Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1886-06-03
FAST STEAM Frs.
why the Express Trains of the Sea Do
Not Pay.


Not Pay.
Since the loss of the Cunard steamer
Oregon the transatlantic steamship
companies having their western ter.
minus in New York have been carefully
considering the enormous outlay requir.
ed by the fast steamships, and trying to
solve the question whether these express
trains of the sea can be made to pay.
TO my mind" said a prominent
member of the maritime-exchange the
other day, 1T is impossible to get ever
on these greyhounds, let alone making
anything out of them. The first cosi
of steamer like the Oregon can be
counted in round numbers at 81, 900, 600.
The increase in cost, however, is not
the only thing to be considered. The
expense of running these enormous
ships is also increased. TO man one OF
them requires crew of much greater
numbers in proportion than is necessary
to navigate vessel, say, of 5000 tons
burden. Besides this they burn more
than 800 tons of coal daily, which is an
its cost, but because of the room neces
sary for the coal-bunkers, which NIGH
be more protitably used for the storing
Of freight. Another requisite for sue,
cess is that the engines shall be of very
high power. This means enormous size,
and must necesSitate further contrac.
ton of hold space in order that the
machinery may be accommodated. Fl.
nanally, these fast steamers must OF
necessity be laid up during the winter
months, or if run at all must be run al
a loss. Does it pay, then, to build
these steamships because they will make
the trip between New York and Queens
town in little over six days, when YES.
sells costing very much less to build and
at least one third less to maintain will
make the voyage in less than eight
days? L think not
If, as has been the case occasionally
with some of the fast ships now run.
ming, five or six hundred saloon passen.
gers could be carried every trip, then
these vessels would yield handsome
profit to their owners, but this is impos.
sible. The steamship companies have
been engaged in an experimental solu.
ton of this problem since 1882, wher
the Alaska and Arizona made their phe.
nomenal fast trips. Several of them
waged their existence on the belief that
fast ships could be made to pay. What
is the result? The Inman line lost the
City of Rome, which is now run by the
Anchor line, and Williams & Guion,
the pioneers in the fast sailing service,
came to grief, and were also compelled
to let go of their pride, the Oregon,
which was purchased by the Cunard
company, and now lies at the bottom OF
the deep, a martyr to this Unsuitable de.
sire for speed on the ocean. The fast
steamers of the North German LLOYD
and Cunard steamers may pay running
expenses, but l doubt it. The nearest
approach to success in this particular
is perhaps the America, of the National
line. Being of a yacht model she burns
very little coal, and is run at compare,
lively small cost But while she is
classed among the speedy vessels, she
can hardly be said to belong to the big
ones. As it is, she can not be run tG
any advantage in the winter months.
Her capacity for freight is very limited,
and unless she carries fine compile.
ment of passengers, for which trade
she was built, she must make the voy
age only at loss. When this question
is fairly settled believe it Will be found
that those vessels that make the trip be,
tween the old world and the new in
about eight days will be found to be the
most profitable. As rule they burr
less than two hundred tons of coal in 2
day, and can carry comfortably three
hundred passengers. This problem ha,
considerable interest for the travelling
public, but believe it will soon be ar
accepted fact that what the larger and
swifter vessels gain in speed and capac,
ity is done at too great an expense,
which expense the travelling public
must eventually pay."-Cor. Boston
Advertiser.