1840.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



361 



modation of passengers or merchandize. From this time operations ^\ere 

 commenced, anil on the -Ith of April. 1838, the first experiment was tried. 

 You are all acqnainted, gentlemen, with the result. You all heheld the en- 

 thusiasm e.\cited by the success of the voyage undertaken by the Sirius, 15 

 days had been sufficient for its passage. Scarcely had this vessel arrived in 

 the port of >'ew York, when it was joined by tlie Great AVesteni, which 

 started from Bristol on the 8th of the same month, after a passage of 14 

 days.* 



Henceforth the problem was solved. America was nearer the European 

 continent by half the distance which formerly separated them. There could 

 be no more doubt concerning it ; the events which have since occurred have 

 ratified these first expectations. 



The Great Western has crossed the .\tlantic 28 times during the period of 

 the 14 months just elapsed without accident, maintaining an almost uniform 

 speed, of which the average time was 16 days going, and 13 to 14 days 

 coming back: the last voyage was even accomplished in ll.V days. 



During two years since tliey began their operations, with what strides 

 have tlie English advanced ? 



A first line from Bristol to New York was established in 1S3S. The com- 

 pany to whom it belongs has four steamers of 450 horse-power — namely, the 

 Sirius, the Great Western, the Royal William, and the Liverpool. The price 

 of each of these boats is l,300,000f. It is said that they now are building an 

 iron steamer, which is to carry two engines, whose united powers will amount 

 to 1,000 horses. These engines were constructed on the plan of Mr. Hum- 

 phrevs ; the boat will only be 100 meters in lengtli, and will have room for 

 300 passengers, and a considerable quantity of merchandise. The works are 

 in active continuation, and will be terminated, according to appearances, in 

 the course of the year 1841. 



Another line was established for the service of London and New York. Two 

 vessels were emi)loyed on it — the British Queen and the President ; the engine 

 of the British Queen was of 500 horse-power, that of the President GOO ; they 

 can aecommodate from 225 to 250 jiassengers, and receive a load of from 

 500 to COO tons. A third hue connects New fork to Liverpool, so that there 

 are already three establishments sending steam-vessels from different parts of 

 Great Britain to the L'nited States. 



Moreover, a compact was sealed on the 4th of July, 1839, between the 

 Admiralty and Mr. Samuel Cunard for the transit of letters from Liverpool 

 to Halifax. Mr. Cunard has engaged that there should be two departures 

 per month, and receives from the Government an annual remuneration of 

 l,500,000f. The Britannia, of 450 horse-power, was launched into the sea 

 in the beginning of February, 1839. 



Lastly, a more extensive service will soon connect Great Britain with the 

 West India islands : there is a company in existence under the name of the 

 Royal Steam Navigation Company, which is preparing vessels for New Orleans, 

 Mexico, and part of the South .American coast. This comjiany the Govern- 

 ment indemnifies by an annual payment of 6,000,000f. 



You must all perceive, gentlemen, that we must not delay entering into the 

 lists, for we are urged on by competition from every quarter, and the appear- 

 ance of English steamers on everj' point of the New World to the exclusion 

 of our own would soon banish us from those regions. 



However serious the character of these motives, gentlemen, they are, liow- 

 ever, secondary when compared to a consideration which we will not endea- 

 vour to conceal. The navy is a weapon, and one wliich to all appearances is 

 destined to play an important part in the conflicts which a future day may 

 bring to light. Attempting to foretell what consequences may be reserved 

 for a future period by the introduction of steam in constructing ships of war 

 would be presumptuous ; it is a question of entirely recent origin ; experi- 

 ments witli regard to it are in their infancy. It is, however, already dis- 

 cernible that the use of new motors will infallibly produce the following 

 eflTects ; — In the first place, it will render every vessel in similar conditions 

 equally supple and tractable, by whatever men she may be manned. It will 

 be sutiicient to have able engineers in order to effect manoeuvres with a facility 

 and precision as entirely independent of the state of the sea as of the greater 

 or less aptitude of the sadors. 



Secondly, the number and proportion of the men required for the perform- 

 ance of the ship's duty would be entirely changed. The Great Western, whose 

 form and dimensions are nearly those of an ordinary frigate, is conducted by 

 50 men, including engineers and stokers. Now, if it be true that the naval 

 enrolment of France is incompetent to supply all its necessities, this incon- 

 venience will vaidsh ; and the more so, because the zone in which we shall 

 be able to find men fit for the service will be extended. 



Lastly, the draught of water occasioned by a steamer depends upon its 

 power ; but for all it is less than that of sliips of war. Whence it follows, 

 that instead of the five or six ports to which our vessels and frigates can re- 

 sort, steam-boats will be able to cast anchor oft' any coast, and, so to speak, 

 in any bay. 



Thus the new vessels provided with a good engine will be swiff, will offer 



" The length of this bnat is 236 feet, its depth 23 feet 3 inches, its width 

 outside the pa.ldle boxes 58 feet 4 inches, draught corresponding to the load. 

