The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-05-06
THE MATTER OF SPEED
Until a New Fuel is Devised No Great
IuCreaSs Can be Expected.
GREATER SAFETY And COMFORT.
Tnese Are VIVA. win be strivsn for NOW
Perhaps We Can Call up sh'P'"
Mfdocean by Telephone.

nTpSDfTiiN Nl tNSAt
Sl,, ~ United States depends on us
SHso3s,n trade. This country would De
80, without that. II is so big ana iu'i
=, resources itself; but luckily II draws
mon ALI lands besides. and thus Is hot
content with greatness, but becomes 'h'
greatest A.. t,,si,oss
For many years. however, the business
90 our foreign trade--the carrying 10 anu
fro of messengers and merchandise-"ao
Isft IN foreigners. Americas shippihs
Ianp,,Ished and almost died away now
bovvever. we have begun TO control our
own again. -- -. ,,,,,
A wear ago the news dispatches sent OUT
from New York to all parts OF the "orIu
told how the American nag had peeh
raised over the great ocean steamships
Ney York and Paris, the two biggest ana
dneef vessels then in existence. The rails
inc Of that flag was the sign OF the COM
mencement OF our new supremacy Up
10 that moment no important ocean steam
shin had hoated under the American nag
for thirty-six years. Thus 1t was an
epocb-making instant
The law provides that no vessel not
built In America by American laborers
and OF American materials shall have the
right 10 ay the Stars and Stripes This
WIS DdssfI Win AiAf iiNh VI N''NV
home industries, OF course; but 1t had
the unexpected effect Of discouraging and
killing home shipping. Labor in America
costs more Shan labor In the great Eng
ush and Scotch shiDyards. and materials
are much more extensive. The privilege
of flying the American flag was not finan-
cialIy profitable. There was only glory IN
IL. So Americans went abroad TO have
their ships built and, putting their pa
frlotism into their pockets, sailed under
foreign ensigns.
Some years ago. however, great line
of ocean steamships passed into the con-
troll Of American capitalists. These men
saw that while shipbuilding was not prof.
table here now, IL only needed encourage
ment 10 become so, and they decided 10
give II that announcement. They petit
toned Congress for the right 10 sail their
two biggest ships. the Paris and the New
York. which were butt abroad, under
the American flag. promising in return
for this privilege to have others equally
large and equally fine. built in America
according TO the provisions of the ship
ping law. 1t is to their credit that thew
made this petition. and IL is 10 the credit
Of Congress that 1t was Immediately
granted. Inasmuch as Mr.. Clement A.
Griscom is the president Of the line that
accomplished this feat and was the prime
mover IN its conception. IL Is fair to say
that he Is the greatest living American
connected with transportation by water
This makes Mr.. Griscom a fit subject for
interviewing in this series. and makes
whatever he may say in regard to Ameri-
can shlpplngs past, present, or future
OF Importance and interest
lie Is a man rearly six feet tall. Of
rudy countenance. blue-eycd with
nweeping gray mustache. His face is
Drowned by the winds Of many passages
across the ocean and his voice has the
heartiness OF the sea I'm IT, He Is as
good natured as the prOverbial mariner
is supposed TO be- Is full Of good stories
ard has a manner that makes you want
To call him Colonel" HIS New York
offices. connected as they are with the
renaissance Of American shipping, are
appropriately located in the midst OF
reminders OF the beginning OF American
prosperity. They are in one of the old
brick buildings-once private mansions
which face Bowling Green and look down
upon the little grassy circle wherein stood
the leaden statue of King George, which
Yankee patriots pulled down and melted
into bullets with which 10 shoot the ty-
rant subjects Of the tyrant King. Around
this circle Is an iron fence, built before
the beginning of American Independence.
At intervals Of six feet or so are heavy
posts. which terminate at the top with
Irregular projections. These show where
the ornamental iron balls with which the
fence was originally garnished were brok-
en- off for use in Yankee cannon. A hun
dred yards away and around the corner
From Mr. Griscoms office is the Battery
once an important part OF New York
defence and now one of the peoples
pieasantest pleasure grounds. This local
ity was New Yorks center in the be-
ginning. There were the banks and FORE
runners OF to-day's great mercantile en-
terprises, and there dwelt the old arlstoc-
racy.
what will be the future Of American
nayigation?" / asked Mr. Griscom the
other day, about two hours after he land
al from a voyage on one of his big ships
II thoroughly believe" replied Mr..
lpF,scom that America Is wei on her
Say toward resumlng her old and right
fu place among the maritime nations
az the world. American ingenuity ana
common sense is rapidly overcoming the
Obstacles that prevented her from keep
In H. The cost OF marine construction
"a rapidly being lowered here 10 point
which will make ship-building in Ameri-
can Yards profitable. | do not mean by
,Nis that wages are being reduced, but
,hat the perfection OF machinery Is low
eS.ng the cost OF materials and that the
additional cost Of labor is partly over
come by American excellence Of work
marship.
"Tt was In 1856 that the United states
uractieally passed out of the transatlan-
IL passenger and freight carrying trade.
81 1884 before the day OF ocean naviga-
don by steam the good ship Shakespeare.
ha 70 ghipNdrfS of Rr0Wn
a Bell. was launched. She was OF nearly
feht hundred tons burden. and could
carry about 5000 bales Of cotton For a
f.w years she was engaged In the Louis
lana trade. but finally made her initial
royage to Liverpool. There her beauti-
FIJI lines, unusual size and handsome
decorations created a veritable sensa-
t1on.
.srhe docks along the Mersty were
ppcked with sightseers, and after a land
ine had ueen effected The captain was
Obliged TO call for police protection against
the curious crowds AS soon as he had
discharged his cargo and cleaned up his
sAip. he offered her for public inspec-
tson. Fer week her decks literally
svarmed With inquisitive Engllshmen, anx-
ions 10 examine this product OF Yankee
SAIL. The result was that when the
Shakespeare rallied back TO New York
she had as many passengers and as much
cargo as she could carry. This was the
beginning Of America IN Transatlantic
trade.
The remarkable success Of the Shaks-
pears voyage 10 Liverpool induced Mr.
Collins 20 establish a regular line OF
Dnsatlantic packets. lie must have had