The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1899-10-24
steel STEAMERS
For Hawaiian Trade to
New York.
rhs Sugar Fleet 10 Also to be Rein
Sovosd by Many New Steel
Bavks.

six months from the present time the
first of fleet of steel steamships will
sail from New York for San Francisco
en- route to Honolulu as regular line
of service which Is to be tnaugurated.
These vessels are now in process OF
construction. One, the Californian, Is |
building at the Union Iron Works, and
will be delivered in May; the others
are on the stocks in the Roach ship
yards on the Delaware, and will be
ready for service during 1900. These
are the American, the Hawaiian and
the Oregonian. They will all be sister
ships. built from practically the same
plans.
The vessels will be 43O feet long
overall, 81 feet breadth Of beam and
81 feet inches deep. They will draw
when loaded, rs feet Of water. Their
carrying capacities will be $3.50 tons
of 2,240 pounds, and their coal bunker
capacity will be 1900 tons. They will
have maximum speed Of ION knots
and cruising speed Of 10 knots. They
will carry crew Of 40 each, including
20 coalpassers. besides officers. The
vessels will be fitted for carrying
freight only, few extra staterooms In
the cabins will accommodate several
passengers, but they will not be pas
senger ships. The vessels will cost
about 100000 each. Those in course
Of construction in the East will make
the trip from New York to San Fran
cisco In 60 days, the course being
through the Straits Of Magellan; the
only stop made en- route will be at CO.
ronel, Chile. where they will coal.
They will stop at San Francisco on the
outward trip only; on the return tyip
they will go direct from Honolulu to
New York, pausing only at the coaling
| station.
A vessel will leave New York every
45 days. 1t is the desire OF the owners
to reduce this interval to 80 days; but
| to do this two more steamers would be
required; these additional vessels will
be built at the earliest date possible
the next ship being designed to be one
Of 10000 tons capacity. The existing
price of steel, however, preciudes the
giving of any further orders for the
present. An order for a vessel placed
in March was sought to be duplicated,
but there was demanded an increase In
price OF the necessary steel of about 30
per cent. 1t was the desire of the own
ers to place all the contracts for build
ing the ships on this Coast, but the
yards here were 80 full Of other work
that they could not guarantee to turn
them out within the same time as the
Eastern yards. and time was the es-
sence of the situation.
The placing of steamers regularly on
the trade between New York and Ha-
wall Is an innovation. Heretofore it
has been conducted by sailing ships.
A fewNyears ago several steamers went
over the route, bringing a general car
go, but they made a failure of the en-
terprise financially and the experiment
was not repeated. The Ohio and Penn
sylvania came around from New York
last year, bringing general cargoes,
but their primary purpose in coming
was to engage in the KlOndike trade.
The new line of steamers will be
owned by a company comprising three
firms; they are Flint & Co. of New
York, Dearborn & Co. of New York and
Williams. Dimond & Co. OF San Fran
cisco. These firms have been sending
around from New York an average Of
one sailing ship month to carry the
goods which will now be transported
by the steamers. 1t requires from 100
to 140 days for sailing ship to make
the passage. With a steamer the time
is cut in half. The goods brought are
mostly heavy freight, such as iron,
machinery, nails, horseshoes, barbed
wire and the like. though with the
steamers the lighter characters of
manufactured wares will become part
of the cargOes.
The starting of this line has been
occasioned by two considerations. The
first Is the recent great increase in the
quantity of sugar grown on the ISL
ands, owing to the setting out of many
new plantations. The quantity pro-
tuced IL much more than can be han
died by the refneries on this Coast, and
provides the steamers with return car.
goes from the islands. This increase
In the cultivated area of sugar lands
has also greatly increased the demand
in the islands for manufactured goods
thereby insuring larger and more STAPLE
incoming cargoes.
The second consideration Is that the
islands have passed under American
control and that presently the tariffs
OF the United States will be extended
to them, shutting out the competition
Of foreign countries and increasing the
trade with the States.
Williams, Dimond Il Co. are also bav
ing built by Arthur Sewall e. Co. %
Bath. Me-, one steel bark OF length
about $50 feet overall, which will carr,
2700 tons OF freight. This vessel viii
not he used In the Cape Horn trade
On which oil the sailers will be sup
planted by the steamers, but will b.
put on the trade between San Fran
, cisco and Honolulu. II would requir
eight Of these banks 10 take care o
the increased trade which has beef
developed on this run, but no NOR
orders can be given for vessels nov
! because Of the increased price Of steel
4 The firm does not contemplate the IN
OF steamers on this run. A dozen q
its ships are now steadily engaged.
Since the annexation Of the island
the trade with Ian Francisco has yer
greatly Increased, Six months ago
used 10 be that vessels going down /
the Islands would va generally bal