The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-11-14

Inman brought out the City of Paris and
the City of New York. each about one
third the size of it's namesake of today.
and fitted with compound engines, the
first of the sort. Between the two lines
the fight was kept up. First ore and
then the other cut the record. Little by
little the time went down. Eight days
and fourteen hours was made. Then
eight days Ind twelve hours. Then
weather-beaten Scotia carried the Gu
nard colors to Victory in eight days.
seven hours, and ten minutes, the record
for 1856.
The year 1857 saw the Uunarder Rus
STA. a screw steamer, take up the fight
with the C:ty of Paris, and saw also the
Scotia retired. Between the Russia and
the City of Paris there was a year OF
steady racing, ending in victory OF one
length by the City of Paris and reduo-
ton of the record to eight days and four
hours from Roche's Point to Sandy
Hook. Then came the City of Berlin, OF
the Inman line, with a tonnage of 1000.
1t lowered the record to seven and three
quarters days, and held it until there APP
pared in the contest new aspirant-the
White Star line. with the steamers Bri-
tannic and Germsnic, built for speed
even at the expense Of carrying power,
8. 600 tons burden and 5000 horse-pow-
er. These two racers brought the time
down to seven days and eleven hours,
and for some years they held undisputed
sway.
But the year 1879 brought changes.
The Cunsrders sent out he Gallia. a
screw steamer, to enter the contest. and
the Guion line, new seeker for honors,
brought forward the Arizona. 10 the
Arizona the honors fell. for it lowered
the record to seven days and eight hours,
which stood until 1881, when there was
noteworthy fight. Three entries ap-
peared-the Cunard, Jnman, and Guion,
rapresented~b y the Servia, the City of
Rome, and the Alaska. The City of
Rome was the largest steamship in the
world. $500 tons burden, but the Alas
ka, /, 100 tons less, carried off the honors
and established time of six days and
twenty -one hours. The Alaska stood at
the head until 1884, when the Guion line
brought out the Oregon, and sharp
fight followed between that vessel and
the America of the National lines fee
The Oregon won in six days and ten
hours.
Iu 1885 the Cunard line again reached
the front with the Um bria and the Etru-
ria, pulling the record down to six
days and two hours. The old order of
nard in the lead and other lines cbaI-
longing it, the l nman with the City Of
New York and the City of Paris, twin
screw steamers, and the White Star with
! the Teutonic and Majestic. Through
1889 the six vessels fought hard. the In
ma n and then the White Star wrestling
the record from their rivals, and in 1890
the contest sifted down to fight be-
tween the four great twin screw steamers
of these two companies. The Teutonio
won in five days, eighteen hours and
twenty eight minutes. In 1892 the Inman
sent the City of Paris over the transat-
| lantic race track III five days and fifteen
hours. Then the CuDard line came
again to the front with the Luoania and
Campania, the most powerfully engined
| ships in the world. In 1898 it put the
record at five days and twelve hours,
and in 1894 Brought it to five days and
eight hours,a time which stands today
as the best over the course from Sandy
Hook to Roche's Point.
Over the other point-the one to South
ampton-the record Ia held by the Amer
lean liner st. Paul, a fraction over six
days. This route was traversed In 1894
by the New York in seven days and six
hours. This was after the Inman line
had become the American, or Interra-
tional line. When the line changed its
name the Paris and the New York
hauled down the ensign of st. George
and hoisted the Stars and Stripes. ana
the keels of the st. Paul and the St.
Louis were laid. The contestants over
this route are the Ham burg American
and the German Lloyds.
| No other ship has thus far been able
to be even classed in the running with
the new American steamers. Even the
old champions of the Queenstown route,
the English built Paris and New York,
have had to dip their colors to the
American St. Louis and st. Paul.
| Since the Great Western and the Sirius
held the first contest over the ocean
race track great changes have come
about. Then the winner had a burden
| of ], $40 tons and made an average rate
of speed of SO knots. To win today
requires a speed Of more than twenty
knots and burden of 10, 600 tons. Then
the horse power was 500; now 1t is about
20, 000 What the figures will have risen
to before the limit is reached is out OF
calculation.
The records themselves are to the aver
age man of little moment. 1t does not
matter greatly to him whether four
minutes or half an hour be next clipped
from the time. But it is the rivalry
,1ar rono,Is Oh boc dono mora "a N