New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-05-02
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Liverpool and Havre and the port Of New
York has taken an effect upon the fears OF
the transatlantic traveller which will be
justified by his judgment. In the day OF
sailing vessels it may be conceded that
the voyage on the lower latitudes was
more tedious than on the more direct
latitudinal line, but with steam all this Is
changed, and a steamer makes her reck-
oning on our route'with less resistance
| from contrary winds than in crossing
direct to or from New York and Europe.
| The departure of the Frankfurt with more
than two hundred passengers shows what
might be done by our steamers to England
as well as to Germany. There is, In
truth, very little difference in the time
and expense of our line to passenger
who goes from here to New York to take a
steamer for Europe. In such cases the
cost of ticket by rail OR the time of a
coast steamer must be added to the New
York voyage. The rail time to New York
at three and half days, with the average
delay of at least one day before sailing,
added to the transatlantic voyage OF eleven
DAYS. will make the rail and steamer time
via New York fifteen and half to sixteen
days. If we add the coast steamer time
of six days, and transfer to the ocean
time from New York, we have just the
time of the ocean steamer from New Or
leans, or eighteen days. This comparison
is based on a close connection by way of
New York But it is the superior safety
of the New Orleans voyage which should
commend it, not only to cabin passengers,
but to the immigrant.
1t has been shown by our best local au-
thorities that the total loss Of steamers
between New Orleans and Europe has
been but six vessels. Two or three of
them were at points of the voyage COM
mon to both the ocean routes Of New
York and New Orleans Only two persisted
by storms in the southern ATTITUDES. This
has been contrasted with the greater pro-
portionate loss on the greater business of
the northern routes. There having been
in single year (l672) lost between the
st. Lawrence alone and Liverpool sixty
two Ships, nine Of which were steamers;
that is, in one year Of European naviga-
ton to and from one single port Of North
ern America there was one hundred and
fifty per cent more steamers lost than has
ever been lost between New Orleans and
Europe. We take no account of the sad
loss of life by home and transatlantic pas
sengers on the coastwise voyage between
New Orleans and New York.
We invite the attention Of our climatol-
ogists to the discussion Of the subject,
and in the meantime will give the result
of our own information.
An authentic authority states that the
most dangerous part of the voyage between
New York and Liverpool, via Cape Race,
is in the 1900 miles last out, by the st.
Lawrence and Belle Isle route. 1t is well
known that the most dangerous part of the
whole voyage is in the equatorial ice cur
rents of the North Atlantic. This ice
bearing current is concentrated between
400 west longitude and SO north latitude.
Ice is more rarely seen west than east OF
this belt. ''When the icebergs are numer-
GUS, ship masters give wide berth to this
track. As general result, ships bound to
New York should keep south of 500 north.
In Redfeld's work on storms map is
published showing the position Of all the
icebergs and ice6elds recently observed in
the western part of the North Atlantic
ocean. 1t is principally in this region Of
the ocean that fotillas of ice are to be
dreaded by navigators. The sailors Of
Newfoundland hardly ever approach one
nearer than mile. Sometimes, when the
indications of proximity are not observed,
it is too late to avoid the track. Hundreds
of ships, overtaken by the ice, have thus
disappeared with their crews in the cold
waters of the ocean.
The British brig Anna was, in 1921, de-
tanned twenty-nine days on sea and en-
dangered by icebergs.
The able work of Van Vreedon, based
ON the reports of the German Lloyds,
says:
It has >been found that vessels crossing
the Atlantic are greatly exposed to the
storms which rage along the line of conflict |
between the opposing ice current and Gulf
stream and the boreal current. The voy-
the American coast between New York and |
Cape Race, where fogs 40 frequently prevail. |
This coast is about 1000 miles long, and has |
been the scene Of the largest number of
the disasters which have occurred. No less |
than fourteen or seventeen steamers have
been lost on that part of the American
coast.
The atmospheric movements called tenn
pests or gales by the seamen differ from the |
cyclones in their slighter intensity, but are
more numerous. In some parts of the ocean,
especially in the North Atlantic, they are
30 frequent that during some months Of the
year we may expect tempest once in
evey two days. This is shown by an &C.
cOmpanying map, every rectangle Of which
indicates the number of tempests by q diff
ferent tint.
These authorities show both by theory
and lamentable evidence that the naviga-
ton of the Northern Atlantic is attended
with great danger to life during almost
the entire season of labor immigration
and travel return from Europe to
America.
When, however, we turn to the eli
matte regimen Of our own Southern
ATTITUDES, on the outward voyage we