The New York herald., 1873-10-30
The Herald's Special Gable Reports
from Foreign Ports-A Now Feature
I'm Our Shipping News.

- O~A SAaPpAn8 NOWss
In the early days of the HERALD one Of its
first and most important successes was gained
in the collection Of the shipping news in the
port of New York. While the old ssblanket
sheets, " as the newspapers Of forty years ago
were called, were contented to obtain
the list Of arrivals as the vessels
dragged slowly up to their wharves,
the HERAID's boats swept the lower bay and
dashed out beyond Sandy Hook to gather the
names Of incoming ships and to hurry up to
the city with such intelligence as they might
bring. Merchants and shippers, owners and
underwriters, got up in the morning to learn
over their coffee of the safety Of their
ventures or, it might be, to hear
of some misfortunes that had overtaken
them. The news was most valuable. II not
only relieved suspense, it put money in the
pockets Of the merchants by enabling them to
trade promptly and proftably on the cargoes
they expected and to turn the knowledge that
their vessels were coming up to good account
The importance Of the shipping news was soon
demonstrated by the desperate efforts made by
the old journals to emulate our enterprise
and by the rapid increase of the HERALD's
circulation The rivalry in this particular
department Of news gathering was mainly in
strumental in bringing about the establish
ment Of the Associated Press; but there never
has been time when the HERALD's special
reports of arrivals did not embrace
large number of vessels not included
in the general report, and hence
our shipping news has always been the most
complete and the most valuable to be found in
the city. While a member of the association,
and bearing full share Of all its expenses,
We have never abandoned or relaxed our indi-
vidual enterprise, and have thus succeeded in
making the HERALD the great organ of the
commercial and shipping interests of the
country.
1t will be observed that we have now intro
duced new and important feature into our
shipping news. AS in former times we availed
ourselves of boats, and subsequently of steam
yachts, to gather up the arrivals in our own
harbor twenty-four hours before vessels could
reach their docks, 80 now we avail ourselves of
the Atlantic cable to lay before our readers
the arrivals of vessels at European
ports and their departures therefrom, ten or
twelve days sooner than the intelligence could
reach them by mail. This enterprise will be
q costly one, it is true; but the importance of
the news we thus give to the American people
cannot be overestimated. The whole shipping
and mercantile community is interested in
these reports, and millions Of dollars are in
volved in the daily cable list Of ar
rivals and departures which we shall con-
tinue to publish. We shall lay before
our readers every morning the shipping news
from European ports simultaneously with
that of our own harbor. Shpowners, under
writer's and merchants will thus learn of the
safety of their outward bound vessels and
cargoes when they reach their destination
just as promptly as they will learn
of their return to our own waters. We
shall also give the casualties which occur
to ships trading to America, so far
as they are known in European ports,
and this will save much unnecessary anxiety
on the part of owners and shippers on this
side of the Atlantic. Yesterday morning, for
instance, we published the names of two
ships-one bound for New York and the other
for Philadelphia of which were COM
PEELED to put back to port one with q re-
fractory crew and the other in consequence of
leak The delay in the arrival Of these ves-
sells at their destinations might have occa-
stoned much trouble, and probably loss, had it
not thus been accounted for by our special
cable report
At present our list may not be quite full,
but we calculate to make it complete, so that
European ports shall soon be as well covered
as New York. SO far as American shipping is
concerned. The enterprise is unprecedented,
and will largely increase the value of
the HERALD as commercial paper.
We have felt that, however heavy the expense
of these special shipping reports may be, it
was proper that we should avail ourselves of
the advantages Of the cable for the benefit Of
this important interest, and thus make good
the standing Of the HERALD as the leading
commercial newspaper of the United States.
A CHANCE. the good men Of the republi-
can party mean to reform their organization
they must do it in the approaching Congress.
First let them kill Cmsarism; second let them
say to the Credit Mobilier Congressman, like
Dawes and Garfield, Gentlemen, you have
been tried and found wanting and cannot pre-
side over the committees of Ways and Means
and Appropriations. The first step towards
reform is the hardest These appointments
will be the crucial test for Mr.. Blaine.
THE "NAsT RELIEF FUND" promises to be
o success. We were certain that the Ameri-
can public, panied at the position Of Mr.. Mast,
would respond. The letters published else
where evince the fact that genius has gener-
GUS patrons in this land Of ours, although
they are to be found outside Of politics. We