Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-11-05
Calls aud Sketthes.
Ocean Travel In 1856.
FAST STEAMERS. CHEAP FREIGHTs-ENG
LANDS OCEAN MONOPOLY.
Continued from Yesterday

! Continued from Yesterday
The fastest Atlantic steamer in the world
at present is the Etruria. which arrived in
New York in August, 1885, within six
days, five hours and thirty-one minutes
after leaving Queenstown. Ten years
ago a ten DAYS passage from New York
to Liverpool was looked upon as very fast
travelling, and when in 1882 the Alaska
left Europe on one Sunday morning and
landed her passengers in Castle Garden
on the next Sunday. il was a nine DAYS
wonder. Still in 1881 the Arizona made
thirteen successive trips. each of which
was under eight days. and there are now
eight ships which have made the passage
one or more times in less than seven DAYS.
These are the Oregon, six days. nine
hours the Alaska,si DAYS. sixteen hours
the America. six days. fifteen hours; the
Umbria six days. fifteen hours: the
Servia, six DAYS, twenty-three hours the
City of Rome, six days. eighteen hours
the Aurania, six days ,twenty-three hours,
and the Etruria. six DAYS. five hours. The
most Of these are new ships. They are
of different build from the slower yes
sells, have more powerful machinery, and
cost more. They also roll more as a rule,
| am told and are hence more conducive
to sea sickness.
II is wonderful how Great Britain owns
the ocean aud how she increases her AQUA
tic population every wear In the DAYS Of
sailing vessels she ruled the seas and now
her steam whistles screech out the prices
of the worlds freight market Two
thirds OF the steam tonnage of the world
Is carried under the British FLAG, and with
| in the past ten years she has increased the
amount of her steam vessels 29l per cent
The United States has increased her ton.
mage in this time only 6 per cent, and
whereas in 1870 we had one -third as many
steam vessels AS Great Britain, now we
| have only One-twelfth. OF all the great
| shipping countries of the world, the
United States advances the least Ten
Years ago we had a tonnage five times as
large as Germany and twice as large as
France; to-day Germany has larger
steam tonnage than the United States,
and France has two-tifths more yes
sells than we have. The steam merch.
ant service of Great Britain, France,
Norway and Sweden, Italy. Spain, Hol-
land and Russia has increased at the rate
OF from 252 per cent, in the case OF France
to GAG per cent, in the case of Norway and
Sweden in the last decade. The United
States alone remains stationary, and all
the world seems to be feeding oft of her
The passenger travel across the Allan
tic is small item in the economy of ocean
traffic, but of the sc, 900 Americans whom,
the purser of this ship estimates. 90 across
the water in the first cabin every year,
SO 100 travel in foreign SHIPS and they pay
at least S5,000,000 for their round trip
tickets. Estimating that each spends
$500 in Europe thew take out of the Unit
ed States 100000 every year
John Bull understands pretty well how
to get his fingers into Uncle Sans peck
cts, and it is curious to note the catch
penny ways in which he does So The
great railroads OF England publish parts
of their guides especially for the Ameri-
cans, and in the cabin and smoking room
of every ocean steamer you will find
bushel or so of their guides, each of which
will teach you how to get rid of your dol
lars to the best advantage. You will see
that the roads have trains labeled the
American expresses, and some 90 even so
tar as to label their engines after cur pres
idents. One engine is put down as
named after president Washington"
another president Lincoln" and third
president Garfield.
The hotels in Liverpool advertise thai
they pay especial attention to the wants
OF American ladies'" and the railroads
running from Liverpool to London will
make up special trains to take fifty Amer
leans there Immediately on the arrival of
the steamer, if they will pay first class
fare. Pullman cars are attach he'd to these
trains, and | see that one line mentions
as one of its advantages that 1t passes
through the town where George Washing
ton ancestors lived.
The English railways advertise better
than the American. and thew give a great.
er amount of information and greater in .
ducements to travellers Each of the
great roads manages the express business
OF its line. as the Baltimore and Ohio does
in the United States. 1t has its own no.
tells ut the larger stations. and
in most cases has omnibus and car
riage lines in its larger towns. 1t puts
down in its guide book OF time tables the
prices for every station, first, second and
third class. and also the return fares. and
gives its rates for carrying freight and ex-
press matter.
A number of these big railway guides
lie before me as | write. and the book of
each road is as BIG as our travellers official
railway guide and about twice the size of
the yellow guide to American railways.
known as Rand & McNally's, or as thick
As two copies of Harpers' Magazine and
about the same size pages. In them bug
ing tickets Is called booking baggage Is
known rs luggage. baggage car As luggage
van, and car as carriage. They are full
OF strange things TO the American traveller.
Special rates are made to parties of two.
better rates for parties of three, and half
rates IN some cases TO parties of thirty
: There are scores of advertisements of
2 return tickets. season tickets and circular
t tours at reduced rates. and the season
{ tickets cost more when they are good for
six months than for three. Here on one
! railroad see that medical students, schol-
ars. teachers, apprentices and articed
) clerks under l9 are carried at half rates it
, they have papers with the showing that
they are bona fide employees or teachers.
The railway laws OF England seem 90
, be all made in favor of the railroads.
/ am told that parliament has passed 4, 900
. separate acts relating to her railways. and
that they are as great aud as dan gerous
. monopclies in Great Britain as in America
, There are thirty-tive hundred millions OF