The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-03-29
The Ocean Steamers.

The steamship service between Portland and
Europe this season is performed by two COM
panies known as the Beaver Line'' Canada
Shipping Company of Montreap, and the "Do-
minion Steamship Company" of Liverpool.
A steamer of the Clyde Line, the Govino,
made one voyage the early part of the season.
The Beaver Line vessels are the Lake Winni-
peg, $500 tons the Lake Manitoba $500 TONS
and the Lake Champlain and Lake Nepigon of
1900 tons EACH These were all built on the
Clyde by James and George Thompson, the
builders of the Cuuard steamers and the
firm is now at work upon a new ship for this
line, to be called the Lake Huron, 400 tons.
The carrying capacity of the ships employed is
size. They are full powered, the engines be-
ing of 400 and 200 horse power, respectively,
and they have elegant accommodations for
from 20 to 30 cabin passengers. This fleet is
augmented by three frst-class clipper
iron sailing ships, called the Lake Superior
1874 tons, the Lake Ontario, 1,060 tons and
the Lake Erie 93S tons. The Erie is the only
one of them that has visited Portland this sea-
son. Thompson, Murray & Co. are the agents
at Montreal and Portland. The steamship
Lake Champlain runs between Portland and
Glasgow once month, and with the Quebec of
the Dominion Lne fortnightly communica-
ton is maintained between the two ports.
The Dominion Line embraces thirteen fine
vessels, three of which ply between this port
and Liverpool. viz: Brooklyn, Ontario and
Toronto, of $500 tons each; the Quebec of
2,700 tons, runs monthly to Glasgow. The 9TH
er vessels are employed as line from New
Orleans to Liverpool. These are also full
powered Clyde steamers and have very fine &C
commodations for from 20 to 80 cabin passen-
gers. These ships perform the service under
contract with the Grand Trunk Railway Com
pany, thus forming an unbroken transporta-
ton line between the West and Europe. Da-
vid Terrence & Co. are the agents for this
line of steamers
DISCHARGING AND LOADING THE SHIPS
Promptness and efficiency mark all the
transactions around the Grand Trunk yard
and wharves. No unnecessary delay is
permitted. A custom house permit meets the
ship at the wharf, and as soon as possible after
she hauls into the dock the stevedore's gangs
are "turned to-" The wharves are long enough
to work in all the vessels matches at once.
Usually four or five gangs of laborers of 16 or
| Is men each are at work upon ship. There
is no cessation of labor until the last bale is re-
moved. The work of discharging or loading is
often prolonged far into the night, sometimes
through the night, and the wharves and sheds
| at such times present busy and anmating
| spectacle. While most of the city's inhabitants
are in their beds oblivious of everything, the
railroad precincts are full of life and motion.
The clatter of the donkey engines, the creak
of the hosting tackle, the monotonous calls of
the bosses the rattle of the barrows, the flash
and glare of thousand gas lights, and the
kissing and rumbling of locomotives bringing
empty cars from distant points or making UP
loaded trains for quick dispatch, give to the
busy scene tinge of romance.
The ship discharged and made ready for hei
outward cargo she is hauled round to the eleva
tor dock to receive the amount of grain in bulk
which she is to carry. Under the new Eng
fish law which went into effect on the LIST o.
January las. the quantity of grain in bulE
which ship may take into each bin or com
partment is limited to 1900 bushels. This i.
to insure the safety of the vessel at sea, ant
avoid the risk of the cargo shifting, as grain il
bulk is easily affected by the motion of the
vessel. From the elevator the ship goes to the
dock where the outward freight in packages ii
stored. Meantime the carpenters have laid {
temporary flooring over the loose grain, and OF
this is put the remainder of the grain cargo il
bags three or four layers deep. Above this il