St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-09-25
A Voyage on the Steamship
Alaska.
FROM QUEENSTOWN TO NEW YORK II
SIX DAYS AND TWENTY-FIVE HOURS.

years, both in speed and accommOda-
tons. Seventeen years ago we crossed
the Atlantic in the old numbering side
wheel steamer Baltic, and were four
teen days in the passage in the quiet
month of June. Now in this year of
grace, we shot across in the Alaska, of
the Guion line, against the head winds
of September, in seven days, and had
ten comforts to one on the first passage.
The Alaska is a magnificent ship, and
has made great stir III the waters of
the Atlantic pool, for while the Oregon
and the America have each made Il
faster single trip, no vessel has kept up
so uniform a rate of speed, going back
and forth in seven days and less month
the shipyards of the Clyde by Messrs.
Elders Il Co., and sailed out of Glas-
gov in Sept. 1881. The Oregon and
Arizona were built by the same com
pany for the Guion line, and these
splendid steamers put that line easily
at the front of fast ocean travel,
though the Oregon has been recently
sold to the Cunard company.
The Alaska is $40 feet long and
carries 1000 tons burden. 1t accommO
dates 5S4 first class passengers, TO see
ond class, and 800 steerage, making
964 passengers in all. The ship is
manned by Is sailors and officers. In
the engine and fire department there
are ia men. Eighty of these are en-
gagged in keeping up the u fires, be-
ing divided into three watches and of
these watches, each remains four hours
on and eight of. The consumption of
coal is 300 tons day or over ten tons
an hour. The steward department
has los men cooking and serving the
tables. Thus there are 96l passengers
and 27O serving, making 1884 in all on
board, when the vessel is full, which it
always is. 1t makes II large floating
! town.
| The ship is divided into nine iron
water-ti tight compartments, so if one
part springs aleak, the whole ship
cannot fill and sink. There are nine
| boilers II feet and 3 inches in length
and 10 feet in diameter. 1t has three
cylinders, 100 inches in diameter and
, feet stroke of piston. The boilers
are made of steel and will carry 100
| pounds of steam to the square inch.
The saloons and staterOoms through
ont the entire ship are provided with
electric lights and electric bells. There
is no danger of fire from these lights.
/ The ship has eighteen life-boats, which
will accommodate 30 passengers each.
| The three departments, the sailors,
the engineers, the stewards, are di-
vided equally among the ten life
boats, each knowing their own and
ready to take their special places in
need. 1t gives % men to each boat.
There are Z anchors on board and 1854
cork lite preservers. There are two
powerful fire pumps in case of fire and
5GO feet of p inch hose pipe.
The Alaska has made eight trips
across the Atlantic in six days and
twenty hours and her time is seldom
much over seven days. She is very
steady and runs evenly and smoothly,
and reduces the hardships of ocean
travel many fold.
The quickest passage made by the
Alaska was in six days and eighteen
hours, an. the next quickest in six
days and twenty hours. The distance
is reckOned from Queenstown to New
York, and not from Liverpool, which
is about twelve hours longer. This
great speed attained by the three great
ships of the Guion line comes not from
IA greatly better model in form. 1t is
thought that about perfection is
reached in that, but from Il greater
power of engine, and it is believed the
time across the ocean will soon be re-
duced to five days.
The saloon is spacious, having six
rows of tables the whole length and is
furnished with large cushioned chairs
turning on Il pivot, SO each person can
come to the table and leave it without
disturbing others. The saloon is filled
with fresh plants and has canary birds
and library and piano. The decks are
very wide and ample. In fair weather
one may see three rows of chairs the
whole length on both sides with space
between for promenading. The lava
tories and bath rooms are like those OF
ii fine hotel.
The good average run is cOnsidera
bly, over 100 miles Il day. She ran
AZ in one day, the Oregon 476 and
the Arizona 422. Only in very stormy
head winds do we fall short of 400
miles. Thus the tempestuous and ug-
ly old Atlantic is made somewhat COM
Portable by these splendid steamers
but let no one indulge the pleasing
thought that any steamship, however
swift or luxurious, can cross the water
without enduring hardness.
c. l.. GooDELL.
Public Opinion.
THE VACANCY ON THE BENCH.
The all-important question, howev-