The fast steamships are provided with enormous refrigerators for
carrying dressed beef and mutton. The temperature is kept at about 30
degrees. Fruits, vegetables, butter, cheese, and bacon are shipped in
large quantities in summer, and apples, oranges, oysters, and hops
are sent over in the winter. Space is always reserved for the various
European express companies.
Next to the ocean greyhound comes a class of steamships requiring from
7 to 8 days to cross the Atlantic, and having accommodation for from
800 to 1,000 passengers of all classes, and from 2,000 to 5,000 tons
of freight. Both passenger and freight rates are slightly less than
on the greyhounds, a preference being given to the latter at certain
times, according to the condition of the market. The slower ships are
patronized by people to whom the saving of a few dollars is an object,
and by some who enjoy the ocean trip too much to be in a hurry about
landing, and by others who imagine all sorts of dreadful things are
going to happen to the racers. The class of freight carried varies
but little from the faster ships, except that the mails, specie, and
express goods are usually lacking. Cotton, tobacco, and merchandise,
including manufactured goods and machinery, form the bulk of the
general cargo.
The next grade of steamship is the new type, called the freighter.
It is the result of the tendency to build express ships, and its
object is to accommodate the freight which is crowded out by the speed
requirements. These ships combine enormous freight capacity with a high
rate of speed and minimum coal consumption. They have reduced the time
of freighters between New York and Liverpool from 16 to 10 days without
materially increasing the rate of freight. They carry heavy goods of
all kinds to the amount of 5,000 tons, and from 600 to 800 head of
cattle. To this class belong the four new White Star ships, the Tauric,
the Nomadic—both of which have twin screws—the Runic, and the Cufic;
also the Europe and America, of the National line.
The Nomadic has the record of carrying the largest amount of freight
in one trip. In August, 1891, she carried 9,591 tons, including coal
necessary for the voyage. The America, of the National line, left the
port of New York, March 17, 1891, with 8,577 tons, including her coal,
which was the largest cargo on record at that time, and until surpassed
by the Nomadic. The England, also of the National line, carried 1,022
head of cattle from this port on September 18, 1889. This is the
largest cargo of cattle ever carried by any ship.
Just previous to the heavy duty on tin-plate going into effect on July
1, 1891, the Cufic brought the largest cargo of tin-plate on record,
being 76,529 boxes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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