The times., 1898-02-13

The loss of the Veendam in mid
ocean on the afternoon OF February I"
adds another vessel to the long list of
these lost in the Atlantic While plying
between this country and Europe.
In these days of rapid transatlantic
transit, when such iron ocean race
horses as the St Paul, st. Louis, New
York. Campania, Lucania, Teutonlc,
Umbria, Kaiser Welhelm der Crosse,
Normania. and scores of others, are
carrying thousands upon thousands of
souls across the sea; when few of the
most speedy are smashing records IN
style that is amazing; when keen COM
petition for the balance Of the Eu-
ropean-American trade is causing the
building Of more and better steam
ships, few persons stop to consider at
what an enormous cost of life, time
and money this apparent perfection in
ocean transportation has been reached.
While the traveller feels safe conpara-
lively on one of the monster leVia-
thans. he does not know probably of
the danger and discomforts of the
ocean travel of half a century ago. The
fact that the average loss Of human
life between Europe and this country in
steamer disasters for the last fifty
years has been 147 annually should pre-
vent the tourist from feeling too abso-
lutely safe upon the mighty bosom of
the sea. With the Improvement OF the
age however. wrecks in mid-ocean
have become few and far between.
Efficient and capable officers have
become an existing feature Of ocean
steamships, and the ancient, beetle
broWed mariner with his quid of
''black jack in his left cheek, his fan
mel shirt half open, exposing a wealth
er-beaten, hairy chest; with little or
no scientific knowledge of the real art
of seamanship, would compare but lily
with the immediately uniformed gen.
tlemen who tread the bridge of such
floating palace as the Britannia. In
this age of ever-pushing progression
the man who is intrusted with the care
and comfort OF from 500 TO 1,200 human
beings must be more than a mere mas
ter of compass and chart. He must be
possessed OF an iron will, indomitable
courage, quick and accurate judgment
and the faculty Of doing just the right
thing In just the right place.
The history of steam navigation on
the Atlantic extends back to 1919 only
In that year Col. John Stevens. of New
York city, had built, by Crocker &
Fitchett, of CoIiears Hook. a vessel
which he named the Savannah She
was fitted with engines and boilers
which had a capacity OF pressure of
twenty pounds to the square inch. In
addition to this she carried fun COM
plement of sails and attained a speed.
under steam headway, of six knots an
hour. The paddle wheels We're so ar
ranged that they could be unshipped at
any time. Her coal bunker capacity
was only eighty tons. On May 25, 1919,
the Savannah left the city of Savan-
nah, bound for Liverpool, at which port
she arrived on June % of the same
year, having made the trip in thirty
five days. All England went half mad
with delight 1T the new propeiling force
Tor vessels, and upon her return she
brought to New York her full quota of
passengers. which was twenty-seven.
Despite the apparent success OF the Ss-
rannah, however, her engines We're
taken out OF her soon after the comple-
ton of her second trip and she was run
as sailing vessel until 1922. In which
year she was wrecked on the Long ISL
and shore.
The first trip Of the Savannah gave
rise TO many preposterous and absurd