New-York tribune., 1890-03-30
THE BIG ATLANTIC FLEET
ROUTES TAKEN BY THE GREAT PASSENGER
STEAMSHIPS.
TALKS WITH THE AGENTS AS TO THE COURSES
FOLLOWED BY THEIR VESSELS.
, co,respondcncc published in fhe

The correspondence published In Inc lTlDunc
recently concerning changes in transatlantic steam
ship navigation. particularly the Abandonment of the
Maury lane routes, caused good deal Of serious
thought and much talk among persons interested In
ocean travel In order to present the American end
Of the in clearer light. reporter called on
the agents representatives of the several lines TO
inquire what had become of the Maury lanes.
Mr.. Gibson. in charge of the passenger department.
spoke for tho Guion Line. As the case with
representatives Of the other lines. he seemed sur
prised that the impression had gone abroad that the
C'uion steamers the Alaska, Arizona, Nevada Wlscon
sin and Wyoming. had ever followed the Maury lane
routes. To his certain knowledge they had never in
tentionally done
Is It possible that your vessels roam over the
Atlantic at the will Of their commanders ~ the re
porter inquired.
Il shouldn't put IT in that way" said Mr. Gibson.
"but It IS true that leave the sailing Of our ships
entirely to the judgment Of their captains
Then you have prescribed lanes routes -
"None at all. our captains are supposed to know
the shortest and safest routes and leave II all 10
them
But surely there are some general instructions
the subject for masters and officers TO follow
Il do not know of such. The conditions Of wind
wcahcrre variable that each vessel is forced
to mark out route OF her However. l think
Il is the custom for going TO follow pric
ticaly In the wake OF each other passing 10 the south
of those coming which also pursue same general
course
How far apart are your vessels supposed to be
when they pass at sea l'
About sixty seventy miles
"Do they ever pass within hail Of each other
al don't remember that they ever did so'
ADO they ever make Cape Race. the French
vessels dol'
No. never And don't think the French steam
ships do it often. | shouldn't think they'd care TO
advertise 1t if they did. It's place they want to
N
SON. are the greatest dangers encountered at sea
and all commanders try to avoid them. The idea ~
vessels going the shortest northern route at This
season Is erroneous. None of them attempt such
thing. The companies have more AT stake than any
body else and they are not likely to nm tac risk Of
sending their ships to the bottom. The routes now
taken are far the south Of those followed in the
summer and fall. You can Scc that hy the difference
in the time required make the passage. lou don't
hear Of any records being broken now. even ap.
preached. Record d-brcal1ng IS done in The summer
and fall when there danger Of Ice and little ~
fog. \ few hours in fog means -rcat deal 10 a
fast ship She is expected 10 reduce her speed and
generally does. believe. but that. far safety
goes amounts practically TO nothing. suppose a
twenty knot ship slows down 10 ten knots. half speed.
do ,ou :link that would save her or any vessel she
might come In collision with Do YOU think five
A,, t. quarter speed would do itl remember sciur
The old CITY Of Limerick drift against the siorc pier
~ the Battery at the rate of on" mile ar hour ana
actually cut her way through IT, II Is diHlctii -
convey "a idea Of the tremendous force -
biz ship in motion Imagine the City II Rome steam
Ing against the Battery NJ the rate OF four knot.
hour. Why. she'd split Manhattan Island half IN
two!
Transatlantic steamers at sea have nitlc 70 fear
from each other. can imagine TWO vessels - Of
fcrcnt lines coming together bnt It is impossible for
me to understand how two Of the same line should
fslf ID a.
The White star Live an Some three yeats ago. lti.
ring fox and ice our srea'c-i danger ce.is in r"
sailing vessels and tramp steamer, that are continually
crossing and rc'r sslns our path. blow on OBJ"
bow OF stern Of an ocean steamer amount, to hui
httlc but when old schooner brig hafA strike,
her amid hips. th" wound IS generally faiai. II J,
like s'abbins In tho heart
\ MAUEY DANE COLLISION ETcALrTD.
The collision between the Celtic and her sister
ship the Hniannc, occurred I'm the afternoon 4 May
10 1-s7. Four passengers were Alicl ontref their
bodies being sho. kinsg manelod. AID seven were
wounded. Tie Celtic had on board 500 ias-cnscrs.
while the Britannia had s-o. The vessel. met ia "a
fox about 37j niles east oi sandy HOOK ard from TIE
best information obianabe were going at about Aar
speed. When Captain Irving. OF the Celtic. first .lw
the britannia ue latter standing acro,, iie
Ccltlcs bows. lie Immediately reversed his engines.
while Captain Ierr. Of the britannia. started hs at
was to late. however. The Cclucs harp noe CT
ifiehtful hole In the Efiiaunrs fourth conpart
ment. which threatened 10 Sink the SHIP while hey
bow plates curlcd back a, II they hli been
made Of cardboard. only The weakness Of the Cctc's
bows saved tho Bfl'annlc. II her plate, had not
yielded 10 the strain the Britannia wOuM ln all
probability have gone straight 10 the bottom. =. Bruce
lsmay, arcn: # the White star Line. admitted 10 a
reporter that tho celtic was ~ least sixty mile, south
Of where She should have been when the collision
occurred Yet this company announce. or did an
nounCe. that its cl, followed the Maurg lane
route. on rs circular issued 10 the public. contain.
Ing information for the guidance of travellers :, found
tns special notice. In cons pcuous place: The
steamers Of this line take the lane route recommended
by Lieutenant MaLry. tinted States Navy on both
the outward and homcWard voyarc..7 some people
VIII say. and indeed. did say. that occasion, that
the convcrgencc Of the lane routes they approach
the harb0r changes them practically from double
~ single track, this in the face Of Mr.. lsmaJ,
mission that the Celtic WAS sixty mile, south of her
proper course.
Mr. Gibson has been In the steamship busincs. for
twcnty eight years, and speaks Hike "A thoroughly
convcrsant with his calling.
How far south do your vessels 81 at tbs season -
the reporter asked him.
We do not 20 south Of II at So hc sand. which
means that the steamers Of the Onion Line do not
the fticth meridian Of OF longtudc south
The forty first parallel Of north Latitude, which mems
that at point almost directly south Of Cape Race tho
vessels about 100 miles from that dangerous head
land. 40 Ice has been reported south oi ~ degree
this sea, son. When 1t gets In that region the in
nucncc Of the ulf Stream IS felt. and IT mcs rapidly
"1hc Guon Line said Mr. Gibson. has carried
100000 passengers, yet II mover lost he BY
an accident at sea-
4 remarkable record that. unapproachcd by a,iy
railroad IN existence.
A HUNDRED MILE, OFF THEIR CIURsE
The route Of the Guion steamers at present I,
about 3IO miles OIL air line between New York ana
Queenstown. apparently a deviation Of small consc-
qucncc: small, In fact that the distance lost by it
In a voyage of nearly 1900 mile, IS only ia ! .
miles. But Atlantic records made up In
minutes, and loss Of ia IL miles, Which mean, a
loss Of , hours and 20 minutes to n vessel Ike the
IL d. L.. -. -L- -