New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-09
III.
MORE ABOUT RACING SHIPS AND TllE. CON
DITIONS OF COMFORT AT SEA.
of real pleasure

Nevertheless, racing seems more likely 10 IN
crease than TO decrease. New ships are planning
meant to do their twenty-five or twenty-'hI'e
knots an hour. II is only question of power
remarked one enthusiast. and within ten years
the distance between Ncw-Yorll and Queenstown
will be covered in five days. Very lke!y IL
will. but our enthusiast overlooked one thing. II
is n question not only Of power, but Of profit
DO these racing machines pay. or DO they pay as
we'll as a more rational type 81 ship? The great pas
scngcr rush across the Atlantic lasts from May 10
November What is 10 be done with the racers
between November and May? They carry little
cargo and the passengers are MOI numerous enough
10 make the business paying one in those months
Most of them are therefore laid up during the
winter: it is discovered that they require over
hauling.
II may 10 mentioned in passing that the over
burning question of the transatlantic mnil>
burns "A little brighter in the light Of the winter
FORCES on the Clyde. When the British Post
office bound itself hand and foot 10 the Cunnri
and White Star Companies, the Postmas'er-Hcn-
cral made one stipulation in behalf of the public
lie required the Cunard Company to send the
mails during the winter months by their fast ships
and they promised to do They expressly
agreed that the old ships were not TO be nscd
They have violated this agreement and have
been running all winter such vessels as the Both
MIA and Galla. which have spent from ten -
thirteen DAYS on the voyage from Liverpool 70
Ncw-York The British Postoflicc does not seem
to care: probably Mr. Parllcs docs not know that
these are TWO Of the Oldest and slowcst OF the
Atlantic liners. The outsider who reflects on the
matter. is sometimes ready 10 believe that tie
British Postmaster-G Genera. does not really care
whether the Americans get their English letters
or not ana that whether they get them few
DAYS sooner or later il re " OF no importanc, a.
all.
IT, however the big racers require these long
holidays and earn no money for half or onc-third
81 each year. their gains must be very heavy the
other half They are, in fact, very large when
the ship is fu or anything Ike full The aver
age fare exceeds 500. bat if we take il ~ That
figure 800 passengers must pay $4,000. or 81 co.
600 for the round trip. The running expenses
OF the vessel a good deal less than lali that
sum- There is apparently large margin for
moncv-naknc. Yet the companc, which own
Ships Of this size and type have not as rule
/ paid large dividends Moderate as my oalcula-
ton is the actual receipts must be much lcs-
Nol so many as 800 frst-cass passenger arc always
carried. even in the season. Rate, have been pat
up to a point not drcamcd Of few wear, a-O and
tie number Of people who care 70 pay them is not
unlimited. Slowly. but hope surely. the notion
is gaining ground that such ships are not com
Portable. and the more acute among the travel
ling public are asking themselves why they
should pay fancy prices for the privilege of being
far less comfortable than they might be on yes
sells Of n different character. II is, at any rate
pretty clear that the average fares cannot be-
carried much higher. nor the special fares either
! Even millionaire may ask himself whether 81 40
n day is not n hieh price for an ocean trip There
Chi,
cabin, and more than that Rates vary for differ
cnt ships Of tie same line, and according 10 the
season OF the year. heard the other day Of one
not very large party which has engaged state
rooms for the spring, for which they do not think
IS, 600 100 much.
II is, | suppose, the fear Of scasickncss which
! makes so many travellers regard the Atlantic
passage rs bad job 10 be got over as quickly as
| possible, and this is one cause II the demand
for speed al any price They do not consider
that scasckncs' is itsclf the price they pay.
Their impotence produces ar aegrvates the i'll
they would be rid Of. The doctors. who AGREE
about few things. agree that nervous apprc-
tension is one cause of sickness. but that is not
what | mean. 1t is the sacrifice Of comfort 10
speed which makes many victims. and the old
traveller often is no wiser this point than
he who is planning his first voyage.
There are people, know thcm-who have
crossed the Atlantic many times, vet have never
mastered the rudimcnts Of ocean travel. Time
after time they journey bv the same line. The
line they choose is perhaps the one Of all Others
J which shows least consideration for passengers
as passengers. For il is to be observed thvt the
management Of different companies varies and
their attitude to the passenger varies. In one
lie is regarded from the old sca-dog point of
view: as an intruder who has 10 be tolerated
because ne pays. but who is only tolerated lie
is n superior kind Of merchandise; an item in an
assorted cargo. The cargo must be delivered in
l good order or there would be claims for damages
! But parcel has feelings and when you treat
your passenger parcel. his feelings
during the transit from port to port need not be
taken into account. There is nothing about
feelings in the contract-ticket. and the contract
I ticket is the full measure Of the shippers and
captains responsibilities The passenger is
lodged and fed; what more can lie ask? II he