The Portland daily press., 1897-01-14
THE JOHN ENGLIs ARRIVES.
The Handsome New Steamship Marks
the Beginning Of New Era.

the Coastwise Trade to Run Int
PortIand-Made Her Initial Trip Her.
from New York in Twenty-one Hours
and Forty Minutes.
The handsome new steamship John
Englis of the Maine Steamship com.
pany's line, which Is to run between this
port and New York arrived here yester.
day afternoon at four o'clock.
Her arrival marks the beginning of q
new era in the steamship business as fal
as Portland is concerned. The Englis IL
the first modern. iron steamship in the
coastwise trade to run into this city, and
her arrival here yesterday afternoon
marks the beginning Of An era when the
steamers running into the port of Port
land she'll be the finest, fastest and most
complete vessels in every respect that sal
to and fro along the Atlantic sea board.
The first American steamship built Of
iron was the Bangor. and her speed on
her trial trip whs 1871 miles an hour.
The Bangor was partially destroyed by
ire of this coast August 81, 1874, soon
after beginning her regular trips between
Boston and Bangor, but was repaired
and soop after sold to the United States
government for use in the Mexican war
as war vessel. The Bangor was the
first iron vessel to ply along the Maine
coast and the John Englis is the last iron
vessel Of modern construction to be built
fer Maine waters.
During the last few years many fine
vessels have been built to run into Port
land. Notably among these are the Port
land. now on the Portland and Boston
line and the St. Croix, now running be-
tween Boston and ST. John. The John
feet, as it may be called, was built to
bring Nav York several hours nearer
Portland by water and the record she
made for herself yesterday on her trip
here from the metropolis demonstrates
that this is TO be easily accomplished.
The new steamer left New York Tues
day afternoon at five o'clock Oh her
initial trip. She was delayed for half an
hour after she had left her dock and
darkness was settling down over the har-
She was constantly saluted by steam ers
az she ran out into the sound, and her
deep voiced whistle was kept sounding
an acknowledg cement Of these oourtesies.
1t was not until the Englis got into the
sound, however, that her superior quail
ties were clearly demonstrated. AT that
hour in the evening large feet Of
steamers leaves New York bound east
ward, and as soon as the Englis got In
among them she proved herself to be the
queen Of the feet.
One by one she overhauled the sound
feet and left them far behind and this
was done with new machinery and with
little attempt at running at full speed.
At SEA the John Englis showed herself to
be superior sea boat 1t WAS very
rough off Cape Cod, but the new steamer
was as steady as rock. and rolled very
little. When she arrived off the Two
Lights the engines were stopped and the
new steamer swung in circle to adjust
UlS OOll pfooSSs LIE OpOh noAoA eoSh dp
fifty minutes and adding to this the
5hirty minutes delay in New York harbor
the entire delay was an hour and twenty
minutes. This makes the actual running
time of the trip from New York to Port
land just 81 hours and 40 minutes. On
her return trip the steamer will do better
than this, and her officers say she can
make the trip between here and New
York in IS hours and not half try. This
will reduce the time formerly consumed
N running from Portland to New York
~ six hours.
When the John Englis was sighted off
he Two Lights. the fact became general
y known all along the water front, and
when the new vessel steamed up the hsr-
Dor gaily decorated with bunting there
we're hundreds of people gathered on the
ends of every dock to get sigh of her.
There first comment TINT was made
about her was the knife-like way In
which she cut the water, her speed and
Ter tall smoke stack.
Then the j ohm Englis's beautiful lines
md her roomy, comfortable appearance
we're favora oily commented upon and the
critics along shore were much pleased
With the new steamship.
When the steamer was docked at about
ialf past four CLOCK her passengers were
hardly given time to land before the
tream Of people began to crowd aboard
o make an inspection of Der. The
vessel's saloons are very handsomely
decorated in white and gold, her state
ooms are large and finely arranged and
very ons of them has window opening
freely outside 30 that all are outside
ooms. There are on board eight beauti- |
nj bridal chambers, large rooms with
wo windows, aad with all conveniences.
Ter dining saloon is in the forward part
f the vessel and Is deliberately furnished |
nd its windows look directly out upon |
he sea. Everything about the vessel is of |
lie iqess quality and workmanship. |
Ter fteight carrying capacity is |
normous, and two elevators running
jn+.n ba vassai's hold a1Ioxua IF +ho |