Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-05-16
PLAN AMERICAN
LINE FOR PANAMA
Three Ships Being Built for Di
rect Service between New
York and Frisco.

New York. May 1.-THE FIRST American
steamship company to be formed for the
purpose Of maintaining a direct service
between New York and San Francisco
by way Of the Panama canal has just
been Incorporated In Delaware
! In the name OF the American Trans
portation company, three American
built steel steamships. to be ready for
service by September this year. have
been contracted for and are being built
at Detroit. These vessels are to DO used
exclusively for freight and will have "A
capacity OF 4,1dO tons each on draft of
about "A feet. They are 20 be Sl feet
long, 43 feet s Inches beam and rs feet
depth.
Every modern Improvement for freight
| handling and transportation will he ON
ployed In their construction and they will
| have three ports on each side leading into
the between decks. four large matches
and four booms at each hatch with 4
lifting capacity OF six tons ecah
FITTED TO BURN OIL OR COAL.
They will also have n special boom
capa BILE of lifting 80 tons. In addition
the steamers will be fitted to burn either
coal or oil fuel.
u. II. f. Jones, president Of the com
pany and general manager for James
w. Elwell & Co.. - already a number
of vessels at his command and three new
steamers which will fly the American flag,
he said yesterday. will be but the ad-
vance guard of fleet of passenger vessels
that his company intends to build
THE tremendous commercial value to
l. nf ha ~ no pa , mi
canal is "a fact that shipping interests
cannot afford to overlook" he said last
night. II am confident that 1t means the
beginning Of a new era In the shipping
world and perhaps the establishment OF a
real American merchant marine.
MORE LINES TO BE ANNOUNCED.
while activity in organizing new
steamship lines to the Pacific coast by
way Of the canal apparently seems to
| be among foreign interests, there is
a quiet movement on foot among Amer
lean shippers and many more services,
both freight and passenger will soon be
announced
The firm Of E,1well & Co. has for years
been in the freight and passenger bust
ness and has been extending its opera
tons This new departure Is merely the
forerunner of a fleet OF passenger YES.
sells that we shall operate II the canal
trade justifes It. steamship route
from New York to San Francisco Is the
logical outcome OF the opening of the
| Panama canal"
MANY GERMAN SHIPS BUILDING.
! Mr.. Jones said he could not state where
| the passenger steamers would be built,
| although It Is certain the work will be
| done in American yards. He added that
the new line might later be extended to
Tacoma.
1t was learned yesterday that the North
German Lloyd company has decided to
encroach on the West Indian and canal
tourist trade. field al present in the
hands OF its competitors. the Hamburg
American and the Royal Mail compa MES.
The ocean liner Grosser Kurfurst Is be.
irg fitted for tropical cruises and will en-
ter the trade next spring.
The North German Lloyd also an
nounces the building of IL new vessels,
some Of which are destined for the South
American trade and others for a new line
plying between Bremen and San Fran
cisco by way of the canal