The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-08-17
THE CALIFORNIA.
Another New Anchor Line steamer.


Nome forty years age, four little scotch
boys began their seattle. starting out from the
Clyde III little smacks. and gradually rising III
thu graduation 81 tonnage and rg until they
Aad served IN sChoonerS. hrigs. banks ships
4It steamers, and were CunverSant with every
lcJNl hi connection with these different
types NJ vessels Readily acquiring knowledge.
ami praCtlclnE economy and sterling integrity,
these boys grew up t. manhood mbued with
All the intelligence necessary with which t.
=" hulld lasting business structure, which
year hy year should increase IN magnitude
and power. They saw several attempts made
t. establish steam traffic between the port
az Glasgow and the rl,Ah and rapidly develop
ug marts of the New World. and As often
saw them fail In due time they handed to-
sether for the purpose Of developing bust
ness which has rapidly grown to he 81 enor-
nous magnitude, and which is vet destined to
uutuNdl their most sanyuIne expectations
hese little Scotch boys rapidly rose to be
the worldwide known firm II Handyside 4
Henderson, ~ Glasgow the owners Of the
Anchor Lane
Their rirst efforts IN developing shipping
business for themselves was III small sail
vessels. in the Mediterranean fruit trade In
tins they We're rewarded with well-merited
success, and finally purchased the steamer
with which Z" carry on their rapidly mcreas-
my trade The future gave promise of large
returns ~ the transatlantic trade and in 1856
they purchased the Tempest, a sail vessel.
ana converted her INTO an auxiliary steamer.
She was a success, and they then altered the
ship John Bull, and made her also an auNil-
lary steamer, and with these two vessels
fairly inaugurated the Anchor Line Next
came the United Kingdom, in 1857. since
which time seventeen steamers, ranging from
500 e ;. 400 tons which have been con
Structed Tor the Atlantic service The Dom
fedru wr believe Was the first NJ these
steamers specially built for the Medeterran-
San fleet for which twenty nine steamers
have been constructed, making in all a fleet
W furty-siX steamers built for this line III
fifteen years. The California the latest adj
dItlon 70 tins line. which We propose to des-
cflbe III detail, Is the 0rdHt cJHrier of a fleet
OF vessels for this line Of a new and improved
type
The second Of the fleet the Victoria. a
sister ship t" the California. has Just been
launched and the Bolivia ami Ethiopia II
400 tons each, are well forward Three
other steamers are IN frames, VIZ the Euto-
PA, Castaha, and Italia, making IN all seven
steamers. 81 over 22 600 tons in the aggregate
and valued at half-a-nIlh0n Of money, which
AZ l't blLAl lbI LulS lllli " lLnll flllt Wear
We have thus sket.hed IA brief the rise and
progress, and IN a measure, Swallowed the
future Of the Anchor Inc and will now pro
ceed TO describe the California She was
built and finished at glow, scotland, dur
iug the present year, ~ Alexander Stephens
& SON, and Is an iron screw steamer, of 3, 2S7.
90 gross tons, or >. O96 II net register tons
and IL 36l D feet IN length. 40 ) ~ beam, aud
"A. feet depth from tonnage deck t. Celhng,
and 81 , feet from upper deck To ceiling. Her
beam, being So great, makes her a very safe
and easy vessel at sea She has two com
pound vertical direct acting engines. with one
cylinder lob inches IN diameter and one -
inches in diameter with Z feet stroke If pis-
ton. working up to l,O47 H. r., and built at
the Finmeston Steamship Works. Her steam
power is generated in six boilers tested to a
pressure Of 20 pounds, ana a donkey boiler for
supplying steam to the windlass Craig and
Chiet Engineer McFarlane. We inspected the
engine department, and we're well pleased
with the finish soldlty and cOmpactness Of
all the appointments There was one feature
We saw which greatly pleased US, and that
has small engine connecting with a centr-
tugal pump placed in the starboard wing
which is a powerful spare hilge-pump and
also acts a ventlating fan, driving fresh
current Of air through all the passenger spaces
as we'll as the cargo holds, adding much TO
the con fort and sanitary condition Of all on
the vessel This, We consider, il among the
best NJ the new ideas introduced INTO this
vessel
To better enable our readers to fully com
prehend the arrangements made for the com
tort and convenience Of the passengers. and
To insure safety to everything on board, We
viii begin our description starting out from
thu. dagE ftra-arN The tir-f
made is Of her Well-proportioned dimensions,
wherever you -, OF whatever direction you
turn, an arm fact. sense Of strength and
sOhdIty gTeets you-and with this Is combn-
rd a beauty aud symmetry Of finish which i
charming t. behold Standing forward and
looking aft, fine, roomy clear deck gives
promise Of comfort IN promenaiing on TIE
voyage, and the vessel being high out Of the
water, dry feet may he calculated upon. even
IN heavy weather Fore and aft the ship,
high iron hatch combings Indicate that even
ia STORMY weather the matches need not he
hattened down, excluding light and air. A
powerful windlass, worked by steam, lifts her
ponderous anchors. Passing, along the deck
We come to the steerage hatch house, which,
like every deck house on board is Of heavy
IRON a broad, brass bound staircase leads into
the steerage, which is well-hghted and beau
tifully ventilated .steerage passengers are only
carried on one deck Around the engine and
boiler space the eombings are more than waist
high. A fine, broad, strong bridge spans the
deck and in its center il located an iron pilot
house, in which is located a steam steering
wheel Of which shall speak hereafter
From the bridge two systems Of signals con
meet with the after wheel house and the en-
gine room, and it seems a matter ~ imposs-
bllity that any misunderstanding can arise
L. g H..
Passing still further aft, We come to the after
steerage hatchway leading into the quarters
assigned TO married couples and single females
The same inviting broad staircases are pre-
scented to the eye, and the same good arrange
ments are found here as forward
The next entrance from the spar deck is the
smoking saloon, one Of the choicest and most
attractive on any steamer in the trade. 1t is
fitted up luXuriously, painted in a delicate
tint Of sea green, and relieved with gold the
cushions are maroon colored leather. and the
carpet of neat and rich pattern. Silver
plated chandeliers droop from the ceiling, and
even mirrors adom its walls.
Now let us 20 as far aft as We can, and en-
ter the wheel-house, which ia probably the
largest in port Ii is fitted with a double
hand steering wheel, at which four men can
work and a small steam steering wheel, the
latter connecting with the one ON the bridge,
and acting in concert with it, or independent
ly. as may be desired. With this apparatus
child can handle the rudder no matter what
the speed Of the vessel nay he. Its value is
incalculable. Passing W through the after
wheel house. are two large "uptake" ventila-
tors. which draw the foul air up out Of the
hold in fact, all Of the ventllators are of this
TYNE and are to be rec mmended for general
use on account of their Efficiency
The entrance to the gram. aloon is very i'm
posing. and has no equal in ny Of the trans
atlantic lines. Before we enter, we may re-
mark that a large iron house covers the
entrance, the top Of which is devoted to a
promenade, and is lofty lookout and will be
3 favorite resort. Now let us proceed to the
saloon entrance and seat ourselves IN the
social hall At once we are impressed with .
hoard of