The times., 1899-06-21
TRANSATLANTIC TRAFFIC.
Many New Vessels for the Lines Run
ming to New York.

New YORK, June ZU--Nltnln the next
twelve months an unprecedented num-
ber of new steamships viii take their
places in the trans Atlantic traffic between
this port and foreign countries. More
than twenty-sik vessels are now building
for the eight great steamship lines having
their western termini at this port In
Guiding in this number the vessels that the
West Indian and coastwise lines now have
on the ways, it is fair to assume that at
least forty new steamships will enter this
port before next June.
The fact that a slight majority of the
new steamships building viii be c5mpara-
lively slow going boats has strengthened
the opinion frequently expressed in and out
of steamship circles that the day of the
ocean flyers has come to an end. Ac-
! cording to those best versed in steamship
matters, however, the building OF these
| SLOW ships signifies nothing Of the kind.
| II simply means that some of the steam
| ship companies have looked shrewdly into
! the speed question and have come to real
ize that there are two sides to the situa-
| ton They found that there was a new
/ demand to be met-and they acted accord
! ingly. This action was indeed an unlock
| ed-for development in the ocean traffic
question. but it did not and does not mean
that the greyhound is destined to disap-
| pear from the ocean. 1t simply meant that
| certain lines were reaching out for the
/ new patronage. catering to that portion
of the travelling public which prefers to
travel slowly in order to derive the full
, benefit of a fairly long voyage upon the
ocean. II is admitted however, that the
! day has passed when the speeding of
steamships can alone entitle line to pop
ularity.
The German lines sounded the death
| knell of this idea by the remarkable sue
cess attained by the comparatively slow
boats of the Barbarossa and Pretoria and
J Patricia class The home offices of both
! the North German Lloyd and Hamburg
American lines are flooded each week with
testimonials praising the comfort, the alb
sence of rolling and the general stead
! mess of these slow vessels. The White
! Star Line has also received similar testi-
| monials with regard to the Germanic and
the Cymric. These lines saw which way
| the tide was turning. They awarded con-
tracts for large slow. comfortable vessels.
and they are reaping the reward of their
I foresight
While it is true that the German lines
are building a number of average speed
vessels, they have not by any means neg
lected the faster steamships The Kaiser
| Wilhelm der Crosse now holds the record
from Southampton. and the officers of the
| line have no hesitation in expressing their
satisfaction that such is the case. The
Hamburg-American Line is also equally
proud of the Augusta Victoria and the
Fuerst Bismarck. AS matter of fact
American Line are the only steamship
companies which have declared themselves
I unqualifedly in favor of fairly slow ves-
sells.
1t is rumored that the Cunard line has
decided to build two large, average speed
vessels, but the report cannot be con-
firmed II it is true. an interesting COM
petition may be looked for in the next
two years, between the lines running fast
vessels and the lines running vessels OF
average speed.
| Among the new vessels which will soon
take their places in the trans Atlantic
service of the North German Lloyd Line
are: Kaiserin Maria Theresa. $500 tons
register. which will be ready in July; the
Grosser Albert, 12.500 tons; Rhein, 10000
tons; Main. 10, 900 tons; Konig Albert
10000 tons: Princess Irene, 10000 tons;
Koln. $500 TONS; Frankfurt. 1900 tons,
and the Hanover, Strasburg. and Wurz-
burg. each OF which registers 5000 tons
The Kaiserin Maria Theresa will be fast
vessel. having made 90 1-2 knots an hour
on her trial trip. The other vessels named
will average from IL to 10 knots and will
be partly utilized as freight carriers.
The French Transauantique Line has
come out unequivocally in favor of fast
vessels. La Lorraine and La Sayoie, each
600 feet long and of Il, 900 tons burden, will
arrive here next May and June respect
lively. Both vessels are expected to speed
q knots an hour. The Hamburg American
| Line has announced that the new steam
ship Deutschland will be ready next April
The Deutschland, which will enter the eX-
press service of the line, is a monster
vessel CSC 1-2 feet long. 81 IL feet beam
with a depth of "A feet She is 10000 ton:
burden and has $4,000 horse power. Hel
owners expect great things from her il
the way of speed, the contract calling fol
% knots an hour. Experts say that wher
the leviathan has made one or two voyage.
and has got her engines in easy working
order, new record from Hamburg Ma!
be looked for. Besides this vessel the lint
is building a number of freighters.
The Atlantic Transport Line is building
i, four large vessels, which Will be com
peted during the ensuing autumn anC
winter. They are the Minneapolis, Mime.
waska. Minnehaha, and Minnetonka. Thes
. vessels register 900 tons each. Each il
645 feet long, &C feet beam, and is -ex'
pected to make eighteen knots an hour
Assistant Manager Thomas, of that line
said this morning that the line did no
, care for speedy vessels. and that ii tht
new vessels made the trip in seven days h
would be satisfied. The Holland American
Line will bring out the Potsdam, Ryn
dam, and Noordam of 1880 tons each
, They will be nine-day boats. The Ameri
! can and Red Star lines are each building
| two vessels Of average speed
The White Star Line steamship Oceanic
70i feet long. the largest vessel ahoat
will arrive here in September. She vii
register 1900 tons gross. will be 6S fee
+ 41-2 inches beam, and have a depth o
> 40 feet. The new vessel is fifteen fee
, longer than the famous Great Eastern.