The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1884-07-04
Her Speed due to her model and As
complished with LittIe Coal.


The new National line steamer America
seems to be worthy of her name. In some
respects she is the most remarkable ship that
ever floated. With the speed of the swiftest
of ocean greyhounds, she has the model and
finish of yacht. She sailed out of Queens
town at 10 35 on the morning of May 20, and
passed Fastnet Light at so in the afternoon.
She was next heard from at Fire Island late
on Wednesday evening, and at TO- Is the look
out at Sandy Hook heard the rattle of her
chains as she came to anchor outside the bar.
The time of her passage was days, Is hours
and Al minutes
The America was built by the Thompsons
of Clyde Bank near Glasgow, who guaran-
teed that she should attain q speed of II miles
an hour She is built of steel. She is $50
feet long, or about the length of two uptown
blocks measured along the avenues. She is
81 feet beam, and 35 feet inches deep.
The first popularity of the new steamer
which attracts the eye of a sailor man is her
clipper stem that curves forward with the
graceful sweep that characterized the best
models of the wonderful sailing ships in the
California days before the war. The stem is
ornamented with fgurehead representing
the goddess of liberty with quantity of
shields and ornamental gold work abaft her
flowing skirts.
The next feature is the model of the ship
1t is asserted by her officers that she is the
sharpest merchant ship afoat, the curve of
the bow meeting the rim of the stern at her
midship section Below the water line her
lines are remarkably fine, and it is said that
they are not parallel at any place and that
''there are no straight lines in her"
Another peculiar feature of the ship is the
grand saloon. 1t is placed we'll forward, and
is finished in wainscot oak and lincrusta.
The sofas and chairs are of polished oak, up
holstered with crimson satin. The whole is
lighted by a dome of stained glass rising in
the centre to height of 10 feet. The effect
of view of this saloon, lighted by the
softened rays of the sun, Oh passengers who
have been accustomed in other ships to duck
tuoil AC1uo od thC way liOLL tIOil olatOiooh
to the dinner table, is almost startling. The
picture that is presented to the eye is exceed
ingly brilliant. At night the ship is lighted
throughout with the incandescent electric
light
She has accommodations for 800 saloon
passengers, and the staterooms are furnished
in very luxurious style There are the usual
boudoirs for the ladies and smoking rooms for
gentlemen, all elegantly furnished The ship
is heated throughout with copper steam coils
and stoves. There is an abundance Of wash
houses, drying closets, lavatories, &C., for the
emigrants, while the space between decks that
is allotted to them is nine feet high giving
unusual ventilation.
The only steamer that has exceeded the
speed of the America is the Cunarder Oregon
which made the passage III days, 10 hours,
and 10 minutes. The general public looks
chiefly to the speed attained, but shipowners
will be interested to know that although the
Oregon arrived in five hours and half less
time, her consumption of coal was 337 tons
each day, while the America burned only $780,
a difference of lat tons a day. The Oregon
carried 100 engineers, iremen, and coal