now afoat in all the harbors,
rivers, lakes, seas, and oceans of the world,
are sailing vessels. How the Suez Canal is to
cause q substitution of steamships in their
stead is not very apparent. 1t would seem to
ordinary mortals that the Suez Canal can
change the character only of the vessels that
pass through it, and these will be so insigni6-
cant fraction of the whole tonnage of the
world, that the Post must either be ludi-
crously ignorant of the subject, or fancy that
by some stupendous miracle the sailing ships
are about to encounter fate like that which
once overlook Pharaohs army not far from
the site of the new canal.
If steamships are preferable to sailing ves-
sells in point of economy (and especially for
long voyages y as the Post thinks, how does
it explain the fact that the great ocean lines
exist only by subsidies? Great Britain is
paying annual subsidies to lines of ocean
steamers amounting to about G1,000,0 600 a
year; and yet these subsidized steamers have
the great advantage over sailing vessels of q
large passenger traffic, which is altogether
more profitable than the carrying of freights.
The American ocean lines had feeble, flick
ering existence so long as they were subsi-
| died by our Government but perished as
| soon as the subsidies were withdrawn.
The Posts idea that steamships are best
| adapted to long voyages is very crazy
| whimsy indeed. 1t shows not only total
| ignorance of the statistics of the subject,
| but, we are almost tempted to say, total
| destitution of common sense. For you have
only to make the voyage long enough, and it
| will require the whole capacity of the ship
| for the coal needed for propelling her, leav-
| ing no room for any other cargo. In short
| trips the fuel of steamer occupies but a
small part of its space, and some classes of
| freights can be carried at profit without pas
| sengers or subsidies.
1t appears from the annual report of the
Chamber of Commerce, printed in 1866 that
the total number of arrivals of vessels in this
| port from foreign countries, in the preceding
year. was 1862 of which only 45I weressstearn-
ers. In the same year the whole number of
arrivals in this port of vessels engaged in the
coastwise trade was 1912; of which 1904 were
| steamers. Every trip of the same vessel
being counted as q separate arrival, and the
| greater speed of steamers enabling them to
make more frequent trips, the proportion of
steamers TO sailing vessels is considerably
smaller than the above figures would seem to
make it. So the Post will perceive that if
| it offers its opinion as a prophecy, nothing
short of miracle can fulfil it, if as deduc-
ton, it is a conclusion without any premises.