 16 feet, tonnage I.S'IO tons. The engines are so constructed as to diminish 

 the consumption of steam and fuel. It is said that tliey consume .33 tons of 

 coal a day. The total cost of the vessel \\hen it was launched was 55,000/. ; 

 since that time improvements have been effected in it which have amounted 

 to 15.0C0/. It carries 700 tons o' gojds. 135 passengers. I'lic rest represents 

 the weight of the engine, the boilers, and the waterl 



less hold to the enemy, will have a greater number of safe harbours to resort 

 to, will require a less numerous crew, and require less previous apprenticeship 

 than in sailing vessels. This will evidently become a new weapon ; and if 

 these ships carry guns for the discharge of bombs of a recent invention, whose 

 efi'ect is such that at one discharge they are capable of disabling the largest 

 craft, they will become a weapon at once easy of management, safe, and of 

 the most destructive nature. Is there not wherewithal here to change the 

 whole direction of naval tactics, all the jiroportions existing between the 

 powers of nations .' Here is an entire revolution. Slow or fast, partial or 

 complete, this revolution will ensue. Now, with the examjde given us by a 

 Government whose energetical endeavours are dedicated to the contiiuied in- 

 crease of its naval resources, when we see Great Britain during two years 

 continually nuiltiplying, at the cost of such enormous sacrifices, its steam 

 navigation, and finding in the gigantic establishments of its industry those in- 

 exhaustible resources of which we are deprived, would it be wise, would it be 

 prudent to ^bufinne our materiel in its present state, to abstain from making 

 some progress in the new career which has been traced out to us .- Un- 

 doubtedly we do not indidge in the chimera that our country can ever equal 

 the English in their naval establishment. The strength of tlie British nation 

 rests eutirely on its foreign trade ; they arc an exclusively seafaring nation. 

 .\ll the springs of its prosperity are there ; it drags after it tliat colossal 

 superiority which constituted at once its greatness and its peril. The condi- 

 tions of existence in which France is situated are difli'erent ; but the extent of 

 its coast, its position, the genius of a portion of its inhabitants, compel it to 

 possess a navy, and in that case it is becoming that, wherever she may be 

 pleased to hoist her flag, she may be enabled to assemble and display a suffi- 

 cient force in order to insure resjject. Without this she could never effectually 

 protect her national interests l)eyond the seas.* 



The construction of steam-boats for transatlantic voyages presents, then, a 

 double object to our view. Applied, in time of peace, to the growth and 

 preservation of our commerce, they may be transformed, during hostilities, 

 into ships of war; they may assume, in turn, the double character of a de- 

 fensive wea])on and of a means of conveyance — of a commercial and of a 

 military navy; to-day they may carry merchandise, and when requisite guns 



STE.AM PAC'KF/l'S TO CONVFA' THE MAILS BETWEEN FRANCE 

 AND AMERICA. 



We, Louis Philippe, King of the French, have proposed, the Chambers 

 have adopted, we have ordered and do order the follow ing : — 



Article], A line of steam-packets shall be established in order to convey 

 the mails between the ports of Havre and New York. 



Tlie Minister of Finance is authorized to treat, within the space of three 

 months, »ith a commercial company who will undertake the service, on con- 

 dition that they receive in payment an aniui»l fee not exceeding 8S0f. per 

 horse power. The number of steam-packets to be employed in the service of 

 this line shall be three at the least, or five at the most ; each packet to be 

 propelled by en;;ines of -t.^O horse power. 



A list of conditions, to be drawn out by the administration, will determine 

 the times of departure, the number of passengers, and every detail re'ative to 

 tlie service of this line. 



2. Two principal lines of communication shall be established by the Go- 

 vernment, in order to convey the mails between France and America, and 

 served by steam-packets of 450 horse power, one starting from Bordeaux 

 every 20 days, and from Marseilles every month, in order to arrive at Mar- 

 tinique, and continuing: by Guadaloiipe. St. Thomas's, Porto Rico, Cape 

 Hayti, and St. Jago, to Havannali ; the other starting from St. Nazaire every 

 month to Rio Janeiro, passing by Lisbon, Goree, Pernambuco, and Bahia. 

 Three secondary lines, served by steamers of 220 horse power, will be esta- 

 lilished in order to continue the principal lines, the first to Mexico, touching 

 at Vera Crux. Tampico. Galveston, and New Orleans ; the second to Central 

 America, touching at Chagres, Carthagena, Santa Martha, and La Gnayra ; 

 the third to Montevideo and Buenos Ayres. 



To effect tiiis a special credit has been opened to the Minister of the Navy, 

 to the amount of 28,400, OOOf'., to be devoted to the construction, arming, and 

 fitting up of 14 steam-packets of 4.50 horse powtr. and 4 sleam-p'ickels of 

 220 horse pow er. and w liich is to be appropriated to the expenditures of 1840, 

 1841, 1842, and 1843, 



From the total sum of 28,400,000f. a grant is made to the Minister of the 

 Navy — 



Francs. 



1. For the year 1840. of 5,000.000 



2. For the year 1841, of 10,000,000 



Total 15,000.000 



3. The steam-boats belonging to the Government shall be constructed so 

 as to enable them, in case of necessity, to carry guns, and when performing 

 the duty of packets to carry merchand se. 



In the latter case the Government may either intrust them to the command 

 of officers of the Royal navy or to sea-captains, w hichever, in the interest of 

 the service, it considers preferaljle. 



4. When the command is intrusted to officers of the Royal navy, an agent 

 commissioned by the adminis;ration shall be placed on board, and specially 



* England had, in 1831, 840 commercial steam-boats, representing alto- 

 gether 64,700 horse power. Besides which, the English Admiralty possesses 

 66 vessels, whose powers amount to nearly 9,400 horses, w bile in France we 

 reckon only 640 commercial sle-imers, and 38 belonging to Government. 



