The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-07-27
THE CALIFORNIA.



Another New Anchor Line steamer.
Some forty years ago, four little Scotch
bays began their seattle, starting out from the
Clyde In little smacks, and gradually rising in
the graduation Of tonnage and rig until they
hal served 10 schoOners, brlgs, barks, ships
and steamers. and were conversant with every
detail III connection with these different
types ot vessels. Readily acquiring knowledge,
and PractlclnE economy and sterling integrity,
these boys grew up u manhood lmbued with
all the Intelligence necessary with which To
to build lasting business structure, which
year BY year should increase in magnitude
and power. They saw several attempts made
To establish steam traffic between the port
% Glasgow and the rich and rapidly develop
| ing marts ot the New World, and Is often
saw them fail. In due time they banded to-
gether for the purpose Of developing a busi-
ness which has rapidly grown to be u enor-
nous magnitude, and which is vet destined to
outrival their most saugrine expectations
These little Scotch boys rapidly rose to bc
the worldwide known firm of Handyside L
Henderson, Of Glasgow. the owners q the
Anchor Line
Their hrst efforts in developing shipping
business for themselves was in small sail
vessels, in the Mediterranean fruit trade. Ia
this they were rewarded with well-merited
| success, and finally purchased the steamer
lnez lie Castro, anu another small steam craft
with which ~ carry "a their rapidly inereas-
in trade. The future gave promise Of large
returns IN thc transatlantic trade ant ln 1886
they purchased the Tempest, q sail vessel
aat III ,rtc,i her INTO au auxiliary Steamer
she was a success amt tLey tLrn altered tH-
ship John Bull, and made her also an auSil
lary steamer. ana with these two vessels
fairly inaugurated the Anchor Line Next
came the nitvd Kingdom, in 1857, since
which time seventeen steamers, ranging from
500 to 3, 80 tons. which have been con
structed iyr the Atlantic service. Tie Dom
Pedro, We believe, was the first Of these
steamers specially built for the Medeterran-
can fleet. for which twenty nine steamers
have BEEN constructed. making in all a hget
Of forty-six steamers built fir this liue iii
fifteen years The California, the latest adj
ditiOu t. tLis line, which We propose To des-
Cribe in detail, is the arM courier 81 leet
~ vessels for this line Of q new and improved
type.
The second of the fleet. the Victoria,
sister ship to the California, has Just been
launched and the Bolivia and Ethiopia, of
4, 500 tons each, are well forward Three
other steamers are in frames. viz, the Euto-
steamers, Of over >, 900 tons in the aggregate,
ami valued At half-a-milIiun 81 money, " hich
will hc built for this firm within one year.
We have thus sketched in brief the rise and
progress. and. in measure, Swallowed the
future Of the Anchor Line, and will now pro-
coed to describe the California She was
built and finished at Glasgow, Scotland, dur-
ing theIreSeut wear, 10y Alexander Stephens
& son, and j. An iron screw steamer, Of 3, PSF
90 gross tons, or ,. 096 Il net register tons.
and is 36l ) feet in length, 40.j in beam, and
"A. D feet depth from tonnage deck To ceiling,
and 81 . feet from upper deck to ceiling. Her
beam, being great, makes her a very safe
and easy vessel a sea She has two com
pound vertical dire ct-acting engines, with one
cylinder 1903 inches ia diameter and one 81
inches in diameter, with feet stroke OF lis
ton, working up 70 l,O47 H. P., and built al
the Finnieston Steamship Works. Her steam
power Is generated in SIX boilers, tested To- a
pressure VI 20 pounds, and donkey boiler for
supplying steam to the wlndlass. Craig and
Chief Engineer MCFariane, We inspected the
engine department. and were well pleased
with the finish, solidIty and compactness ~
all the appointments There was one feature
We saw which greatly pleased Us, and that
has a small engine connecting with a centri- [
lugal pump placed in the starboard wing |
which Is powerful spare bllge-pump, and 1
also acts as a ventilatiDg fam driving a fresh. /
current ofiair through all the passenger spaces,
as well as the cargo holds, adding much To
the comfort and sanitary condition Of all on
the vessel. This, we consider, is among the
best of the new ideas introduced into this
vessel
To better enable our readers to fully com
prehend the arrangements made for the com
fort and convenience Of the passengers, and
to insure safety to everything on board, We
Will begin our description. starting out from
the spar deck forward The first impression
made is OF her well proportioned dimensions
wherever you ~, or whatever direction YOU
turn an alr-in tact, a sense Of strength and
solidity gTeets yOu-and with this is combin-
ell beauty and symmetry Of finish which is
charming to behold. Standing forward and
looking aft, fine, roomy clear deck gives
promise OF comfort in promenading on the
voyage, and the vessel being high out q the
water, dry feet may he calculated upon, even
in heavy weather Fore and aft the ship, /
high iron hatch cOmbings indie that even
il stormy weather the matches need not be
battened down, excluding hight and air a
powerful windlass, worked by steam, hits 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 stetrage, which is well -lghted and beau
tifully ventilated (steerage passengers are only
carried on one deck Around the engine and
boiler space the combings are more than waist
high. A fne, broad, strong bridge spans the
deck, and On ms center is located an iron pilot
house, in which is located steam steering
wheel Of which We shall speak hereafter.
From the bridge two systems Of signals con
meet with the after wheel house and the en-
CINE room, and it seems a matter Of impossi-
bility that any misunderstanding can arise
between any a the points in communication.
Passing still further aft, we come to the after
steerage hatchway l,ading into the quarters
assigned to married couples and single females.
The same inviting broad staircases are pre-