Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-02-07

on. a,.des of ,he volunteer navy, and put on
| the decks of the blockadlng fleet 'u.ooV
| American sailors. Now the SENATOR run
kentucky. and I think justly. sald thar
great deal had been made or attempted 10 DC
made out of few vessels having been taA
| en- bv blockade-runners and DESTROYER, Anu
Others frightened into registry aoroaa: anu
that many were dating the downtaii Oh 'ne
| American mercantile marine from Una aus
which was one cause but l q'iife agree WI" VIZ,
him that i, was no; the largest cause ana that
| il wa. no, bv anv means the principal cause.
| I lutte agree will, him that il was coihcioeh'
merely.
! But another thing happened Just anou' INA.
time of which the commercial world at least
| has taken great heed. Up 10 that GATE steam
vessels had not been good or great frelghters'
| The side-wheel steamer that did business be-
tween this country and Europe was not
| great carving vessel: she required too much
coal: her engine took up too much space;
but right in the midst of our war, by sue
ces.ion of inventions-partly American ana
and partly British--there was coihpie'e
revolution effected in ocean-going steamers,
and tina, revolution, as | have had occasion
once before on the floor of the Senate to call
attention to. can best he described by stating
this formula: That prior TO that date
/
length had to take 900 tons allowance tor
coal and machinery. and only 500 tons for
| freight. while now it is precisely reversed,
and ttey can take 500 tons only for coal ana
machinery and 1920 tons for freight Ihat
is the revolution which Great Britain effected
with the numerous advantages colpcident
with, and therefore oftentimes confused with,
that other cause which prostratedus by reason
| of the war. But the Senator from kentucky
is correct in stating that the destruction OF
the vessels large as 1t was at the time ana
grevous as the calamity was to individuals
and to the country, was not the great princi-
pal cause which brought about the revolution
from sailing-vessels to the steam marine.
The carrying capacity of an ocean-golng
steamer is something very surprising to men
who have not examined it. The very first
steamer of the Roach line, SO called-and
thew are BY no means as large steamers as
those of the Cunard and White Star lines be-
tween Liverpool and New YOrk-on the very
first steamer that went out from New York
to Rio besides an assorted cargo, which in
marifest would seem to be more than could
be got into the hold Of the vessel, there were
rolled into the hold of that vessel 10000 bar
rels of flour. 1t seems almost incredible when
you think what that would take in the way
of railroad freight trains. That would be two
nuhureu car-Ioaus III one huHureu oaiie's W
the car. and that was run directly into the
hold of that vessel That is where these
vessels have gained so enormously on the
carving trade. 1t is merely by their huge,
prodigious capacity for freight.
1t is idle to fight against the inventions of
the world: it is idle for us to fold our arms
and suppose that wooden vessels are to main
tain anything like the Importance they have
hitherto had in the commerce of the world.
think understand something of that sub
ject. | have the honor to be from the State
that has built more wooden vessels than all
the rest of this Union beside, believe. Within
thirty miles of my own residence is town OF
only ten thousand people thar Is the largest
wooden ship building place on the globe to-
day. l know some little ofthat subject: and
the days OF wooden ships are by no meansw while
over. while they will be great and needful
auxiliary in the commerce of the world. yet
it is manifest and is proven that the great
highways of international commerce, such as
the North Atlantic, the vest India seas. the
route from San Francisco to Asia. that from
San Francisco to Melbourne, and in various
and sundry and divers other directions, will
be occupied, and occupied almost to the ex-
clusion of saling-vessels. by the ocean
steamers. The United States can take a
great part in that race, they can take a great
part IN II Just whenever thev make up their
mind that the instrumentality by which En-
gland conquered is the one which we must
use; they can take 1t whenever they make up
their mind that mercantile marine and a
naval establishment must grow and go to-
getefher hand IN hand, and that the Congress
OF the United States is derelict in its duty if
1t passes another naval appropriation bill
without accompanying it in some form with
some wise and forecasting provision looking
also to the upholdlng of the American mer-
chant marine.
, What the honorable Senator from Kentucky
was pleased to say in regard to the protective
system and its horrible crimes l have no
, time to answer. The unfortunate venture
which was made in the late campaign on that
I subject had Its origin in Kentucky; and il
the honorable Senator is putting this as ar
Tho, som.bo,r Nv o,,'n, .an, 49,. . nl', %:.,
c;nn,ti nla,foru, ,h,om',h ~ -ao ."e t'' !.
hr;,i;ant r Eon.,a,,;" ~ VI. agency on
r. renlv ~ him conondo ~ pe'"' u .h;n
be viii concaJc 70 mo tha. yI;.;ca,I, :. .'m.
e5 Gentlemen Who ran y. H. .1;1o.n c.,..