The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1902-03-29
BILLIARDS. ON THE OCEAN.



coast the captain of the steamer which
leaves port carries with him the good
wishes and hopes of his fraternity.
He knows the gravity of the situation
and he conseryes his strength and en-
ergy by resting well before the biz
gard is met. Then he knows that he
must pit his skill and knowledge and
the power of his boat against the most
gigantic elemental forces that ever
combined for the destruction OF hui
man life.
The modern ocean greyhound burns
all the way from 200 to 500 tons OF coal
per day and the cost of fighting piiz-
card at sea is not an inconsiderable
factor to reckon with. The company
fully instructs its captains to make
speed in spite of the storm and only
to reduce the normal speed when the
limit of safety demands it, states the
Chicago Chronicle.
In the case of such steamers as the
Deutschland her 23-odd knots are only
maintained at an extreme expenditure
of money for coal. Most OF the steam
ers carry 1000, 1000 or 5000 tons OF
coal for the trip, and when they limp
into port after rough journey they
rarely have more than one-fifth or one
sixth of the reserve coal left in their
buukers. Delay is thus costly on ac-
count of the coal consumed and some
times it might prove absolutely dan
gerous.
The delay of day of such steamers
as the Deutschland, Oceanic or any OF
the similar large steamers would cost
in coal between 81 500 and $500. IN
der reduced speed the steamers would
consume less coal, but on the theory
that II costs less TO hurry through with
the trip the navigators hurl their tons
of iron and steel through the turbulent
sea at speed that seems almost IN
credible. The heaviest seas are IKE
the shock of an earthquake as they
strike against the big steamers, put
except for momentary hesitation the
vessel continues to worm its way
| through the mountain of water, forced
ever onward by the powerful revolu-
tiops of the screws that never cease
| in their work.
The coal expense of the Deutsch-
land for a single trip across the ocean
is roughly estimated at $4,000 when
the Journey is made in six days. The
hard driving to which she is subject
causes heavy depreciation in value, or
about ten per cent. on the first cost OF
So. 500. 900.
In times of severe billiards this
strain is much greater and the de-
probation may easily run as high as
Is and 20 per cent, even when she re
duces her speed to IS knots. II to
these two formidable items the wages
of the crew, cost of provisions, insur
ance and food for the passengers bt
added the cost Of the trip runs up t.
$4,000 for the six days, or nearly
/ $1,000 per day. This is approximatei.
4 what a blizzard would cost the owners
of the Deutschland, Oceanic or Kaiser
Wilhelm.
In the winter time these great trans
Atlantic liners never have paid, ant
when the ocean is disturbed by an un
usual number of billiards the loss TO
the season has sometimes been con
siderable. A crack racer like tn
Deutschland may earn unusually higl
rate of interest. on her investmen
during the few years she may hol'
the record, but after that period sh
becomes less popular and consequent
ly less profitable. In one trip las
summer the passenger fares of thi
steamer amounted to $4,000 and O.
the return trip $4,000. In that men
orable trip she made huge prof
for her owners, and dozen more jour
news were almost equally as profit
J able. But in the winter season tn
. profits will be nothing, and in man
cases heavy losses must be met.
There is scarcely blizzard on til
ocean which does not cause delays q
, accidents of some kind to a few of tn
transatlantic steamers, and this los
, equals in the aggregate hundreds {
thousands of dollars for some storm
The old losses of wrecked ships wei
, always made good by the marine il
surance companies, but the moder
losses from delays are rarely paid Il
, by any outside agent. They fall hea
: lily upon the ship companies who ope
: ate the craft.
s In the great blizzard of 1888 doze
steamers were delayed from one
/ five days, and these losses ran all Il
way up from $1,000 for the ordinaI
l tramp steamers to $1,000 and $50
l for the Etruria and Paris. Several
l the lesser vessels were delayed
much as a week in that blizzard al
their losses, though smaller per da
/ were correspondingly larger becau
| of the greater length of time on Il
ocean.
II 1t is pretty serious matter for
/ modern steamer to get lost in a bl
zard or to break any part of the m
l chinery. The number of actual wrec
4 of ocean steamers in billiards is real
l few and confined chiefly to coaste
of rather ancient build and patteI
/ but the losses through delays a
slight accidents are SO serious th
l steamship companies and marine ,
l chitects are making every effort
l eliminate the evil,
III The blizzard Isl stiil 9 formidal
4 - - 4 n