The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1893-06-10
THE S;USOUEHANNA,

In the old days great fortunes were
made out of shipping and shipbuilding
i'll Bath, and the fortunes of the town are
still bound up in the same Industries, of
which there has been a revival during
late years. The names of Houghton.
Sewal, P;1tten, Goss, Sawyer, Rogers,
Hawley and Donnell, shipbuilders ia
nous i'll the annals of Bath, are insepa-
rable from the history of marine con-
struc.,on in the United States
Bath was made a. city in 1850 In 1850
her population was S,0TG; in 1870, 1871;
in 1850, 7,S14 and i'll 1890, S.723. These
fluctuations corresponded exactly With
the condition Of American shipbuilding
and are in themselves significant. Time
was when the majority Of the craft
launched from the yards of Bath were
square rugged, but for some years fore
and aft schooncrs Of three and four
masts have largely predominated.
Among the largest vessels burned out
there are the Susquehanna Of z. I2S tons
burden and the Roanoke Of 3.362. The
Roanoke is, in fact, the largest wooden
ship atioat, and there is but one larger
sailing craft on the ocean-the five
masted steel built France. The Roanoke
is also the largest American ship ever
built but one, the Great Republic, which
was launched in 1853.
Notwithstanding the superior size Of
the Roanoke, she has not SO good q record
for fast sailing as the SusQuellanna.
which beat her i'll a recent trip from
New York to San Francisco around the
Horn" the Susquehannas time being
1923 days, while the Ronnokes was 1875.
Though both are wooden vessels, they
are fine specimens Of the shipbuilder's
art, all the latest ideas being embodied
in their construction.
It was but a few days after these ships
anchored i'll San Francisco bay that the
Ca1npani;l, the Cunard lines handsome
new steel passenger boat, completed her
first transatlantic voyage and was
docl1ed in New York. She is the largest
steamer afoat, as the others are the lar
gest wooden sailers, though, as in the case
of the Roanoke, she had a predecessor
the Great Eastern-that was larger. She
is the embodiment of all the latest and
best ideas in naval architecture and con-
struction Her marvellous time on her
return voyage from New York to Liver
. days, II hours and 81 minutes, the
fastest eastern passage recorded-fully
demonstrated the truth Of this statement.
Some idea Of her size may be gained
from the fact that she is as long as three
city blocks Of 200 feet each with 20 feet
to spare. The full complement of he1
passengers and crew would fill 81 rail
road cars Of a seating capacity Of so each
leaving 80 passengers to stand i'll the
aisles. In finish and decoration the
Campania and her sister ship the Lrl-
cania are SO fine as to merit the oft used
descriptive term cf ..hoating palaces,
and great things are expected of them
when they get down to their best work
after their machinery shall have vpr1l
smooth.
The Paris of the American line bore
the ribbon for fast Atlantic voyages be-
fore the advent Of the Calnpania on the
high seas, but the spirit of competition
tore it from her. The same spirit is like
ly soon to wrest the pennant from the
fast Cunard boat, for the White Star line
threatens to enter the field with a new
ocean racer to be 7C0 feet long, which
they believe will make the transatlantic
voyage in less than five days. This ship
will be 20 feet longer than the Great
Eastern was and will be named the Gil
gantic. THOMAS ARLINGTON.