The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-01-06

again were followed by two others, one of
which was sold to the West In
dia company, the other being
the Arabia which rendered good
service during the Crimean war, She was
of 2,40O tons burden and 258 feet long |
this being the greatest length upon which
it was thought desirable to venture in a
wooden vessel with view to the strength |
and endurance in the Atlantic In 1852
the Andes and the Alps, both iron screw
vessels, were added, and they were follow
ed in 1854 and 1855 by the Jura and the
Etna, both iron screws, and both for the
Atlantic trade. In 1856, with the Persia,
the experiment was tried of build
| ing an iron paddle steamer The Persia
was of $500 tons burden and 900-horse
power, and she was followed in 1862 by the
Scotia, also built of iron, and of still larger
dimensions.
The company has now 81 steamers lin
Guiding the vessels which have carried the
mails for thirty years between Halifax,
Bermuda and St Thomas), which go to
Harve, and to all the chief Mediterranean
ports (as Gibraltar, Malta, SYRIA, Constan-
tinople and Smyrna to the Adriatic,
ami to the CULTS of Lyons and Genoa In
all these vessels there is accommodation of
the frst-class for passengers, and every
facility is given to tourists who desire to
go from point to point, and to continue
their progress by a different vessel from
that in which they originally embarked
Besides this, efficient service has been
rendered to the government by its
steamers as transports in time
Of war. Since 1910. when the Cunard
company, strictly so-called, came into ex-
istence, it has built l22 steamers; but the
members of the firm, since 1924, have
built no fewer than l5S, the list beginning
: in that year with the Fingal, of 296 tons
burthen and 100 horse power. In only
two instances during this long period has
. a passenger sustained any bodily injury,
and in each of these an action for damages
having been brought. and having been
defended on the ground that the injury
was due TO the negligence or fault Of the
: sufferer, the verdict of the jury was given
in favor of the defendants. The fleet, as
at present constituted, consists of forty
nine vessels, having an aggregate OF 80,
: 500 tons OF gross tonnage and 4,45I
nominal horse power. Twenty-tour vessels
! are in the Atlantic mail service, twelve or
: the Mediterranean and Havre line, five ply
T. between Glasgow aud Belfast, three be
e tween Liverpool and Glasgow, three be
u tween Halifax and Bermuda, and two be
tween Glasgow and Derry. The none,
} value of the Atlantic mail boats alone ha
~ been estimated by competent authOrit,
Ii at between $4,000, 900 and f4,0OO 900:
and it would probably not be an exaggera
ID ton to state that of the entire fleet a
! double the amount.
+ The company shipped and discharge,
- $4,000 men during the year ending on tn
70 first OF July, 1872, so that they may b
u said to have given constant employmen
ahoat 20 at least $500 persons. Beside
80 the crews, about 1900 men find regula
u u employment in the work Of loading and I'll
III loading the ships; and from 500 to 80
more are engaged at the docks of the con
pany in Liverpool in fitting and refittin
vessels to meet the demands of difereL
tie kinds of service. and in repairs. In tn
ar year 1874 the ocean vessels of tn
70 Atlantic feet made 1913 trips from Live
- pool to New York and Boston, and tn
~ same number in the opposite direction
e- The outward bound steamers carry 9,lG
ue cabin passengers and 26,5IO steerage pa
e. sengers (mostly emigrants, from Englan
:; to America. The homeward bound steam
~ ers brought 1888 cabin passengers trol
ne America to England. La single yea
nd therefore, the company conveyed near
lv 900 passengers across the Atlantic,
the crews were included, the total won
be about $4,000; and even this numb
Of has been exceeded in other years.
u mr. eight years, from July, 1866, to July, lS7
Of quoting from official returns, the compa
10 paid no less than elS9, 35l in tonna
in dues, or an average Of G23 6SS gear.
the same period the total tonnage dues
i"' the port were for steam and sailing vess
we together, E2 400, 3O4. and for steamo
the alone, Gl, 226,O4 1t follows that t
les Cunard company pay about one thirteen
- Of all the total tonnage dues, and abe
O- one-seventh Of the steam tonnage of
the port of Liverpool.