Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-19
STARS AND STRIPES
To Float Over Every Vessel of the
American Steamship Company.
AUSTIN CORBIN ON HIS PLANS.
The Time Between New York and England
to Be Cut Ten Hours.
TWO CLASSES OF VESSELS TO BE RUN

rsPEcIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPArCH.l
New YORK, May 18-Austin Corbin ex.
planned to-day, in a general way, the plans
of the American Steamship Company. W hich
proposes to enter into competition with the
present steamship companies doing a gen.
eral passenger and freight business between
this port and the ports of Great Britain.
The bill introduced in the Senate yesterday
by Senator Chandler recites that Austin
Corbin and his associates propose to incor-
porate the American Steamship Company
under the laws of New York, with capital
of at least $4,000, 600, and to construct
purchase and conduct a feet OF frst-clsns
passenger steamers
One paragraph of the bill provides that
all the vessels so owned, of not less than
1000 tons and capable of speed of not less
than 10 knots an hour, which may be ac-
quired, by purchase or otherwise, by the
company after the passage Of the act, shall
be entitled to American registry on the
same terms as those granted to the City of
Paris and City of New York, and to all the
other privileges granted by the act of May
10, 1892, if, on ma king application for such
registry for foreignlbuilt ship, the COM
panv shows that it has contracted to build
in an American shipyard vessel of equal
or greater tonnage.
Quicker Ocean Voyages Promised.
''This must not be understood to mean,"
said Mr.. Corbin, ''that our vessels will be
of less tonnage or capable of less speed than
the vessels of the companies now existing
not by any means. In fact, we propose to
make better time between New York and
London or Liverpool than any vessel now
"a Our chine will ha fba wary hect ond
we will have the advantage of quicker time
at both ends, in this way:
"Our docks on this side will be at Fresh
Pond Bay, near Montauk Point Passengers
and mail will 20 from New York to the
ship by rail, saving at least four hours in
that way over the passage through the
Narrows On the other side we have mapped
out a short cut to London BY conflicting
with the London and Northwestern Rail-
road. figured that we can land the mails
in London about ten hours quicker than any
vessel aloat Now, if we can do that, or
land them even five hours ahead of the
others, we are bound to win.
THE smaller vessels referred to in the
bill are intended for a different class of
travellers. 1 take it there are many persons
in moderate circumstances who would pre-
fer to pay S75 for the passage on an eight
day steamer rather than $500 for the passage
on a si1-day steamer. 1t is for this class
that these steamers are designed.
An End 10 the Determination.
'Until now there has been an unjust dis
elimination against American ship owners
The privileges extended to foreigners have
been withheld from Americans If were
to buy sister ship to the City of Paris
could sail it under the American flag in
British waters. But if came to New York
with the Stars and Stripes floating from her
masthead I would be put in prison and my
ship would be confscated. This bill of
Senator Chandler's will remedy this condi- |
tion of affairs
'At first two ships will be built abroad, |
and at the same time we shall build two here |
These will be frst-class vessels They can /
build big ships cheaper abroad at present, |
believe, because they have so much better
appliances and have had so much more ex-
perience; but there is going to be revival |
of ship-building in this country before 1
long, and we will move abreast of any of |
them. Every ship of ours will float the
American flag"