New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-11-17
ANGLO-AMERICAN TOPICS.
OCEAN TRAVEL AND WAR LETTERS.

CANS BOTH HiNDEED AND CONCkDED-MR
GLADsToNE's EXPLANATIONS.
iron THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or THE rRrBuSE.l
LONDON, Nov. 4.-Two recent voyages across the
Atlantic in two ships of the White Star line, the
Germanic and Britannia, proved interesting enough
TO justify word about them. AT the risk of seem
ing to puff a commercial enterprise | must say that
| | think these vessels much the finest ships | ever
sailed in The passage from Queenstown 20 New
York in the Germanic was made in days, 10 hours,
AZ minutes. The return from New-YOrk 10 Queens
town in the Britannia occupied days, 16
! hours, % minutes This is / need not say,
much quicker than the usual passages by any
other line. In fact there is but ship on the
ocean, tine City of Boston of the lnman line which
| pretends to compete with these. The Cunardcrs
| have abandoned all notion of equalmg the W tie
star ships in speed. They have copied, TO some eX-
tent, the models of their younger rivals but their
| two newest and best vesScls--the Bothnia ard
Scythia-go on Tranquility with their 10 and 1l-day
voyages between Liverpool and New-lork, the Ger
manic and Brta ne meantime doing the same trips
/ in little over eynt or mae. The fastest passa GO
on record wcstwa d has been made by the Brtanuic;
the fastest eastuaE0 by the Gcrnanic. The regular
IT'S of their speed is perhaps more surprising than
the speed itself. The britannia has made eight voy-
| ages ont and home since June TO- Every voyage
| WAS under eight days. and the average for the
| outward trip days, il hours ~ minutes for the
| homcward, days, 20 hours, % minutes. Her
average speed OF the eight voyages in all sorts of
| weather was over ID knots, or II miles, an hour.
! People who prefer To get long voyage as they
can for their money must be advised TO choose
other line.
The superiority Of these ships to the average Allan
tic liner is not less marked in other respects. Their
builders have solved the most difficult problem, so
] Iii. IL.
that Of ventilation. think ! am within the mark
in saying that half the sca-sickuess suffer from
due to foul smells. | hardly expect to Ice believed
when ! say that on these ships there none. But
the fact is that with the ship rolling heavily, AMI
every port close and the weather doors to the
panion-way iislcd fast, woke IN tho morning 10
find the ar OF INV ,tlterOoln much purcr than that
of an ordinary bedroom. At the turthrSt end Of the
long passages between the ,tatcrooms forward and
aft 10 was the Same thing II was the IN the
saloons.s was so struck by this that went over
the whole shii-the stccrar,s, tine stewards doml-
tony and the forccI~tlc, and 10 was still the sumo
pure ayr and light everywhere. There were ladies on
board who had never made voyage except misery
from .ca--ickness and who now went triumphmntly
from por o. pc.t going to every meal. and enjoying
seattle for the irst time. The details OF comfort M
statcrooms and saloons have been carefully
and good bathrooms. The table and service were as
good ~ that OF a good Ncw-YorS hotel There are
bell, to every berth with tins remarkable peculiar
ity-thlt thcy both ring and answered promptly.
va, told by friend who has just come over IN the
Eathnia that bells are still unknown on the
Cunarcrs There the passenger sick or well, IS lett
as Of 0la tssA.a. fir itcwaId-wlo generally does
not come.
Bat are they safe. these splendid vcsscs' They
have run for some years with, far as know, cN-
ac;ly one -criou, accident The company lost one
ship which tmid people remember, forgetting mat
no line is exempt from accidents, and that Gu
harder has since gone 10 the bottom-the lnp"h' ON
ru.L,I Rock off the Irish coast. II is rot lands
MANS hu,iuc,s 10 be- positive about ,mp-hhIlding
and sailing. but even q laud,man has some means OF
Judging. Tie muodut Of vibration viii tell yon
whether ship is very strong or very weak. When
the srrrS begin, 20 turn, tie ship usually begins to
ouiycr The Gcumauic had been under way ten
minute, before vr found it out below. These ships
are I'm fact, ~ strong vessel, as float hey are
sailed with whai the passengers sometimes thought
oyrr-caution and an that could Ice seen of the dis
cpliuc was quiet and thorough
hi, sounds like wholesale praise, bn Is no fault
II mine. During two voyage thc only serious COM
plqiut ever heard made that some Of The state
room, were TOO smaH They vary IN shr, as they
do Oh other ships and you must choose a large one
or. if you are alone, take q whole ROOM This "irr
as the testimony of passenger who il indebted to
Mcs,r. lsm3y urir x Co., aud {" their officers ana
their Ncw-Yurk agent for -ucn attention, ana CIVIL
ties as they b,,iow ou others, but not 50 iiI as
know, for any exceptional iiNorN.
The war correspondents in the East are probably
mo-, among those least grateful for the armistice
II i, no Joke campaigning with either Turks or SER
yilu. Even men accustomed 10 the ordinary h'l"-
ship. of military life find their endurance put 10 the
proof at the hraGqulrtcr, of armies operating III
difficult country with an inadequate commiS~arla'.
The probabilities of being shot on SUSPICION 81
being a spy by troops who speak an unknown
dialect must also be taken into account
On the whole. the London papers have been
well served. and sometimes brilliantly served
But what "a change has come over London journal
ism since 1870, Then for hc inst time the l"i"oh
papers learnt the use of the submarine ana '"htl-
mental t.i,r,apls Now they employ them freely.
Dspatchc, of three or four columns are ~ common
~ dispatches Of three four lines used To De-
The Times. which was ,lowcst 10 move, has once
u,,,,. come ia the front and has been printing
PAGE a day of special kilograms from the seat oil
year and froui fin, continental capitals. And II
soiu. time since so far departed from lt0 ah''hl
stiffness ~ to publish maps sensible ana u''I"'
kind of map. about six inches square, ud'IN IT,
printed. and daily useful tor reference, instead oil
the halfpage maps which could Oc gwen nut once
and always got lost. Mr.. Sililman, VINO "'"'
through most Of the campaign win me Mo"''"'-
prins for The Times, returned home nvi'i"'u week
ago. ii the English public has learned To respect
the splendid lighting qualities oil those gt'i''"'
,nountaiue,rs il IL, largely due to Mr. Stnans tx
c.lI,ut l.ttcrs have not been back long enough
10 hear much newspaper gossip hut haIpcn to
know, that Mr. Stillman's services are hghiy