The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-04-04
LEv1ATHANs OF TIE DEEP.

1t is announced that the Cunard Steam
ship Company is building two new steam
ships of Il 600 tons each, which are expected
to cross the Atlantic in five days. The
event illustrates the progress and tendency
of modern naval architecture.
F.fty-iour years have elapsed since the
first steamship crossed the Atlantic. This
was the Great Western, which was designed
bv Sir l. X Brunei. Her displacement was
300 tons, her length 2l2 feet. and she was
propelled by side wheels. SIX years later
the same builder produced the Great Brit
ain, which was an iron ship, propelled by
screw, and $50 feet long. She was so OBJ
viously an Improvement over the Great
Western that Brunei, in concert with Scott
Russell, applied the long-mane theory to
vessels, and propounded the formula that
under given conditions the speed of sea-
going steamer increased in direct ratio to
her displacement. The theory received
practical application in the Great Eastern.
This monstruus craft was $50 feet long, So
feet beam, aud her displacement was 1000
tons. She proved failure. Her builders
had anticipated the march OF scientific prog
ress by several years. Naval architecture
had not in 1860, solved several minor prob
lens which were essential to the handling of
so large vessel.
At that time-say thirty years ago-the
general opinion was that the best model for
an ocean passenger steamer was craft
which measured about $50 feet in length,
with beam of about % feet and n displaCe-
ment not varying far from $500 tons. Such
vessels crossed the Atlantic, from New
York to Liverpool, in ten OF eleven days.
They were mostly screw ships, though the
Scotia, which was the flagship of the
Cunard squadron, was a side-wheeler.
In the seventies, and in the following
decade, the tendency developed to follow the
doctrines Of Brunei and Scott Russell, and
build larger ships, on the long-mane princi-
pie. Steamers Of 5000 and 5000 tons, eX-
ceeding 800 feet in length, were built for
the Cunard, White Star and other lines,
and it was found that they crossed the
ocean in less time and with more comfort
to the passengers than their smaller prede-
cessurs. The late Commodore Judkns of
the Cunard line was firm in the belief that
the ideal passenger steamer for the Allan
tic passenger trade would be a vessel of
10000 tons, which would steam from Mon
tank, on Long Island, to Milford Haven, in
Wales, in six days. His dream has already
been fulfilled so far as speed is concerned,
but the vessels which have beaten the
record of his day have been nearer 5000
than 10000 tons. 1t now remains to be
seen what his successor as Commodore OF
the Cunard feet will accomplish with ship
whose displacement is 1900 tons in excess
of his extreme limit for tonnage, and
whether the estimate of five dayS-which
is not so much under the record of some
of the ocean greyhounds now in commits
sion-will be confirmed by the event.
We, in this part OF the world, viii pres
emily have an opportunity of observing the
progress which has lately been made in the
construction Of steamers of a smaller type
On the 10th inst.-FTidaY neXt-the new
Canadian steamer Empress of India leaves
Yokohama for Vancouver, and on the fol
lowing day The Pacific Mail C0mpany'5
steamer China sails from the same port for
San Francisco. Both vessels were built in
Great Britain, and the race will not pos
sess a natiOndl character. But the China
is two years older than the Empress, and If
the latter makes much brtter tine it will
90 to SHOW that shp-buildng has made
progress since 1885. The chances are that
tine Canadian vessel viii cover the distance
in less time than the Pacific Mail ship, as
the owners of the former will be likely to
make some sacrifice Of coal to get an adver-
tisement a few hours one way or the
other will not make much matter. nor avail
| to divert passengers from this port
| But it IS evident that on the Pacific as on
the Atlantic, the steamships of the future
will be far larger than anything now ahaat
on either ocean. Experience has demon
| strated that the earning capacity of an
! ocean steamer increases with her size,
while the expense OF prOpelling and hand
| ling her does not increase in the same ratio
! furthermore, that the larger the snip, with
modern improvements, the greater the
| speed, the greater the safety, and the less
! the suffering by passengers from seasick-
ness.