The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-05-06

the American flag in future Will not nc
much greater than that Of SAILING uhoeF
any other flag. and this cost the govern
ment insult bear. There is no question:
about the Justice Of this. In thou-
sand ways the United States Will De
COMPENSATED for such expenditure III
the first place. there is the honor OF H.
That is distinctly worth wniie. Ihen
there is the increase Of facilities OF man
transportation. That is important. But
most important of all is the utility OF
American passenger ships IN case oil
war. Both the New York and Paris were
3uilt as auxiliary cruisers for the British
navy. When they became American ships
Il was understood that in case OF war
they should be turned over 10 the
Navy department OF demand. II such
an unhappy time were to come they
would prove very valuable. on snort
notice they could be transformed INTO
cruisers of great power and speed. Ihey
are so constructed that guns could De
readily mounted. and, while they could
not be armored so as 10 meet In batte
any Of the foreign men-of-war, they are
so rapid that they could readily escape
from them, and do great damage TO un-
protected commerce. The ShlpS "ii'c"
are now being built for the American
nnN. DIV the I IdAlpN, VI
viii be provided with these appliances
and many others. In case Of war, the
American line feet would be one OF the
,nost valuable branches of the United
States navy"
"Do you think. then, that tno United
States will ever be commercially supreme
on the sea-
81 Sc. no reason to do b. it, We have
r,ade up our minds 20 it. and we gen"r-
ally get what we make ~ our minds to.
One Of tho things which may lead t. II
Is the use Of the Great Lakes as an inter
national waterway. OF course no man
can tell whether or not this VIII ever
really be brought about, Bat II does not
seem more improbable that the Erie anal
will be enlarged into u passageWay for
ocean-going ships than y must have
seemed years ago that II woul1 b. built
at all. | have not studied this subject,
and know very little about thc engineer
ing difficulties which might be e!count-
cred. II IS possible that they ould be
so great as to make il impossible 80 prof.
tably enlarge the chaupel, bat that does
not seem likely. If the time avcr comes
when ocean steamships may enter New
York Harbor. and sail thence by The
Hudson river. Erie canal and the Lakes
to Chicago and other great interior ports
revolution will be worked in the COM
merce of the country such rs Te have
never before even dreamed Of"
what do you think, Mr., Griscom, would
be Chicagos position then among the
cities If the world? Would she surp4ss
New York;"
mo. / do not believe that that viii
ever be possible. New York will remain
the metropolis Of America, and will pro-
badly become the greatest city of he
world. But Chicago would. of course. be
greatly benefited and other lake cities.
like Buffalo. Cleveland. and Detroit, would
grow TO magnitude and importance as
yet unthought of. If such a great shin
canal is commercial possibility. II will
undoubtedly be accomplished. and ii will
be the greatest OF all Americas great
achievements"
Has the maximum of speed in ocean
vessels been reached?'
Eyes, very nearly. Increased snaed
means increased size. as matters stand
now, and the harbors Of the world will
not permit an increase Of size. The on
frances to them are too shallow. For in
stance, at low tide there Is only thirty
feet of water over the New York harbor
bar. The biggest steamships now draw
twentyelght OF that thirty feet. That
leaves at the outside only a two foot pos
sibility Of increase Of size. and there IS
no likelihood that q method will be de-
vised for cutting and keeping clear
deeper channel through a bar situated as
is that of New York's harbor
mo greater power can be developed In
ships OF the present size until new fuel
is devised. At present siX-ffteenths OF
an ocean passenger steamships tonnage
consists OF coal and machinery. All this
enormous percentage is utilized TO its
highest possibility In obtaining the speed
Of the present. and with each extra knot
the amount of fuel and the weight of
machinery Increases I'm more than geo.
metrical ratio For instance one famous
ship has a maximum speed of ZIG knots
an hour. Another has beaten her by only
70 minutes on the voyage across the
Atlantic. but in order 10 attain this In
crease of speed she has to burn 800 pounds
OF coal 10 the others 800 pounds As long
as this is the rule IL will be OF course i'm
possible to build a ship whose increased
speed viii be Of any commercial imnar-