Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-06-13

10 Europe in less than seven Days.


Net0 YORK. Tribune, June.
at a reception given on board Of the Guion
steamship Alaska By Capt George s. Muir
ray on the day before she last sailed from
this port, the Captain. in response to a re-
mark, said: "Yes, the Alaska has made the
fastest time on record, but she will beat her
record this trip. The Captains prophecy
has proved true, and the trip from Sandy
Hook to Queenstown was made In less than
seven days, the only instance on record. She
sailed from here on May 30, clearing Sandy
Hook bar at 5:2S p. m, aud arriving at
Queenstown at Sp. ON Tuesday. Deducting
four hours and twenty-five minutes for
difference of time, she made the trip in six
days, twenty-five hours and ten minutes.
This includes the time lost In discharging
the pilot after clearing Sandy Hook. In 1S48
1t was considered remarkable that an ocean
steamship should make the passage In less
than sixteen days. Year after year, how
ever, the improvements In the general con-
struction of vessels, the fine lines given to
the hulls, and the increase of steam-engine
power have given greater speed, and the
voyages have been shortened by marked
steps.
Tne rivalry which exists between the
various passenger lines would in part ac-
count for this progression, but it would not
account entirely for the shortening of the
time required to make the passage to less
tn&0 Olb-udlls hAdlly nao SNCA ZIG
petus to wonderful advancement In naval
architecture and marine engine building.
Ocean vessels not only now make the same
distance In less than half the time, but with
the consumption of less than half the fuel
burned twenty FIVE years ago. When, In
1866, a steamship made the transatlantic
trip in little less than eleven days, 1t was
considered a phenomenal epoch in the his
tory OF ocean travel. Four years later
there was a marked rivalry between
the White Star, Cunard and Inman lines,
and the time consumed In making the trip
from New York to Queenstown was cut
down to ten and ten and half davs. The
Baltic, of the White Star Line, in 1871 made
the passage from Queenstown to New York
In days 10 hours and 90 minutes, and
back to Queenstown In days Is hours and
minutes. TIE steamers of this line made
surprising record that year, the average
time of twenty-four trips from New York to
Queenstown being only s days Is hours
and minutes. The Adriatic made the best
trip In days % hours and IL minutes from
Queenstown to New York. The Baltic, Of
the same line, made the passage from
Queenstown to New York in DAYS 20 hours
and minutes. The City of Berlin, of
the Iaman Line, cut down this record
In October, 1875. making the trip In 2 days
Is hours and 4S minutes, aud the City of
Richmond, OF the same line, made the pass
age from Queenstown to New York In 8
days and minutes, which time was re-
markable when Il is remembered that the
eastward passage is made more quickly than
the westward owing to the perceptible In
fluence of the Gulf stream. THIS record
was beaten, however, IN 1876 by both the
Germanic and Britannia, of the White Star
Line, the passage to Queenstown OF the
former being made In z days Is hours and
II minutes and of the latter in Z days IL
hours and Al minutes. The same vessels
made the passage from Queenstown to New
York in 1877, the Germanic In days IL
hours and 81 minutes. and the Britannia in
days 10 hours and SO minutes.
These records were not beaten until 1880,
when the Arizona, of the Guion Line, began
to achieve remarkable speed. Two voyages
to Queenstown during her first year of run
ming were made in z days Is hours and 58
minutes, and In z days 10 hours and So
minutes. The succeeding year she made the
remarkable time Of days hours and 4S
minutes from New York to Queenstown.
Thirteen other trips that year were made In
less than eight days. Next came the Gallia,
of the Cunard Line. In September last she
made the trip from Queenstown to New
York in days l hour and 5S minutes, and
returned in days Is hours and 30 minutes.
The City of Rome, of the Inman Line,
has not proved to be SO fast
as was anticipated, although she has made
good speed. The City OF Chester, of the
same line. is equally as fast as the City of
Rome. The Servia, of the Cunard Line, is
another of the fast ocean vessels, having
made the trip to Queenstown in davs 2
hours and 30 minutes The Alaska has made
fast time ever since she began to run, and
on March % finished a trip to Queenstown
in days hours and 43 minutes. Her
next trip from Queenstown, on April 9, for
New York, was made in z days 8 hours and
A minutes. These were the fastest trips
eastward and westward on record. Her last
trip, previous to the one just finished, to
Queenstown was made In z days and 26
mfnutps