The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-05-22

The interest aroused over the report
that there rs TO be new steamship
passenger and freight line between
Providence and New York, has. If any
thing, increased since Saturday, when
the news was first made public. The
business men OF this city are, natural
ly, greatly interested In the project, for
the more competition there is between
rival companies the more reduced rates
on freight Will be made, they argue,
and IL will enable them to increase
their business operations.
Perhaps the interest In the proposed
new line has been somewhat Increased
owing to the secrecy in regard To the
name of the company. (which has al
ready leased the Lonsdale wharf prop
erty on India street the same wharf
which was formerly used by the Mer-
chants & Miners line. Many prominent
business men said that I'm their opin-
ion such secrecy was altogether uncall-
ed for, particularly upon the part OF
such perfectly equipped financial con-
cern as the new company is SAID To be,
and they rather deprecated the idea
that there should be any such mystery.
Inquiry made on Saturday from sew
ersl sources ELECTED the Information
that several well known men. together
with Mayor Baker, were fully Informed
of the Identity OF the company. but
they refused TO divulge their informa-
rion on the ground that they were
pledged to secrecy. Further and more
careful inquiry has since been made,
and the results appear to be FAR more
satisfactory.
From a source that is more than or
dlnarily reliable II has been learned
that the company that Will establish
the new line Is the New Haven Steam
boat company. a well known corpora
ffon. the stock OF which is owned
chiefly by wealthy New York estates,
and OF which Chester w. Chaplin Of
New York is the president and general
manager. This company has already
an excellent fleet OF steamers, equipped
with all modern conveniences and ad-
miraby adapted for both passenger and
freight service.
This fleet includes the splendid
steamer Richard Peck which is steel
screw propeller. and is said to be the
fastest steamboat on Long Island
sound having a record of % knots an
hour. The other boats of the fleet.
all of which are well known on the
sound are the c. II. Norton, the New
Haven and the Continental While,
perhaps some of these boats might
not be considered sufficiently large for
the Providence and New York passen-
ger ana freight service. this feature viii
be remedied by the immediate con-
struction OF TWO or more larger steam-
ers for this port.
The fact that this company
has ain immense amount of cap
ital at it's dispOsai, and asks
not a dIar from Providence in
the way Of stock, carries with IL the
assurance that anything that viii b.
done will be on the highest plane. and
the record already established by the
company i'm its service between NeT
York and New Haven will be not only
maintained. but surpassed. The com
-pafE mas been looked upon fOT some
time a rival corporation 70 the New
York. New Haven and Hartford Rail
road Company between New York and
New Haven, and 1t now promises TO be-
come so upon much larger scale.
According TO other gentlemen who are
I'm "A position to know. it is said that
these same New York stockholders arc
also the hackers OF the Saunderstown
and tho Sea View railroads In the
southern part of the state, and II
such Is really the case. the immensity
OF the plan I'm the way of competition
with the Consolidated railroad can