The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-05-26

4,dU0. Charles DiokenB made ms 1rst Nlsit
to this country on this Icsael and described
the passage in his American Notes
Builders then tried 10 Guido each other
In the size Of the vessels they turned out
and many costly experiments were made.
The Cunard Line was established, and the
early vessels Of this line were similar In
type to the Great Western, being about $50
feet long and having side wheels, which
grew in size with each ship, and fitted with
masts on which sails were carried az nuxil-
iaries to the steam.
Builders experiiLented with iron vessels
and several ANAL ones we're constructed.
and they were successful. Experiments
were made too with screw propulsion.
The Cunard Line was followed by the
Collins Line and the Inman Line, and in
| 1850 the New York and Havre Steamship
Company and the Vanderbilt Line were
established. The last paddle wheel steamer
10 10 built was the Scotia, which was
launched for the Cunard company In 1891.
While vessels were being developed for
the Atlantic service on both sides OF the
ocean the British were active with vessels
for trade on the Pacific and other waters
and the types built were in a way very
similar 20 those built for the Atlantic SER
vice. but all the vessels were Of moderate
size and used sails as auKiliaries to their
engines.
1t was the Atlantic service that did most
to develop the steamship. though, and soon
builders made big jumps in size and power.
The Great Britain came out in 1912. She
was then termed "a huge leviathan.'
Her total length was 500 feet. beam 81 feet,
depth 81 feet, draught 10 feet and tonnage
measurement, S,44s tons. She carried 100
tons of GOAL and her engines developed
1900 horsepower.
The hull was built OF iron. She wal
rugged with five masts and was driven by
a screw propeller.
The Great Britain crossed in ls45 in II
days 81 hours, averaging l2M knots. She
was improved, made two more voyages
and then stranded on the Isle OF Man. She
was not injured much, but put her hackers
in financial difficulties, n later she was
put on the Australian service. Then abe
was changed to a sailing ship and was
finally stranded in 1885 at the Falkland
Islands and was broken up.
In lS4e the Arctic OF the Collins Line was
built. She was 2s2 feet long, 50 feet depth,
IS feet beam and 20 feet draught. TbiE line
soon had a good feet Of vessels. but was
unfortunate. In 1884 the French steamer
Vesta ran into the Arctic in q fog of Cape
Race and only forty-six persons out OF
26S were saved.
The Pacific OF this line left Liverpool In
1856 and was never heard Of again. The
Adriatio was built and she was a finer ship
than any yet built. but the losses of the line
ruined 1t.
The Great Eastern was a vessel built long
before her time. She was too large and in
trying to combine sailing, paddle wheels
and screw %propellers she proved a costly
failure.
She was started in 1852, and her dimen-
sions were $50 feet long, SO feet beam, or
1Is feet over the pASdle boxes, and $4,000
tons displacement. She was the largest
vessel ever built until the Celtic came out
in 1901.
She could carry 1000 passengers, 1900
tons OF fuel and 5000 tons OF merchandise.
The screw engines indicated 1000 horse
power and the paddle engines $500 horse
power.
She was launched in 1858 and made a trip
to this port in 1859, A year after this she
was laid up and was later used as an exhibit
on the Mersey and some years later broken
up. 81 8
In 1870 the White Star Line. then known
as the Oceanic Company, brought out the
Britannia and Germanic. two vessels
4cs feet long built Of iron and fitted with
compound engines driving screws. h
day Of the paddle wheel except for shoal
draught waters had gone.
These engines developed 5000 horse
power and the vessels carried 220 ABR n
100 steerage passengers and $50 In the
crew. Their voyages took about eight days
ten hours.
Since then improvements have been
made steadily in ocean vessels, and now the
huge floating hotels built Of steel with
engines OF from rs 900 to 10000 horsepower
can cross the ocean in five days, and to do
this they consume as much as / 900 ton Of
coal a day.