, 1888-06-27

southern coast OF Ireland, ana reported as
a ship on fire. The admiral, who lay in
the Cove of Cork, dispatched one of the
kings cutters to her relief. But great
was their wonder at their inability with all
sail set in q fast vessel, to come up with
a ship under bare poles. After several
shots were fired from the cutter, the engine
was stopped, and the surprise of her crew
at the mistake they had made, as we'll as
their curiosity to see the singular Yankee
craft, can be easily imagined. They asked
permission to go on board, and were much
gratifed by the inspection of this naval
novelty
She excited great interest in Liverpool,
where she was visited by thousands of
persons, aud one Of the newspapers sug.
gesttd the idea that "this steam operation
may ia some manner be connected with
the ambitious views of the United States"
Another newspaper, recalling the fact that
jerome BOnaparte had offered a large
reward to any one whO would succeed IN
rescuing his brother from St.%Helena,
Surmised that the SGtGnNdh had tbs object
in view. III
From Liverpool the little steamer went
to Copenhagen, Stockholm and st. Peters
burg. and she started home on October
10, reaching Savannah again on Novem-
OCA wv III WV
ing Of the steam trade of the Atlantic
In 1888 the English sent over IL steamer
called the Sirius, and two years later the
Cunard, the first line of passenger steamers
between Great Britain and the United
States, was established.
Let us see what ocean travel was like
previous to this period. A prospective
voyage cOnjured up in the imaginations of
comfortable, home. loving people visions
of privatiOns and unknown horrors, and
those who Ventured to sea were accounted
heroes.
There were lines of fine packet,ships, it
is true, but at the best, a sailing ship IS an
uncertain vessel. She is wholly dependent
on the favOrableneSS of the wind, aud
even at the season when the wind is usual
" liked in one quarter, theflength of her
passage cannot be fOret3itfHtV Within ten
DAYS or more, while when thee wind is
variable she may be odt only twenty Ave
DAYS and she may be sixty days.Ulaleq e
Previous to 1910 passengers and letters
had to bear with this irksOme and distress
lug irregularity. A merchant emharking
in New York for London on urgent bust
ness had no idea how long he might be at
sea, and if the voyage was unduly pro-
tracted it was sometimes his fate-Often
his fate, indeed-to find the object of his
Journey entirely thwarted when he arrived
at his destination. A luminous home on
account of the illness of d wife or mother
made this uncertainty terrible. The
anguished waiting on the caprice of the
winds and the long anxious days of fear
and doubt were iusuppOrtable.
No benefit which the public has derived
from the use of steam on the Atlantic has
been greater than theiexactness in the mat.
ter oftime with which the voyages are now
made. In summer and winter it is pos
sible to calculate accurately within q day
when any given steamer will arrive. At
eight o'clock every Thursday evening the
clerks Of the London merchants deposit
their American letters in the general
post.ofRce, and with probably not more
that one or two exceptions in a year, those
letters are lying in the New York, Bos-
ton and Philadelphia. early on the follow
ing Monday week. At some seasons it is
possible to guess even to an hour when the
steamer leaving Liverpool with three thou
sand miles of ocean before her will be
sighted off Sandy Hook. 22nle 9U4 qiaft
Formerly there wasisg good deal of hap
hazard in it when a, passenger Ventured to
guess within t~wentyelays or q NORTH The
time he would reach the leDl6Br lskore.IHBut
now. you hear them c~UalRdentiy hasBating
one another as they embafkJeithat they
will be in, to tea or to dinner on the eighth
EN AeEE rf& H -