The herald., 1893-01-30

ieter, with 1850 indicated horsepower
each. Their boilers were the largest
that had ever been built in the world,
80 their horsepower ran lar above the
estimate of the designing engineer.
They were called the Atlantic, Pacific,
Arctic and Baltic, and we're finished in
the order above named. The era of
high steam had not then been reached ex-
cept on the Mississippi river and its tribu
taries and these four enormous cauldrons,
deriving their draught of flames from
single funnel, were allowed a working
pressure OF 25 pounds to the square inch,
having stood cold water test of 80.
The steamship of today has from eight
to IL boilers, with maximum pressure
of 120 pounds on each. The Collins line
beat the Cunard every trip but one until
the appearance OF the Scotia, which came
nearly FIVE years after the Baltic. On
two occasions, in vain endeavors to beat
the Baltic, which was the fastest of all
the American auartette, the Arabia
put into Halifax for more coal.
The superiority of American over
British steam engineering was estab-
lished and apparently tor all time.
x*x
Dut tlicEo WAS bpcll vi Ill luCh hhhS
ing over the new American line and
conservative British globe-trotters
avoided the ships altogether. While
they averaged eleven days or better,
year in aud year out. the tourists of Al
bion took the old Niagara, Canada or
Europa, and had IA days at sea, rather
than risk "the American drive" The
Atlantic blew ont a cylinder head in
mid-ocean in 1852, and reached port
with one engine, after a20 days trip, and
that afforded a text for homiies on
American haste by the English news-
papers. In 1854, in adenee fog, off Cape
Race, the Arctic collided with the
French propeller Vesta and sank in 40
minutes. Sixty lives were lost, inclnd-
ing son OF Mr.. Collins, owner of the
line. In 1856 the staunch old Pacific,
probably the best ssaboat OF the line,
was lost with all on board, 213 souls in
all. She was in charge OF Capt. Asa Ell
bridge, whose brother Oliver is one of
the foremost citizens of San Francisco,
The Arctic was commanded by N. B.
Luce, naval officer who completely
lost his head. The GOODNESS of Frank
Dorian, the second officer, WAS all that
saved any lives whatever.
NV
The Adriatic, ship OF 400 tons more
displacement than the first four in this
line, was completed in 1856 and was, in
all probability, the handsomest wooden
steamship ever launched under any flag.
She was designed by George Steers. the
greatest marine architect OF his day,
who also built the frigste Niagra. But
there was spell of evil fate over the
Collins line, and in 1859 its two oldest
ships were sold to the Pacific Mail COM
pany and the pretty Adristic went into
a German company. They were all
eonuartad intn sailing yea
sells and the Baltic and Adriatic are still
afoat, the former being quite 40 years
old.
x*#
Up to 1850 the beam engine had been
confined exclusively to inland naviga-
tion on the Hudson river and Long
Island sound. But about that time a
man came to the front who was far
more practical man than Collins, ,Aspin-
wall or Rowland, This man was Cor
nelius Vanderbilt, who began
life on 2O-foot periagus be-
tween New York and Staten Island;
and sense of candor compels me to say
that he was the most profane man-in
proportion to the size OF his vessel-that
| ever saw in my life. In 1916 he had
sold river boat called the Globe to go
to the gulf OF Mexico. She YVES beam
engine boat, and Vanderbilt was 30 en-
boldened by her success that he laid
the keels of two boats, 2l2 and 242 feet
respectively, in Jerry Simonson's yard
at the foot of Houston street. The
larger boat was called the Prometheus
and was propelled with double beam en-
gines. The smaller had single beam
and was called the Daniel Webster.
x*x
These ships ran to the isthmus of Mic
ragua, connecting with two old gulf
ships called the New Orleans and Inde-
pendence. The latter ship ran on Mar
garita island and caught fire almost as
soon as she did 30. The passengers and
crew, after untold suffering, were car
ried to San Diego in whaleship. The
New Orleans was sent over to Austria
lis, and ran between Sydney and New
Zealand for years. As trade with Cali
fornia increased, Vanderbilt con-
structed two more boats called the
Star of the West and Northern Lig ht, the
former of which will be a long time in
the history of the great civil war. In
the mean time, Edward Mills of New
York had built three ships called the
Brother Jonathan, Uncle Sam and Yam
kee Blade. The former was the first to
go, being wrecked on Point Arguello in
1854. The Brother Jonathan went down
off Rogue river in July, 1865, and carried