New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1886-06-02
FAST STEAMERS.
why the Express Trains of the 60. =.
Not Paw.

4 i as h 4
why the Express Trains Of TIA
Not Pay.
Since the loss of the Cunar,3 s+oo,,or
oregon the transatlantic steamship
companies having their western tar.
minus N New York have been carefully
o9nsluerng the enormous outlay requir-
81 W she last steamships, and trying to
Solve the question whether these eynross
sralns OF the sea can be made to pav.
10 my mind" said prominent
'nemper OF the maritime-exchange the
asher day, ut is impossible to get even
On these greyhounds, let alone making
anything out of them. The first cost
OF a steamer like the Oregon can be
counted IN round numbers at 81. OOo. 600.
lhe increase in cost, however, is not
Inc only thing to be considered. The
expense OF running these enormous
snlps Is also increased. To man one of
Chen requires crew of much greater
numbers in proportion than is necessary
10 navigate vessel, say, of 5, 600 tons
burden. Besides this they burn more
IMAM 3OO tons of coal daily, which is an
important item, not only on account of
It's cost, but because Of the room neces-
sary for the coal-bunkers, which might
be more protitably used for the storing
OF freight. Another requisite for sue
cess is that the engines shall be of yery
high power. This means enormoussize.
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 it run at all must be run at
a loss. Does it pay, then, to build
these steamships because theywill 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? / think not.
g IT, 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 a handsome
Pro1lt to their owners, but .Ghis is impos-
slble. The steamship companies have
been engaged in an experimental solu-
ton of this problem since 1882, when
the Alaska and Arizona made their phe-
nomenal fast trips, Several of them
Waged their existence on the belief that
fast ships could be madeto 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 I doubt it. The nearest
approach to success in tthis 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 to
any advantage IN the winter months.
Her capacity for freight is very limited,
and unless she carriessa 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 twill 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 a rule they burn
less than two hundred tons of coal in
day, and can carry comfortably three
hundred passengers. This problem has
considerable interest for the travelling
public, but believe it will .soon be: an
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
AdUe9tiser