Semi-weekly herald., 1910-01-17
LUXURY OF OCEAN TRAVEL.

Nowhere has there been more re.
markable advance in the luxury. safe
ty and volume of travel than on the
Atlantic highway. Today we cross the
| ocean In floating hotels at the speed
OF. an express train and enjoy every
| conceivable refinement of equipment
and service. One may live in pri-
vate suite or enjoy a bewildering va
| riety of public parlors. lounging rooms
and sun parlors. and eat in any one
of half dozen dining rooms. break
fast rooms, grills or palm gardens
Last year Si.i93 first cabin passen-
gers and fl7.25l second cabin passen.
gers landed In New York, together
with 309.979 In the steerage, total
of 5ll ,633.
The great transatlantic steamers
seem today SO much matter of course
that the conditions In the ocean carry.
ing trade fifty years ago seem almost
incredible. In 1853 the sailing Of an
ocean steamship was an event. Guns
were fired by way of salute as she
passed down the harbor, which occur
red not more than once week. Last
year 1.0i9 regular passenger steam
ers entered New York harbor. an nv.
erage of three arrivals a day.
| The steerage of our modern ocean
steamers compare favorably with most
OF the first cabin accommodations of
steamers OF that day were considered
maryels. and were as much talked
about az are the four-day boats OF our
times. The Borussai OF the Hamburg.
American line was the crack boat OF
her day. She had registered horse
power of 1915 and carried crew of
sixty-seven In all. Her speed, helped
out with sails, was twelve knots She
carried "a first cabin passengers. 1856
second cabin and $40 in the steerage.
To the astonishment of the world she
reduced the time between the two
continents to sixteen days.
| 1t is interesting to turn from the
luxuries OF our modern floating palaces
to the meager accommodation Of half
a century since. and yet the cabins
of these liners made a great sensa
ton on both sides of the Atlantic
There were red velvet seats and gid
| ed frames and mirrors, according to
| tha old advertisements and avan Innd
scaDe paintings hung In the saloons
| One of the boasts of the best of the
liners was that every passenger would
be provided with bed or bunk for
age. Many passengers had heretofore
| slept in relays. The crowning luxury
OF the equipment. however, was the
fact that a steamer was equipped with
two bath rooms.
In this decade the time of crossing
| was further reduced to twelve days
and six hours, speed. at which many
shook their heads with misgivings. II
was not until nearly ten years later
| that the last of the sailing vessels
carrying regular passengers was re-
placed by steamships. The vessels OF
this day were built with flush decks
the upper deck extending over the
| entire length and breadth OF the ship
The older ships had open companion.
ways and high bulwarks on both sides
At this time the principal lines an
nounced regular monthly sailings.
The cabin rates fifty years ago In
| transatlantic travel have varied less
in half century than might. be imag'
| ined. A first cabin passage in the
old days cost from 500 to 500 and
| upward. There was but one cabin,
| the first, and then came the steerage
twenty-five years ago the first cabin
rate was about $50 to $50 and upward
The second cabin minimum was si5.
The minimum first cabin rate today is
about $50, and the second cabin $50
A comparison between the rates In
the past and those OF the slower boats
today Will show surprising similar
ity. incidentally the cost OF feeding
the passengers today. due to higher
prices and more elaborate tables, is
six times as great as 1t was nifty
years ago.
| The contrast in the conditions in
1859 and 1909 Is strikingly illustrated
in the two Cunard steamships OF both
periods. The crack English boat OF
her day was the Britannia. a wooden
paddle steamer. She had speed OF
S.5 knots an hour. 740 horse power,
and consumed 38 tons of coal per day,
which was considered a remarkable
fact. Contrast with this the Maure-
tania. with a speed OF more than 25
knots, thirty times the. tonnage. and
ninety times the power of the Brit
ANNA. and with more than 1000 tons
Of coal consumed = day.