Arizona republican., 1898-08-18
THE NEW CHINK LINE.
Particulars Concerning inc Opening Of TroffiC Between San
 Diego and China.


 Hong Kong, China:
 A. H. Butler, the well known former San Diegan and chief promoter as well as president of the California and Ori- ental Steamship company, whose ar rival in the city from New York city was noted in yesterdays Sun, was seen by a reporter at his rooms in the hotel Brewster this morning and in answer to a request for brief interview Mr. Butler gave out a great deal of addi- tional information concerning the new line which will be Of especial interest just now.
 Since his last visit here MT. Butler has travelled thousands of miles in the interests of the new line and now when the contracts are all signed and every thing is assured he naturally feels little justifiable qualification at the splendid success which has attended his efforts. Mir Butler will remain in the city a week to straighten up sev eral business matters in connection with the line, to look after freight contracts and to ascertain what is needed in the way of additional ware houses, etc. Then he will go to Ala meda to visit his family and return here within a month or six weeks with his partner, M Stanley Tweedle of New York.
 The California and Oriental Steam ship company, which proposes to op- crate line of steamships between this port and Hong Kong, China, was or ganized in New York city last April with Mir A. H. Butler of Japan, pres ident. Nj. Stanley Tweedle of New York. vice president and business man. ager, and L. B. Stoddart, senior mem Der of the banking firm of Bowring & Archibald, treasurer. The company is an American enterprise. although Bowring & Archibald of London are heavy stockholders, the Tweedie Trad ing company of New York being the principal other owner. The principal offices of the company now are Bow ring & Archiba1d's No. g. Stone street, New York city. although the general headouarters will shortly be establish ed in this city Bowring & Archibald are large steamship owners on the At Iantic and are rated very high fnan- cia1ly.
 One vessel for the new line was pur- chased some time ago and would be on the way now, had not the war broken out and the government seized her for a transport.
 This vessel is the fine screw steam ship Catania. flying the American flag as it is hoped all the vessels if the line may do The Catania is now either at Santiago or Porto Rico and now that the war is over ETr Butler hopes she may be released within week or two at farthest. The Catania has 8 gross
 . e-.A Y rving capacity of 3.700 tons. She is about the same length as the Santa Rosa. but considerably wider and ca pable Of carrying much more freight, She will be fitted up to carry about fifty or sixty first class passengers.
 There will be two other steamships in the new line and both will be much larger than the Catania. about 5,700 tons carrying capacity in fact. They will also be much more expensive yes sels all the way through. Mir. Tweedie is now in London negotiating for the purchase of these two vessels but the deal is not yet closed, so that it is deemed discreet to withhold their names from the public for a time. These vessels will be fitted up to car ry about 100 passengers.
 All the vessels of the new line will be 13-knot boats. Some people have suggested that this is very slow time and that the c. & o. line can in conse- quence, not compete for passenger travel with the lines running out Of San Francisco NIT. Butler explained this morning that both the O. &. 0. line and the Pacific Mail run on 6 13 knot schedule and that only the Can adian Pacific from Victoria was faster (about 1T knotsl
 But this is not tke reason why 13 knot boats were selected. "The facts are,' said Mir. Butler, 'it is a question Of expense. We do not want to start out on a grand scale, lose S200,000 the first year, throw up the contract and quit discouraged. We had much rather start in more economically and put on fast steamers as the business demands it. You can depend upon it that fast vessels VII be put on when there is business to justify it.''
 The ships mentioned will burn only about twenty-five tons of coal per day each. They will carry just as much freight as an 1S-knot boat Of much lar ger size lon account of the increased space needed for coaD which burns sixty tons per day. Figuring oa baSlS of sixty days for the round Irlp this means g saving of over 2,000 tons of coal each trip, besides the tremen- dous increased cost Of the vessel.
 But. continued NIT. Butler, ''they will all be excellent vessels, very com fortable and as fast as any on this ocean except the c. p. line.'
 The first vessel to enter the service of the new line will probably be the Catania. She will load a general cargo at New York for Hong Kong and may get away in two or three weeks, and arrive at her destination some time in October, so that by the time she gets cargo loaded for this port it will be late in November and the chances are that it will be December 15 at least be- fore her arrival here. The other yes sells will follow soon after and it is the intention to run on a twenty-five-day schedule, that is, to have a steamer leave here every twenty-five days. The