Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-09-17
From the Liverpool Daily Albion, Aug. 10, 1S72.
Ehc Innan inn

From the Liverpool Daily Albion, Aug. 10, 1s72.
The Inman Line.
The "Inman" Line, which has been associated
with the American trade during nearly the last
quarter of a century, came into existence just at
that critical period in the history of steam navigd-
ton when the principle of screw propulsion was be-
ing auxiousy discussed. The appearance in the
Merscy of the celebrated screw steamer "Archi-
medes" had only few years before set the ship
ping interests of Liverpool in flutter Steamers
Of Comparatively small tonnage were soon built in
considerable numbers for cOasting and short pass
age services but the distinction of having sent the
first iron screw steamship across the Atlantic i'll the
winter season is due to the enterprise Of the then
new lnman company, combined with the ingenuity
of Mr. David Tod, ship-builder and engineer, Of
Glasgow. This steamship, which was appropriate
y christened the CITY of Glasgow" made her first
voyage the l1th December 1850, and in July of
the following year another magnificent vessel,
built on the same principle, and called the "City
OF Manchester, was also started on SINH
lar service between England and America Such
enterprise naturally brought the company prOmi-
nently before the world. About five years later the
outbreak of the Crimean War tended 10 bring the
new line into even greater prominence. Steamers
of large dimensions, with capacity for great speed
were required at once both by England and France,
for transport service; and it is singular to note
that while member of the House of Commons
stood up before that assembly and stated that the
English Government could not get transports, the
Liverpool, New York and Philadelphia Company
were letting their finest steamers to the French, be-
cause the English Government had refused TO en-
plOy them on the same terms. The war over, the
duty between Liverpool and New York; and since
then their trade has gone on increasing year by
year, until it has developed into the splendid fleet
and the regular and punctual Transatlantic service
with which its name is now associated. During
seventeen or eighteen years of its early existence the
company had no subsidy either from the British or
the American Government, though subsequently 1t
was employed to carry mails for both. The COM
p9ny nevertheless pursued its successful course
without check, and although, in conjunction with
all the other British steamship companies, 1t Ia
bored under immense disadvantages in the way of
repeated surveys by the Board OF Trade and the En-
lgration Commissioners, from which foreign COM
peting companies were exempt, it won public conf
dence on both sides of the Atlantic. As matter of
some interest, it may be also mentioned that the
lnman Company were the first in the American
trade to carry emigrant passengers. Their fleet at
the present time, on duty and in course of construc
ton, embraces nineteen vessels, the tonnage of
which amounts to 1852 tons, and the nominal
horsepower of engines to 6940 (which is equal to
about IS, 900 indicated GAN the ships belonging to
the company" says the writer of a recent pamphlet
the steam trade of Liverpool care very strongly
built several of them having decks con-
structed for considerable portion of their width,
Ofsee plates, applied to confer the vessel
much as possible the character and strength of an
iron tubular bridge, such as that which spans the
Menai Straits. The two new vessels which are now
being built will be the finest and most cOmmOdiOus
of the whole fleet. The first which is in course of
construction by Messrs. Card & Co., of Greenock,
Is to be 465 feet in length, "A feet inches in width
OF beam, and 81 feet in depth from spar deck to
keel. Her gross tonnage will be 1890 tons. She is
being fitted with all recent improvements, and the
vessel viii be propelled by high and low pressure en-
glnes oil SUI horse power nominal. The other vessel
the Getty of RichmOnd"-is being built at Craig
rowne, by Messrs Tod & Macgregor This steam
er's dimensions will be very similar to those of the
city of Chester" and she will be moved by en-
gines of the same power.
ofthe additions made to the fleet of the company
should be mentioned is the City of Antwerp, a
splendid iron steamer that left the builders yard
during the latter end of January, 1867. Since then
she has made many very successful voyages across
DllOWV
sions are: Length of keel and fOrerake, 800 feet;
breadth, moulded, 80 feet; DEPTH moulded, 211z
feet Her builders measurement is about 2400 tons,
and she is propelled by two direct-acting engines of
great power. To meet the ever increasing require.
ments OF the transatlantic trade, however, other
vessels had to be subsequently added; but before
referring to those 1t may be as well to advert to the
City of Parsa vessel built before the City of Ant
werp, and which afterwards underwent the pro-
cess OF frightening Up to a comparatively recent
period the City Of Paris had the reputation of hay
ing made the fastest passage ever made by any
steamer to the United States. "Time," in
these days of competition and rapid COM
munication, is said to be money" and,
as consequence, the lnman and other
companies appear to have endeayored, while
seeking to lessen the tedium and discOmforts of
long sea voyages to construct their vessels on such
principles as to ensure the greatest speed consistent
with the greatest safety. The City of Paris was
built in 1865, and at that time she regarded as
a triumph of shtpbuilding skill. Subsequently,
however other vessels outstripped her regard to
tonnage, and in order to place her upon an equality
with these it was found necessary four years later
TO add about forty feet to her length thereby in
creasng considerably her accommodation for steer
age passengers as well as for goods. The altera-
ton, in fact gave her additional cargo space to the
extent of 800 TONS and berth room for go addition
al Storage passengers. Her present length Is 4l6
feet over ALL and her burthen 3jS1 tons. In the
succeeding year the steamer City of New York un-
derwent somewhat similar alteration. When
built in 1857, she was arranged with deck houses
running fore and aft, but 1t was afterwards found
that the carrying capacity of the steamer was not
adequate to the power of her engines, and it was
therefore determined to increase her length amid
ships by so feet. AS altered abe is 1856 feet long
her breadth is Sa1s feet, and her depth SO feet;
her registered tonnage is 1880 tons; and her gross
tonnage about $500 tons, so that 1900 tons
was added to her burthen; while, with pre-.
clsey the same engine power as formerly, an equal
speed is obtained The latest addition 10 the In
man teet is the fine screw steamer, City of Montre-
al, which is fitted to accommodate 1900 steerage
and io6 cabin passengers description of this
vessel appeared in january last, but it NAV be
briefly repeated that she measures 432 feet over all;
and that she is Al feet in moulded width of BEAM
and 81 feet deep from the spar deck to the keel Her
measurement tonnage is 4,451 tons; her net regis
tered tonnage, 3,026 tons. The only remaining
steamer which calls for special mention is the City
of Brussels-the vessel which obtained such a high
character in the shipping world through her eele-
brated feat of crossing the Atlantic in days, %
hours and minutes mean time. The City of Brus-
sells was launched in 1869, and about IL months ago
spar deck was added, alterations and improve
ments being at the same time made in her ma
chinery by which the already great speed of the
vessel was considerably augmented During her
run from the Clyde the speed at some points
present dimensions ares AIS feet length, with 40S
feet beam, and she Possesses a gross tonnage of
5,l46 tons, and net tonnage of 1922 tons,
, These particulars amply testify in themselves to
the pluck and enterprise of the prOprietOrs of the
Inman line, and evidence can scarcely be wanting
OF their attention to the safety and comfort OF
passengers The following list shows the names
ana tonnage OF the vessels belonging to the COM
pany: