Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1895-10-16
sTEAMER HOWARD cAssARD.

now at this port:
WASHINGTON, Oct. i.
To the Stockholders of the ArroD Steen-
ship Company:
Ladies and Gentlemen Since my
last report October 19, 1889 the
steamer Howard Cassard has been sub
iected to series of Important tests and
with highly satisfactorily results, as sus-
tanned by reports omitted here only on
account of the cost of publication.
This vessel was removed from Balti-
more, Md, to Alexandria, Va, and
there put in condition to prove through
actual demonstration all the claimed
advantages of the Arrow system OF
ship building, and is still in that condi-
ton where such demonstration can be
repeated to the satisfaction of any per-
sonlcompetent to judge Of these mat
ters. Indeed, with a capable crew the
Cassard can and will be taken from her
dock within one hours notice under
her own steam, and be so operated
at any time under justifiable circum-
stances. Experiments SO far made
with that vessel have resulted il bring
irg a satisfactory report from party
upon whom reliance has been placed
for the establishment of line of vessels
for coastwise service, and also decla-
ration from the Arrow Navigation
Company that such experiments have
proven the system perfect in all Its
parts. This company, be it under
stood, is a sub-organization operating
under franchise from the Arrow
Steamship Company, for which it paid
to the latter company thirteen per
cent. of its capital stock and obtained
the Howard Casssrd on its own securi-
ties, and which company will doubt
less establish line of vessels for the
service indicated through the agency
Of the party above alluded to.
Hence it would seem that the e1pe-
rimental steamer Howard Cassard has
performed her mission, which at the be-
ginning of her construction was to de-
monstrate the fact that had the steamer
Pocahontas been built according to these
general principles she would have been
successful, and that by the building of
the Howard Cassard it has been proven
that it was the actual desire of our COM
pany to build the Pocahontas at the
time of the "HeraId attack" would
not bring this abominable subject before
you at this time were it not that / have
received strong intiration from one of
our members of the Herald suit COM
mittee that unless we have the Howard
Cassard in actual commission at the
time our case comes to trial the amount
We will receive in the shape of damages
from Mr.. Bennett (of the New York
Herald will be lessened to such an ex-
tent as to equal the cost of new vessel.
Now I do not believe that either
James Gordon Bennett, his lawyers or
any court of justice would ask for any
such condition in order to determine
the matter of injury done the Arrow
Steamship Company by reason of the
attacks cited in the complaint. Besides,
that company has no vessel to put in
commission, while the present owner
of the Howard Cassard may or may not
conclude to fit her out for regular SER
vice just DOW, as the fact is this vessel
is under size for any of its contemplated
lines, and could only be used to adyan-
tage in connection with other vessels at
the end of routes where such lines of
ships may be established. It is barely
probably that this company will allow
the Cassard to lie where she is for the
present, she having performed the SER
vice for which she was built-that of
demonstrating her plans-until after
| these larger vessels are constructed and
put in operation, or until some of the
vessels offered to that company for use
are put in commission to hold the lines
or routes selected until vessels of the
Arrow type are constructed.
Be this as it may it is hardly fair 20
suppose that this company will put the
Cassard in commission to enlarge the
amount of damages due another or
ganization, though tits perfectly will
ing to allow this other organization the
use of the Csssard for any reasonable
purpose, on condition that the expense
OF handling the vessel is provided for,
and other simple terms are complied
with.
Had there been no Herald attack
there would have been no need for sub.
COluDdulcS w WOih Jul pNsCnkci kto II 10.
we have nothing to control except " hat
we get from our sub companies. Our
treasury stock is gone: our patents, to
the extent of 80 per cent. at least, are
gone; our grand prospects and real
rights are all gone. The only way our
stockholders can ever hope to be re-
paid for the losses thus incurred through
the Herald attack is first by the award
of damages, and next by what may
come through the operations of our
sub-companies, which even now are
suffering from the influence of the at.
tacks on the original company.
have been asked by the manage
ment of the Arrow Steamship Com
pany to spread before you these facts,
and to add while our opportunities are
SO excellent Tor continuing operations
of the Howard Cassard to the extent at
least of making speed trial trip ofthat
vessel with trained crew, proper coal
and under eucb other conditions as veg
/