Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1901-02-15
PACIFIC CARRYING TRADE.

view IIOih lul' tnt dSih' NoaS', an"
upon her arrival here will enter the
American Hawaiian trade, for the
handling of which six large freight
carriers have already been contracted
for by one company ~ 0 4
The building of these new vessels
may serve to recall the fact that there
has been a marvellous advancement
during the past fifteen years In the
ans-Pacific and coastwise trade. In
the early days travel between Coast
points was entirely by steamer. There
were no railroads, and because Of this
fact the foundations were laid for .
great shipping business which has con d.
tinued to grow in spite Of the competl-
tion which arose when the Coast states
were connected by rail-
II is not SO many years ago that
practically all of the Pacific business
was controlled and easily handled by
the Pacific Mail, the Oriental and Occi-
dental and the Pacific Coast Steam
ship Company. Some of the ships OF
these companies were well equipped.
though small as compared with the
more modern vessels; most Of them,
howveer. were Of an inferior type as
far as comforts and conveniences were
concerned. and would hardly be patron
lied now by people who have become
accustomed to the larger, finer and
faster vessels of today
There was little to be shipped from
this country to the Orient. with the
possible exception of lumber. and be-
fore the time when the transcontinen-
tai roads had been put through there
was no reason for shipping Oriental
goods to any Coast port except San
Francisco. With the completion of the
Canadian Pacific a change took place
ANA an Oriental business was opened
along the northern and shorter route.
A bid was made for passenger travel.
and in the Expresses travellers across
the Pacific were able tosuse the finest
vessels leaving the Coast for China
and Japan. ".n
A few years after the completion of
he Cascade tunnel and the operation of
! through service by the Northern Pa
|, cifc line Of freight and passenger
steamers was opened from Tacoma to
the Orient under the direction OF that
transcontinental company. Shortly af-
terward. with the completion OF the
Great Northern. the great japanese
steamship company, the Nippon Yusen
Kaisha, inaugurated regular sailings
from Seattle. At about the same time
tramp line of steamers operating in
connection with the Oregon Railway &
Navigation, Company opened trans
Pacific service from the Columbia to
Yokohama and Hongkong. All these
lines are still doing business, and the
demands upon them will increase with
EACH succeeding year.
AS climax to this fen record Of
+'''i i'iiht uNNlN'y 'dhlc tut dnluu1tt-
ment Of the purpose Of the Great Nor
thern railway to construct those levi
athans Of $4,000 tons which are to be
operated exclusively in the trans-Pa-
cihc trade. These vessels will be the
wonders OF the merchant carrying SER
vice. and the fact that vessels of this
size are first to be used in the Pacific
is proof that transportation people see
immense possibilities for business in
the future trade between the Pacific
coast and the Orient
Passenger carriers crossing the Pa
cific already contemplate placing finer
boats in the service. Regular steamers
now sail from British Columbia to Ha-
wall and Australia. A line Is in oper-
alton from Puget sound to Honolulu.
II Is only short time until there will
be a regular service from the Coast to
Manila, The immense growth OF the
Alaska business has called into requisl-
ton an immense feet of steamships
and more are building for this import
ant service. In fact, the increase in
the amount OF steam tonnage now re-
quired on the Coast is one of the most
significant features in the story OF the
last few years OF splendid progress.