Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-12-17
EXPRESS TRAINS OF THE SEA.
Enormous Outlays Required by the
Fast Steamships
New York Tribune

Several Of the transatlantic steam
ship companies are at present engag-
ed IN the experiment solution of a
problem which has considerable in
terest for the travelling public. It is
the question: Gan the new class of
| steamships Of extreme speed and
enormous size be made to pay? The
managers OF the Cunard Line seem to
believe In the proftableness of such
ships, for within the last few years
they have added 10 their fleet FIVE of
the fastest and largest vessels atloat.
| The General Transatlantic Company
is following the example of the Gun
| ard people, and next summer the ser
vice between New York and Havre
will be made by the large new steam
er which the company has recently
| built. The other lines, however, hold
back. The White Star Line has made
no addition to its fleet for years,
and has now no swift vessel, as
the word is applied to ocean steam
ships In 1885. The same is true of the
Inman line. The Guion lines still re-
tains the Alaska and the Arizona, the
National Line still has the America,
and the City of Rome is run by the
Anchor Line. But the Guion Line
was glad to dispose of the Oregon to
the Cunard Company, and the rumor
OF war between England and Russia
which LED to the chartering of the
Oregon and several other steamers
was said to be the cause of devout
thankfulness to the com panies whose
property was taken. On the other
hand, it is said that this class of YES
sells has not yet had a fair trial. It is
about four years, however, since the
Alaska and Arizona begun to aston
ISL the whole world by their rapid pas
sages.
There are certain conditions which
enter into the problem, and which
render the ultimate success of vessels
of this type extremely doubtful.
Ia the first place, high speed
can not be attained without
enormous Sis. This increase is rem
dered necessary by the size of the en-
gines, the large amount of space
which must be devoted to the boilers,
and the Immense amount OF coal
which is consumed. The increase of
size means an increase in the cost of
the vessels, and an increase in the ex-
pense Of running them. The cost of
steamer like the Etruria may be set
down al about 100000. She is
manned by much larger crew than
is required for a vessel of :, 200 or g.
900 tons burden. She burns over 800
tons of coal daily. Finally, the adj
vantages OF fast trip across the ocean
are often lost on account of the diff
culties of bringing the vessel into
port. On the other hand, such q
vessel always carries more pas
sengers and freight than small
er and slower one. The Etruria has
crossed the Atlantic with 900 first
class passengers. It is certain that if
she carried the same number on every
trip she would yield handsome profit
to her owners. But this is impossible.
All through the winter N onths she
must be either laid up or ran at q loss.
The question, then is, whether it will
pay 10 build vessels at vast cost,
which will run almost empty during
half the year. and will make the pas
sage from New York to Queenstown
in twenty-four hours quicker than
any other vessels which cost less and
burn half as much coal. When the
experiment has been fairly made, it
will probably be found the most
profitable type of steamers for the At
lantic passenger trade is that repres-
ented by the Britannia. the Gallia
and the Normandie. These boats
make the passage IN about eight days,
to Liverpool or Ravre; they burn less
than 200 tons of coal daily, and they
can comfortably accommodate about
800 passengers. What is gained in
capacity and speed by the larger and
swifter boats is gained too dearly.