The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-10-27
Fast Steam Navigation.

1t is evident that next summer we shall
see a very marked increase in the speed of
ocean steamers. Already the Alaska and
the City of Rome have crossed the ocean
repeatedly in less than seven days. There
are several other vessels, the speed of which
falls but little behind that of the two fiers
Just named, and it is quite possible, in view
of the speed attained by the Aurania pre-
vious to the accident to her machinery,
that she is as fast as, if not faster, than the
Alaska and the Rome. The ocean passage
having thus been cut down to few hours
less than seven days, the achievment OF
next summer will be the further shortening
of the time to less than six days.
OF two steamers which will take their
places on the Guion and the National Line,
respectively, next spring, there is every
reason to believe that they will greatly sur
pass the achievements of the fastest steam
ers now afoat The new Guion steamer,
the Oregon, has made two trial trips, and
on each occasion has logged twenty knots
an hour. This is equivalent to a speed of
little more than twenty-three miles an
hour, or nearly three miles an hour more
than the Alaska or the City of Rome has
steamed IF the Oregon can maintain the
same rate of speed when crossing the At
lantic she will make an average run of $50
miles day, and will at that rate easily
cross the Atlantic in less than six days.
OF course, it is probable that her trial trips
were made in the most favorable circum-
stances, and that heavy head sea would
reduce her speed. On the other hand, it
must be remembered that her machinery is
entirely new, and that after it has been in
use for few weeks her speed may reason
ably be expected to increase.
The new National steamer, the America,
is building in the same yard in which the
Alaska, the Arizona and the Oregon were
built, and her builder guarantees that she
shall have speed of eighteen knots an
hour At this rate she can steam nearly
500 miles day, and in all probability her
speed will be above that which is guaran-
teed At any rate, the America will be
able to cross the Atlantic inside of six
days, and will certainly be surpassed in
speed by no steamer, unless it may be the
Oregon.
Hitherto the National Steamship Com
pany, which can boast of never having lost
a passenger during the sixteen years of its
existence boast which no other COM
pany can make except the Cunard Com
pany-has not aimed at building fast steam
ers. Its managers have evidently now
perceived that the time is close at hand
when the freight and the passenger bust
ness must be separated. Of course, the
slower steamers will continue to carry more
or less passengers and the fast steamers
will carry small amount of freight; but in
the near future it will be found profitable
to build steamers mainly designed to carry
passengers. The model of the America
was recently exhibited at Liverpool, where
it was awarded gold medal for its excel
lence as a passenger vessel, and from the
published descriptions it seems as if both
the America and the Oregon will furnish
accommodations as much superior to those
of ordinary steamers as the accommodations
of Pullman cars are to those of the ordi-
nary model. Such vessels will always be
crowded with passengers, at rates which
will prove immensely profitable. Their
success will stimulate efforts to build faster
and, if possible, finer vessels, and there is
no reason to doubt that within very few
years Mr. Pierce will accomplish his avowed
purpose of building a steamer that will
cross the Atlantic in five days.
OF Mr.. Corbin's new steamers, which
are to run between Montauk Point and
Milford Haven, little is known except that
the company is organized and that the YES
sells will be placed on the route next sum-
mer. 1t may be safely prophesied that as
Mr.. Corbin's original object was to shorten
the Atlantic passage twenty-four hours,
he will not loose the advantage which his
shorter route will give him, no matter how
fast the Guion and National steamers may
prove. If the latter make the passage
within six days Mr.. Corbin's steamers will
have to make it within five days, feat
which can be performed even if his steam
ers should possess no greater speed than
that of their Liverpool rivals.-N r
Times