The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-11-16
REV STEAMERS TO THE FORE

In 1852 the Cunard put forward its
nfst screw liner, the China, of $500
tens. 10 wrest the laurels from the
iaSt-golng Scotia and to meet and
peat the China, the Inmans put on the
track some new 200 tons screw ships.
put they could not overhaul the old
war horse. Until 1854 the Scotia. car
ried the broom at her masthead for
she had literally swept the sea track
clear of all competitors.
Inc year 1854 was an important one
IN the story of the ocean race track
Ihen 1t was that the Inman company
entered for the race the City of Paris
and the City of New York, fine ships,
OF about one-third the size Of their
most distinguished namesakes of the
present day. These were the first ships
over the course to be fitted with com
pound engines, and with them thew
scooped nearly as enviable a record as
their modern descendants,
Opposed to them were the most ia
nous OF the Cunard ships the Scotia
and the Persia. For those days this
was a battle Of giants, and the con-
test was fast and furious. Eight days
ana fourteen hours, eight DAYS and
twelve hours and eight days and elev-
en- hours were some Of the times made
by the racers as they tore along over
the course, sometimes the Cunard
NAA'Oo III lhC ICd0, dI OlLSIS the lnnld1I
Finally the veteran Of the lot. the
Weather-beaten Scotia, carried the
Cunard colors to victory in a fair and
square run to Queenstown in eight
days seven hours and ten minutes. as
against the City Of Paris time of eight
days sixteen hours and forty minutes.
This was the record for 1866.
In 1867 the Cunarders put on the
course a new ship, the Russia, a screw
vessel of about 5000 tons, and the
Scotia was taken off. The Russia was
put in direct competition with the In
man City of Paris, and many a fine
and wellremem'bered race was the
consequence. At the close of the year
the City Of Paris came in the victor
by more than good length making
a new record of eight days and four
hours from Roche's point to Sandy
Hook
The rival owners in 1869 started the
running of new ships Of an increased
size, the crack of the Inman fleet
reaching tonnage Of $500 in the City
of Berlin. With this ship they again
lowered the record, this time to seven
and three-quarter days, and held on
to this until there appeared in the
field new contestant-the now famil-
lar White Star line. In the White
Star line ships there was observed one
of the distinctive features Of the pres
compared with the breadth.
The White Star established new
form, style and interior arrangement
which have been largely followed and.
Of course, improved upon. Their rae
ers were the Germanfc and the Brit
annie, of 46S feet length, As feet beam.
5000 tons burden and 5000 horse pow
er. These two racers outdid all COM
petitors by crossing from Queenstown
! to New York in seven days and eleven
hours, and for several years they held
undisputed sway.
The year 1879 saw some changes.
The Cunarders again came into the
race. this time with the screw steamer
Gallia~ Another newcomer was the
Arizona, the property Of the Guion
line which broke the record, lowering
the time over the course to seven days
and eight hours.
There were three owners with entries
for the season Of 1881-the Cunard, In
man and Guion The cracks entered
were the Servia, by the Cunard; the
Alaska, of 1000 tons. by the Guion, and
the City of Rome, Of $500 tons, by the
Innlan. The Alaska won; time, six
days and twenty-on hours. The SerVia
was a good second.
The year 1883 found no change, ex-
cept that the Servia dropped to third
place. The winner in the races of 1884
was dIlOIH0T snip, the OI0SOu,
but she found a worthy antagonist in
the America Of the National line, a
newcomer that soon retired The Ore
gon made the record this year Of six
days and ten hours.
FAST TIME MADE.
In 1885 the Cunard again forged to
the front with the Etruria and the Um-
bria, and easily kept there. The record
was lowered to six days two hours.
On one Of the days of this quickest of
passages the Etruria averaged a rate
of speed exceeding twenty knots
The year 1889 saw a return to a GER
tain extent to the old order Of things,
for once again was the Cunard indis-
putably in the lead, and again did the
Inman; as Of old, contest its supremacy,
and, in the end, successfully. Now it
was that the new twin screw ships, the
City Of New York and the City of Paris.
came upon the track. After a hard
| and close finish they won, but only to
be challenged by the White Star new
flyers, the Majestic and the Teutonic.
The year 1890 witnessed g. great time
In IL