The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-10-07
MAY BUILD GREAT VESSELS.
Liverpool and Berchnven Likely TO
Become Rivals in Commerce.


from James Boyle. the United States Con
SUI at Liverpool. a me st significant state
mcnt concerning the scheme for the i'm
rroyemtnt of the Berehaven Harbor- Mr.
Boyle charaCterizes the situation at Bere-
haven as threatening 10 rival in CONNER
clal Importance the interests Of Liverpool
When Parliament. at the close OF the
recent session. without any preliminary
notice. he says. passed a bill giving au-
thority for the construction Of a pier and
other shipping facilities at Berehayen.
there was great CONSERVATION in Liver
pool, particularly in view Of the state
ment of the promoter Of the bin that IL
was intended to establish a line Of steam
ers which would make the journey from
America TO Ber=haveu in four and one
hdit days Since the passing Of the bill
authorizing the harbor facilities referred
20. there has been an exhaustive discus
sion in the press and privately among
those interested in Liverpool shipping and
commerce, and the general conclusion ar
rived at is that Liverpool has nothing To-
fear from the Bcrehaven scheme.
"A reference to the map will readily
show that Berehaven is admirably sit
uated IN a geological sense as the eastern
terminus Of a transatlantic line, but. I'm
truth, the southwestern and western
coasts Of Ireland have "A number Of har-
bors much nearer America than Liver
pool, capable Of accommodating the Iarg-
est ships ahoat- For many years Bantry
Bay, In which Is Berehaven Harbor, has
been rendezvous for the British fleet,
and il is admitted TO be one of the safest
and most comOdiOus harbOrs in the world
The passage Of the Berehaven Harbor
Scheme bin in Parliament has revived
"reminiscences Of other schemes having
for their object the shortening Of the sea
passage between Europe and America
Most of these plans had in view the utili-
zation Of one OF the numerous natural
harbOrs of the west or southwestern coast
Of Ireland as the eastern terminus. None
Of these projects. however. has ever pass
ed beyond the experimental stage, and.
so far as l can learn. the prospect IS very
remote that the Berehaven scheme viii,
at least for many years to come, become
an aCtuality. and the probability is that
II viii meet the fate OF its predecessors
After having had time TO duly consider
the possibilities OF the new project. the
shipping and commercial interests Of Liv-
erpool have come TO the conclusion that
even though Berehaven Harbor be com
pleted as projected in the Parliamentary
bin and the most Up-tO-date railroad con
nectiOns be made. and even though the
proposed rapid 25-knot feet be established.
yet after all Berehaven can be nothing
more than port OF call. and at the most
would take the place Of Queenstown, en-
route to Liverpool The reasons back Of
this conclusion seem 70 be sound. and
may be stated briefly as follows:
4 The terminus Of a steamship line
should be within easy reach Of the OBJ
jective point Of passengers. Berehaven
does not meet this condition precedent
Ehe objective point OF most trlns-Atlan-
tic passengers is London or he Cont
nent- In order to reach either point pas
seugers who disembarked at Berehaven
would have TO make an additional change
TO cross the Irish Sea
- It is necessary for terminus Of
transatlantic line. both on the European
and American side, 70 be convenient for
the rapid and cheap distribution Of car
pared with the rest q the British Isles.
IS small and indeed decreasing. and very
little Of American cargCes have Irish
points as their ultimate destinations, and
Ircland's exports TO America are but
small The tTans-shipment OF cargo
which would be necessary with Berehaven
as the eastern steamship terminus seems
10 put that place out Of the question.
g AS a transatlantic shipping termi-
nus, Berehaven would be under the great
disadvantage Of having 20 bring coal from
a considerable distance fWaies being the
nearest pOlnDs there would be lacking an
ample supply Of Seamen from whom 20
be much more costly than from, say,
Southampton or Liverpool
Possibly Berehaven might become
rival OF queenstown as port OF call. but
even that is doubtful Not only would
several million dollars be required to con-
struct the necessary piers and Wharves
at Berehaven. but the place at present is
entirely lacking IN railroad connection
The promoters Of the Berehaven scheme
bring forward, as against Queenstown as
port Of call the conceded objection that
TUE glel Moor =fr
ship by tender. II Is true also that some
times communication cannot be had at
Queenstown. when the weather Is very
rough, and accounts agree that Berehaven
HarbOr would be available at all times:
but the Liverpool steamship people say
that II is very doubtful whether II would
pay in a commercial sense 10 adopt the
Eerehaven scheme. as against the present
facilities at Queenstown, for the reason
that. comparatively, but few passengers
embark or c'senbark az Queenstown, and
they argue that not many more would
utilize Berehayel.
while Liverpool shipping and CONNER
cial interests do not fear that Berehaven,
or any other port on the west or south
west coast Of Ireland can become a ri
val OF Liverpool. there is much speCula-
ton and some uneasiness as to the future
of the transatlantic trade. In this con-
nectiOn. the press and the public seem
10 be more apprehensiye than the man
ayers OF the steamship lines. There Is IN
doubleday IN Liverpool deep-seated pop
ular fear that the British steamship lines
and reference Is more particularly made
TO the Liverpool llncs-may be OutdOne by
American and German enterprise. A
great deal Of apprehension exists among
the British public as 20 the possible COM
petition through the inevitable develop
ment Of the American mercantile marine.
and there IS keen disappointment at the
failure so far Of the Liverpool companies
70 wrest the Atlantic blue ribbon from
Germany Here. one meets a sharply de
fined difference Of views.
The popular demand Is for the con-
struCtiOn OF vessels that VIII not only ex-
eel IN size the Deutschland and Kaiser
Wilhelm der Crosse, but also Surpass
them IN speed. The Liverpool steamship
managers profess TO believe that under
present conditions, the limit Of speed has
been practically reached. from the stand
point Of commercial success The claim
IS made that II would not pay 10 build
faster ships than those now running be
tween New York and Liverpool. The pO-
sitiOn Of the Liverpool shipOwuers seems
to be that at present the best policy IS
only fairly great speed. and to await de
velopments. limitations are made that
future competition Will be duly met. and
a keen watch Is being kept on rival en-
terprises- II is very difficult 10 obtain
reliable information as TO the intentions
Of the large British shipOwners. the poll
cy Of each company evidently being not
TO show it's hand There are rumOrs
that the Liverpool lines are awaiting the
results OF the experiments that are being
If these prove successful vessels viii be
built for the Atlantic service Of greater
size and speed than any now sailing"
SPANS SILK CROP IN DANGER.
The Total Product for the Year Does
Not Reach SsOJ.OO0.