The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-05-05

The presentation Of Few concrete lacts
will often produce a stranger eff>ct upon
the human mind that pages OF argumeata-
ton. In view Of this we present the fol-
lowing record Of two Of our steamers
making the trip around the Cape to San
Francisco, as compared with what the
time would have been through the Mica
Tagua canal:
The cruiser Bennington. on her arrival
at San Francisco yesterday tApril S0thh
won a 13.000-mile race against time, WIN
enc day to spare. making an ar0und-the-
world record which is interesting as
showing the possibilities Of despatchinS
naval vessels TO various parts CT the
world in emergencies.
Early in the present year. when II was
decided to thoroughly police lishrlhs
Sea- it was considered nece'3s airy TO uulize
the Bennington for that duty She
was then cruising in the Mediterranean,
and a cablegram was sent January 30
dotaching her from the European and OF
dering her to proceed to the Pacific sta
ton by way of the Straits of Magellan,
and 10 report at San Francisco by May
1st. if possible There orders reached the
vessel when she arrived at Genoa, rep
rua-y I'd. Five days were spent III Set-
ting stores and otherwise preparing LOT
the long cruise. and February 7th the
vessel got under way. The run of 500
miles to Gibralter took three days al
ten-knot speed
After two days there Cor coaIlnS the
Remington the ocean voyage began, and
had weather caused the 1910 miles to st.
Vincent TO consume thirteen days. After
a DAYS stop for fresh proyisi ms the ship
had fair weather the 1910 n les TO Per
nambuco, which was reached In eight
DAYS. and here 1t took three days TO fill
nm the nearly exhausted coal bunkers
and report 20 the Department upon the
state OF the Brazilian rebellion. In the
next ten days the 1920 miles 10 Monte
video were traversed, and here couple
OF days were spent preparing for the
next long jump, $50 miles. TO Nalpa-
raise.
This took just the same amount OF
time as the trip from Gibralter TO 81.
Vincent and again two days were lost
in re-coaling. From Valparaiso TO Callao,
where a stop Of one day vas made. the
/ 300 miles were left behind between
Thursday. April 9Th. and the following
Tuesday and on the seventy-hfth day out
from Genoa Acapulco was reached. ten
DAYS having sufiiced 20 dispose OF the
last ZOO miles Two days for coal and
provisions were all that could be spared
in the Mexican port and eight days 10
90 the last leisurely run of $50 miles 10
San Francisco commenced
Thirteen days were divided among sew
en- ports and seventy days were consum-
ed i'm making the 1899 miles OF the jour
ney. the average speed for the whole
distance being 1S9 miles per day. 1t is
interesting TO note that had the Mica
rae,la canal been in operation the Ben
nineton would have reached San Fran
CISCO at the same speed, in less than
forty DAYS instead of eighty-three, and
and would have saved the coal burned
IN 5000 extra miles of extra steaming
The Remington will only stop at San
Francisco a few days. as she has been
ordered to Join the seal patrol fleet as
soon as possible.
Another vessel which has just reached
the rendezvous of the Behring Sea fleet
is the United States revenue steamer
Grant. which, reached San Francisco
about a week ago having left New York
November 9th last ye3h. Her voyage was
of exactly the same length as that OF
the Bennington. but she took lH days
BY the Nicaragua canal the Grant would
have taken ffty-fve days at the same
rte of speed, which was ninety miles per
day. and saved over 5000 miles.
What argument on this record can be
needed to show that this canal should
be constructed?
Its value TO mankind is beyond the
power OF computation