The Washington herald., 1909-07-18

but long before she is launched the pres
ent administration viii have arranged
to ofer ber the Inequalities Of the port
in the way Of g comfortable an5 adequate
berth Docks capable Of accommodating
such sea monsters are now being cor
structed.
No man can say where the line IS 70
be drawn il the matter OF size IL steam
ships As they grow longer, they grow
deeper. ard the great harbor Of NeW
YORK is constantly being dredged 10
greater depths. The great decks. sup
plementing the Chelses Improvement
n0w in course Of construction. VIII be
a thousand feet in length and viii rep
resent the last word IN dock building
Of this era They VIII serve es an IL
deX pointing 20 New York as the frst
port ia the world.
The Mayor might nave told the story
of the New England Navigation Com
pauy as q transportation organization IN
which IS incorporated the story of steam
navigation on Long Island Sound. The
history OF one Is the chronicle Of the
other, so closely interviewer are their
records Of events. IL is q story full Of
romantic and human interest
Under the operation Of this extensive
company are the Fail River Line. the
Providence Lane. the New Bedford Line,
the Norwich Line. the New London
Line, the New Haven Line. the Bridge
port Line and the Boston Merchants
Line.
The steam vessel 10 navigate the
waters Of Long Island Sound was the
steamboat Fulton, which had been builI
by Robert Fulton in 1914 and placed in
service OF the Hudson River between
New York and Albany. The Fulton
WIS the last Of the steamboats, whose
construction 9Ir Fulton personally
supervised. IN March. 1915. the Fulton
ventured from New York upon a voyage
upon Long Island sound Her destina-
ton was New Haven, Connecticut, and
The passage was made in Il hours.
Tne description Of this voyage IN the
New York Evening Post OF that period
Is interesting N It's naivete and in light
OF the recent development Of the steam
boat. The Post said:
The steamboat Fulton commenced
her trip from New York 10 New Haven
on Tuesday last a little after > in the
morning and arrived ar New Haven az
half past 4 II the afternoon, having
completed her passage n G little more
than II hours. From the performance
Of the boat al this tine il may be con
cluded that she viii not often. II ever
agEllr De so long on ler route Ine
machinery had not been tried since last
season. and was not IN perfect order
Some alterations had been made in the
boiler. which rendered Il also IN some
measure imperfect. she having been
obliged 70 supply herself with such wood
as the New York market offered II the
opening Of Spring. II was the worst
kind and the least calculated 10 afford
the necessary supply Of steam Yet IN
der al Disadvantages the boat COM
pleted the voyage at the tine mentioned
without any aid from sails.
I'VE have been assured that this
establishment (the Fultonl has cost $50
COO, and we believe il may with truth
be affirmed thar there is not in the
whole world such accommodation af0at
as the Fulton affords Indeed il is
hardly possible 10 conceive Chat anything
Of the kind can exceed her in elegance
and convenience"
If the then editor Of the Evening
Post were here to-day and could 20
aboard the ocean steamship George
Washington, for instance. how be would
starei Ninety thousand dollars is fre-
quently expended nowadays on q motor
boat, and as a price for a modern yacht
il is a mere bagatelle.
For 4 brief period the Fulton Piled