The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-12-30
OCEAN GREYHOUNDS.
Their Wonderful Improvement
in Twenty Years.
It Is Now No Trick at ALI to Cross the At
lantic in Week-The Time May Be
Reduced to Five Days

Nothing can better illustrate the vast i'm
provement in ocean steamers than COM
parison of the crack crafts of eighteen or
twenty years ago with the modern racers in
which travellers now cross the Atlantic. In
1871 the finest steamers in the trade were
not over 1900 tons register. The staterooms
and in fact the entire steamer were illumi-
mated at night by oil lamps, the staterooms
were narrow and stuffy, the saloon dark
and the vessel crowded with Storage. pas
sengers of all nationalities and of all de-
grees of uncleanliness. Owing to the small
size of the vessels they often suffered Sc
we're damage in the terrible storms that
sweep across the Atlantic during the win
ter months, and the danger from a collision
with Ice was 80 per cent greater than in the
present day.
IT TOOK TWELVE DAYS THEN.
The fastest steamer crossing the western
ocean at that time often took ten and twelve
days TO make the passage if the weather was
very bad, and during all that time the pas
sengers had to stay below for fear of being
washed off the deck by the heavy seas.
Twenty years has wrought wonderful
change. The Atlantic steamer has grown
from 4COG tons with an extreme length of
40 feet to colossal craft of over 10000
tons, $50 feet long and beam of 63 feet.
Every part of the vessel is lighted by cleo
tricity with ample room for 500 first-class
passengers, while the number of steerage
passengers has decreased, and several of the
nnest steamers carry no emigrants at all.
IT NOW TAKES BUT SIX DAYS.
The time has been reduced to less than
seven days on an average and the trip has
been made inside of six days. The Alaska,
of the Guion line, was the first of the ocean
greyhounds to lower the record established
by tie City OF Brussels by making the trip
in seven days and two hours. The Alaska
made her famous run III 1882 and neld the
record until the Cunarder Etruria crossed
from Queenstown to New York in
six days and nineteen hours. The In
man line made an effort to regain
their lost laurels by building the
City of Rome, which for long time was
locked upon as wonder. She was over
5000 tons register and 56J feet long. But as
far as speed was concerned the Rome proved
a fiat failure and was soon sold to the
Anchor line. The Inman Company did not
retire from the contest, however, as in 1888
they built the magnificent steamers City of
New Y ork and City of Paris, which have
gistered tonnage or 1850, and their twin
screws are driven by engines of $4,000 horse
power. These ships again reduced the time,
but in turn had to yield to the White Star
flyer Teutouic, which now holds the record.
TWO TREMENDOUS FLYERS.
fOT several years tue tundTu line mas peen
away behind, but is now coming to the front,
and the two vessels now building on the
Clyde for that company it is believed will
be by far the largest and fastest steamers
afoat. Their extreme length will be $50
feet each, with beam OF 20 feet, aud the
twin screws are 23 feet in diameter. The
engines are triple compound, having four
cylinders. and a combined horsepower of
$4,000. The registered tonnage will be over
14000, and they are expected to cross the
Atlantic in five days.
UNSUITABLE AND PERFECTLY SAFE.
They are so constructed that the danger
from collision is reduced to almost nothing,
as. owing to the great number of watertght
compartments and the double bottoms, they
are practically unsuitable. The bows could
be cut off clean back to the foremast. and the
only effect would he to reduce the speed.
The vessels will be fitted with four tunnels
or smoke-stacks, and Will carry two pole
masts for signaling purposes.