The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1911-04-06
CANADIAN PACIFIC
OWNS MANY SHIPS

OWNS MANY SHIPS
The fleet of the Canadian Pacific
Railway consists of sixty-seven steam
ships of twenty different types. If all
| these ships were placed in single line
they would extend for a distance of
three and half miles. Twelve thous-
and men are required as crews and
above stats to care for the transporta
| tion of the immense amount of freight, |
and the large number of passengers |
which they carry.
The amount would require about five |
trains of fifteen cars each to transport. |
The total distance Travelled by these |
ships on their ordinary schedules per
year equals ffty-seven times around |
the world.
The supplies used on these ships per
month are enormous, most Of which |
are purchased in the Canadian market. |
The history of the Canadian Pacific
Railway Company, as, steamship |
owners, dates back for more than
quarter of a century, for it was early |
in 1883 that the Company contracted |
on the Clyde for the construction of |
three steel screw steamships, the
"Algoma, " alberta, " and the "Atha-
baska," for service on the Great |
Lakes, between Owen Sound, Port |
Arthur, and Fort William. This was
made necessary by the difficulties
encountered. and consequent delay |
entaled, in the completion Of that |
scenic section OF the main line. which |
stretches along the north shore of |
Lake Superior. The inauguration of |
this service across the Great Lakes, |
which is still one of the most popular |
and profitable of the many ramitica-
tions Of the Canadian Pacific Railway
marked a distinct step towards the |
completion of that great highway |
across the Dominion. which has proved |
such an important factor IN binding |
together the Canadian provinces as
nation. The "Algoma" was replaced |
in 1889 by the Manitoba" and in 1907 |
were added to this service the magniti-
cent Clyde built steamships the ASST
nlboia" and "Keewatin.
Following the completion from ocean
to ocean of the main line Of the Can
adian Pacific Railway in 1885, came the
problem of finding east bound traffic
for the road, in order to avoid hauling |
empty cars over the mountain ranges
lying between the Pacific Coast and the
already productive cattle ranges and
wheat fields of Western Canada. The |
possibilities of attracting a portion of
the traffic of China and Japan, from
the Suez Canal to the Canadian Pacific
route, appealed to the management,
and resulted in the establishment, in
1887, of the trans-Pacific service with !
the chartered steamships Batavia"
''Parthia," and "Abyssinia. " They |
remained on the route until 1891, and
were replaced by the worldrenowned
Empress" of India" Japan, and
"China," which at that time set a
mark for comfort, safety, regularity
of service, that has scarcely been
equaled, and never surpassed in the
history of ocean travel.
The car ferries "Ontaria, and
Michigan" (very appropriately
named), were built and put into SER
vice between Windsor, Ontario, and
Detroit, Michigan, in 1890, at which
time the Canadian Pacific Railway first
became factor in the great traffic
between Chicago, the Western States,
and the Atlantic seaboard.
The next move in the expansion of
the Canadian Pacific Railway Com
pany's steam navigation interests
came in 1896, when the approaching |
completion of the Crows Nest branch,
and the growing traffic of the KOote-
nay, Columbia River, and Okanagan
Districts. led to the acquisition of the
Columbia and Kootenay Navigation
Co., with its fleet of stern wheel
steamers. tugs, and car barges. These
have since been added to and improved |
until the British Columbia Lake and
River service of the Canadian Pacific
Railway is not only popular with the
travelling public, but it is an alternative
link in its transcontinental chain. In
1897 came the Klondyke rush and the
urgent necessity for providing accom-
mediation from Vancouver and Victoria
up to SkagWay, and the gold fields, for
the rush of prcspectors. To secure "a
portion of this business led to the
purchase of the steamships Tartar, "
and Athenian, for this service. These
two vessels were afterwards trans
ferred to the trans-Pacific service, and
were replaced by some of the vessels
of the Canadian Pacific Railway Com
pany, n-l903, and is now known as the
British Columbia Coast Service. The
ships of the fleet cover the coast from
Seattle to Skagway, and are sometimes
known as the Princess" fleet. The
best known of these ships are the
'Princess Charlotte" and princess
Victoria" These magnificent steam
ships perform service that is without |
a parallel in the history of steam navi-
cation; that is the triangular rule run
between Vancouver, Victoria, and |
Seattle, and return every twenty-four
hours, a distance of 339 miles, and |
make three stops of approximately two
hours each. At each stop they take on
board an entirely new set of passen-
gers, and the ship is cleaned. coaled,
watered, and provisioned, all in the
short time between speeding the part
ing and welcoming the incoming
guests. This exacting series they
perform week after week, day in and |
day out, with remarkable regularity.
In 1903 the Canadian Pacific Railway
bought from the Elder Dempster & Co.
fifteen of their largest and best steam
ships, and established the Atlantic
services to Liverpool, Bristol (Avon-
MOUTH and London. The following
year the London service was extended
to include the port of Antwerp,
resulting in the building up of large
trade with the latter part, both in
cargo and passengers.
The year 1906 marked the establish
ment of the service between Quebec
and Liverpool bV the superb "Emn-