New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-26
ANOTHER AMERICAN LINER.

Tho louncb Of the new American Liner was
temporarily deferred yesterday owing 10 I'M
forcsecn accidents. The ST. Paul, being sister
shin Of the ST. Louis which was recently naiiiri
hv Mrs Cleveland with impressive ceremonies
and patriotic rejoicing. was to nave peeh
launched with less Formally and In the pres
rnce Of fewer distinguished guests, ana cohse-
uuently the mlshap was not n serious one TN
,he second trial the ship will dip into the Dela-
warc and as an addition 10 the merchant neet
under the American flag she will be as mpor-
,,nt rs the St Louis These vessels represent
th. resources OF American shipyards and the
traditional skill Of Yankee ingenuity. They are
tbc largest and finest steamships ever built on
this side Of the Atlantic for the merchant ma
r,nc. and unless all signs fail they will be
among the fastest, most seaworhy and most
seryiceable vessels In the transatlantic service.
These new American steamships, while not
so large as the Campana and the Lucania. have
been designed with special reference to the re-
aulremcnts of safety ana luxurious comfort.
yhere will be no fewer than seventeen water
tight compartments in the ST Paul. ana these
will not be connected between decks. SO that
there will be no doors to be left open, rs Is ordi-
narily the case In transatlantic steamers. Then
/
in the lower one by the ships grounding on ii
rock will not necessarily let water into the hull.
The appointments Of the cabins, dining, smok-
ing and drawing rooms will be on the highest
scale Of luxury yet reached in steamship build
ing In speed these vessels will certainly ex-
coed the Paris and New-Iork, and they may
rank with the Campania and the Lucana. III
these splendid steamships fulfil the expectations
of the designers and builders. they will do much
to restore American prestige In the foreign
| carrying trade
! 1t Is important to observe the precise method
| by which these ships have been contracted for
in American shlpyards A Republican Congress
passed an Ocean Mail BILL by which contracts
were entered into with the American Line for
n period Of years. All the arrangements for Sc
curing the building Of the new ships were made
by the Harrison Administration, and the regis
try OF the Paris and the New-York was provided
for by special act Neither would the ships
have been built, nor the two English vessels
transferred to the American flag. II a Repub-
lcan Congress had not put premium upon
mail service by a National line. II this had
not been done. the Inman Line would have con-
tinlied to receive from the British Government
large sum for the privilege Of reserving the
Paris and the New-York for naval use In an
emergency and the St. Louis and the st. Paul
would have been built in an English shipyard
under English names
In consequence Of the policy OF the List Con
| gress in enacting the Ocean Mail measure and
also Of the joint action Of a Democratic House
and Republican Senate Of the Lid Congress
in sanctionng the special registry bill, the
| United States Government will have four first
class vessels Of high speed which can be con-
| verified into transports or cruisers In the event
| OF foreign war. These four ships could be
heavily armed and transformed into commerce
destroyers Of great efficiency. II there were