The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-27
CANNOT COMPETE.
improvements in Ship building Make
Twenty-Year-OId Vessels Out of Date.
PhiIadalnbia Drocc

THllaUelpHld HreSS.
The withdrawal from the Philadelphia
service to Antwerp and Liverpool of the
four well-knoWn American line steamships,
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.
which have been taken up by a syndicate
for a voyage to the Klondike region, is d
subject much commented on by shipping
men, and is looked upon practically as an
admission that these old craft are no longer
able to compete with the modern steam
ships plying to and fro in the transatlantic
trade.
Tremendous changes have taken place
since these craft were first launched at
Cramps, twenty-five years ago. At that
time they were among the largest and best
equipped steamships crossing the Atlantic,
and they were sought after by the wealth.
lest of our citizens contemplating trips to
Europe In appointments to-day they are
hardly on an equality with the modern cat
tie ship, while in size they are almost
yacht-like in appearance.
In July, 1872 when the Pennsylvania, the
first of the fleet was launched she was
looked upon as giant craft. She is $40 feet
Ions, 43 feet beam, 24s4 feet nodded depth
and is 249I tons net register. Contrast this
with the more recent ships of commerce,
such as the Pennsylvania of the Hamburg
American Packet Company's fleet, Which
was launched in Belfast in September, 1896,
and one can readily see how impossible it
is for ships of such size, however well con-
structed and kept up. to compete in the
trade. This modern Pennsylvania is $50 feet
Ions, 62 feet beam, 30 feet deep and is 1902
net tons register. 1t has been practically
conceded that she could carry to Europe as
much cargo in one voyage as the old Penn
sylVan1a could III four and hence it is that
the international Navigation Company
the four boats for the Klondke trade and
in addition to this the syndicate has also
taken over the freight steamship Cone
maugh or the same fleet
These rapid strides in modern ships have
not yet reached conclusion, and the craft
constructed twenty years after these Amer
lean boats are also becoming Inadequate in
size and speed to compete with such recent
additions as the Kaiser Wilhelm der Crosse,
which is 625 feet long, almost double the
length of the old Pennsylvania.
10 be modernized to compete with these
new craft the famous North German Lloyd
steamships Spree and Havel will undergo
the somewhat novel alterations Of being
heightened amidships and have already been
taken off the line and will be sent to Stettin
1Or that purpose. These craft were built
in 1891 and 1892 and are 463 feet long 5110
feet beam and 81 feet deep. 1t is proposed
to lengthen each siXty-fiVe feet amidships
bringing their length up to 528 feet, and then
they are to have an addition to their boiler
room of three double-ended boilers. Two sets
of engines are to be fitted for driving twin
screws. Their present speed is twenty knots
and it is estimated with the enhanced aggre-
gate horse power the adoption of twin
screws and modern engines, and the extra
length of hull the speed attained should be
increased by at least one and half knot.
The departure of the four American boats
from these waters will be a sad occasion for
many of the old salts along shore to whose
hearts they are very dear. 1t is not at all
likely that they will ever return, as more
be established. Competition is not quite
keen in the Pacific. The Illinois, which
was out on Crampss drydock last week to
undergo repairs having received extensive
damage by going ashore while approaching
the capeS in fog this last voyage, was,
with the exception of this recent injury,
found to be in good condition as when
first launched. This is a very remarkable
record after twenty-five years service on
the Atlantic.
The same might be said of the other three
ships. They have had some very rough eX-
periences in that time. The case of the
Pennsylvania when she was brought in in
charge of Captain Brady is yet fresh in
shipping mems memory. He happened to
be passenger on board when the captain
and two officers were washed overheard by
a sea. The vessels entire bridge then
carried away, her decks were swept and
much damage wrought, yet she weathered
the storm and landed her passengers all
WELL
Not many years ago the, Ohio had ter
rifle experience in a voyage across and came
in here with the loss of her smokestack.
Indeed, they had all weathered hurricanes
of sufficient violence to send to the bottom
some of the more modern craft, but with
stood them all
The Ohio, now at New York, will be the
first of these vessels to depart for the Klon-
dixie She will leave New York for Phila-
delphia in the course of a few days to fit
up for the trip. 1t is not yet known whether
or not the present masters will be retained
on hoard these craft,