The Portland daily press., 1882-05-10
Expediting the Atlantic Voyage

The recent remarkable voyage of the
steamship Alaska from New York across
the Atlantic in a little less than seven days
adds another success to the efforts that are
constantly making to reduce the voyage be-
tween the continents to the shortest'possible
time. The scheme of fast railroad line
from New York across the length of Long
Island, there to connect with line of swift
ocean steamers, is being seriously discussed,
and the average reader has perhaps seen de-
scriptions of an original water craft, the like
of which has never been seen, that is expect
ed to reduce the time Of passage from port
to port to four days. A rival to both these
schemes is an organization which has re-
Gently been formed, in which English and
American capitalists are interested, known
as the Great American and European Short
Line Company, and it has been Incorporate
ed by the Newfoundland Parliament. A
railroad is to be built across the island to
Cape Ray A steam ferry will connect this
with Cape North in the island of Cape Bre-
ton. Another railroad will be built the
length of the island to Canso Straits, where
connection with Nova Scotia will be made by
brought into line with the Intercolonial sys-
tenn which will distribute by the great trunk
roads Of the United States. On the other
side of the Atlantic from an available point
on the west coast of Ireland another direct
line will be built across the island to the
channel and connect with England by pack
cts. This route brings the sea voyage down
TO 100 miles and the projectors of the enter
prise are confident that they will save at the
very least forty-eight hours. Should this en-
transatlantic journeying The Newfound-
land government has aided the company by
a concession of 5000 acres of select Crown
lands for every mile of railroad they con-
struct; it is to have a monopoly of the rail
roads of the island for term of forty-five
years, and during that period will enjoy i'm
munity from taxes upon all material requir-
ed for railroad construction. The company
demands also 4 subsidy from the govern
ment, or that $3,000,000 of the roadbed
one of such Importance that it will be left to
the people for determination at the general
Autumn election when the next Legislature
is to be chosen. Should it get into actual
operation the company expects to absorb all
the mail service and successfully compete
with all existing lines in regard to passenger
traffic., The alienation of land and water
travel will prove attractive, but the most Sc
rious obstacle to the enterprise will be the
geographical and climatic conditions.
THE new liquor law of Connecticut re-
quires written recommendation from FIVE
tax payers who are not liquor dealers, which
must be published in anewspaper advertise
ment for two weeks, before license can is
sue, and the bond of $500 must be signed
by good surety who is not liquor dealer
and whose name is not upon any other sim
liar bond. No person can sell liquor in the
house where he or she resides with family
and this provision applies to groceries where
liquors are kept, as well as to saloons. AS
only new licenses come under the law
anu ulUSI VI bHc Olu OleS run I'LL aNOf0LuDcr
next, it has not as yet created much excite
ment, but it is expected to stir up good
deal of wrath when the time comes and to
drive good many grog sellers out of bust
ness.
In a series of recently published letters to
the Canadian minister of public works, Mr..
Fortin gives an account of the United States
signal service and also of the Norwegian
telegraph system by which s'from the North
cape to Christiana, in every ford, every bay,
inlet and indentation Of that serrated coast,
from the Loffodens to the mainland, every
station is connected by telegraph lines and
cables,v and advocates the establishment of
series Of stations, similar to those of Nor
way, all along the upper st. Lawrence and
on the Canadian shores of the great lakes.
This would give, approximately, 25O miles
on Lake Ontario, 200 miles on Lake Erie,
620 miles on Lake Huron, including Georg-
ian bay, and 400 miles on Lake Superior,
making total Of about 500 miles.
MARYLAND has constitutional require
ment to the effect that every bill that has