The Detroit times., 1914-05-18

Seattle 10 Hampton Roads 1900 lOl
Best hours run. IA miles best days
run 80 miles best week or six days,
1875 miles
These are all good runs, some of
them very fast. and the 81 days pas
sage from Norfolk TO Honolulu, $4,000
miles, beats anything heard OF in
recent years. although there are some
very fast ships under the French
British and German flags. whose pas
sares are seldom reported on this
side. But the claim is set up that
the performances OF the Erskine NJ
Phelps have never been equalled, and
that claim will astonish any one who
is az all acquainted with the records
OF the famous clippers that sailed
under the American flag in the days
before the war"
Those who believe that this world is
rushing too fast would be surprised to
learn from the records OF some Of the
famous clippers OF New York and
Boston and Baltimore that the steam
ships of the present are but a shade
ahead OF them in the matter Of speed
II would not take long to count the
express steamers that can make more
than twenty knots an hour, while the
maintain more than eighteen-except
on paper Not a few clipper ships
logged as high is sixteen and over
The log OF the famous DreadnaugGt
OF New York showed this speed sew
eral times during her remarkable pas
sage I'm 1865 from Sandy Hook to
Queenstown, a distance OF l,760 miles,
in nine days and seventeen hours
Eleven knots and fraction was her
average for each hour OF the time.
The Flying Cloud OF an earlier gen
GRAFTON. on the authority or Maury,
is credited with a run in one day,
from noon TO noon, OF 1872 statute
miles There is no authentic record
oxtant OF her performances prior 10
1851. in which she made the run re-
ferred TO. IL was on a passage from
New York TO San Francisco. covering
distance OF 1850 miles and consum-
ing eighty-nine days and eighteen
hours such passages make the blood
tingle when the meaning il under
stood.
Homeward or outward bound. IL
was all the same canvas and more
canvas and all hands standing by.
waiting for something TO part com
pany. II may have been reckless
work according TO the ideas OF own
ers and masters OF today, but the
thoroughbreds were built for &C.
TIE shippers OF the clippers, besides
the pride they had I'm their craft to
strive 20 be first enjoyed substantial
inducements to run risks and take
every chance 10 make a quick pas
saup Owners held out prizps that
were as high I'm some instances as a
ton for the first cargo OF tea or OF
Australian wool OF the year landed
I'm En GLAND. There are hut few lines
tha. now offer their captains more
than suit OF clothes.
4 glance al the record runs OF the
clippers shows what falling of
there has been in the speed OF sailing
craft since their time Nowadays yes
sels bound from the British Isles or
the Atlantic coast to San Francisco
make the passage In anywhere from
1870 20 $50. and sometimes 10 days.
Compare this with the Flying Clouds
marvellous work.
In 1851 the Sovereign OF the Seas
reached Sab Francisco from New
York In 1902 days. fourteen OF which
we're spent lying on Valparaiso.
where she ran into q gale that par.
italy dismasted her. After discharg-
ing AT San Francisco she sailed for
Honolulu and ran from that port 10
New YORK In lightweight DAYS with
ont starting a tack. 10. 10 consecutive
days she made 1900 miles. From New