New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-21

truth is that the passages between Dover and
Calais or Dover and Folkestone, and in less
degree those between Newhaven and Dieppe and
between southampton and Havre, are among the
most dangerous in the world \ vast commerce,
including the whole traffic to and from the port
Of London and Co and from the great German
ports of Bremen and Hamburg. passes in a con-
tinued and crowded procession Of ships through
the narrow gateway between Calais and Dover.
Right across it cuts the channel service. Day
and night in all weathers, or almost all, ana
through FREQUENT fOgs which are worse than all
other perls Of the sea, these Dover ana otldIS
and Folkestone and Boulognc steamers steam at
full speed from port to port threading thelr way
between the hundreds of vessels whose paths
they intercept at right angles There are almost
no collisions or none that the public hears Of. 1t
is a miracle that there are not. or rather II Is
not a miracle but the result of consUmnate sea-
manship and of a cool vigilance which Is never
relaxed. on an English ship. for moment
What will happen when the Victoria and the
Empress and the Calais-Douvres are IN french
hands is another question. There are, Of course.
good French officers and sailors ana engineers.
But it is at least as much question Of national
character as of seamlnship, or OF sclen'Ihc
knowledge. In this last the French are perhaps
H.
tion of the Brotons and Normans they are not
born sailors The English are. The frehch'
moreover. Bretons and Nornans included, are an
excitable race They are apt to lose the DeS'
qualities of seamansh!p just at the moment they
are most needed II is in critical and perilous
moments that the English and American solidiiy
of character and their coolness serve them best.
Not Gu tho French After two experiences Of
some danger on French ships, prefer English
or American. and think it a little doubtful
whether in French hands the long immunity
fron accident of the croaschannel service IS Ger
tain 70 continue In one respect the travelling
public will gain They Will be able TO get good
food instead Of the other kind of food now pro
vided on all the English channel steamers.
In the last exhibition year. nearly 100000 pas
sengers were carried over what Is called III"
short Sea Route between Dover and Calais l
have not the figures for the years since 1881 D"t
as ten years before that. they were nearly
600 Ooo the present number may well enough APP
nroacb half q million. Such is the number OF
human lives at stake ] believe have made the
VOYAGE from England t. the Continent In nearly
every possible way and in all circumstances "i
weather. and in almost all sorts Of craft except
a racing outrgger So peculiar are the 'ohdl-
ions of the harbors that very peculiar shllS nave
to be built. The newest are most pocuIiar "l an
Tho r,,,nress is S24 feet long. "a feet in breadth,
with 5000 horsepower and draught oi 'leht
feet She covers the twenty-threc miles in sixty
to seventy minutes 1t is for s"anen To- say
what they think Of such ship. She goes out in
all but the heaviest gales and makes her way
prettv comfortably across the Calais bar ana
into the narrow entrance between the piers with
a strong tide running and perhaps gale blow
,,c, 7 have Thought sometimes that the captain