Chapter XXIII.
Anglo-Canadian Steamship Companies.—Allan Line.—Canadian Pacific Railway Co.—Dominion Line.
Following the example of the Imperial Government the Government of Canada advertised in June, 1852, for tenders for the conveyance of mails between the United Kingdom and Quebec and Montreal in summer, and between the United Kingdom and Portland, Maine, in winter. The contract was secured by Messrs. McKean, McLarty and Lamont, of Liverpool, who formed a company, and despatched their first steamer, the Genova, a small vessel of 500 tons register, in the spring of 1853. The sailings were continued, but with no great regularity, for about eighteen months. In addition to the steamer named, the Cleopatra, of 1467 tons, the Ottawa, and two chartered steamers, one the Charity, built for the African Steamship Co., and the other the Canadian, chartered from Messrs. Allan Brothers, were engaged in the service. On the outbreak of the Crimean War the Ottawa and Charity were taken off the Canadian service for the conveyance of troops to the Crimea, and in 1855 the Cleopatra was despatched from London to Melbourne.
The Anglo-Canadian Mail Service proving unprofitable—a natural result from the way in which it was conducted—it was transferred to the Messrs. Allan, who undertook to build a fleet specially for this trade, and to maintain a fortnightly service to Quebec in summer, and a monthly service to Portland, Maine, in winter, for the annual subsidy of £24,000. The Allan mail service to Canada commenced in April, 1856. A weekly service was instituted in 1859, and has been continued until the present day. The first four steamers of the line were built by Messrs. Denny, Dumbarton, and one of them, the Anglo-Saxon, made a passage in nine days five hours—which was considered a record in those days. The Hibernian, built in 1861, was the first steamer in the Atlantic trade to have a spar deck, covering the main deck from stem to stern, affording shelter for the passengers in heavy weather, and found to be so advantageous that it has been adopted by all the other first-class Atlantic companies.
R.M.S. Tunisian. Allan Line.
The time on passage was further reduced by the Polynesian in 1872. On her first voyage this steamer made the passage between Quebec and Londonderry in seven days eighteen hours and fifty-five minutes.
In 1877 the Buenos Ayrean made her appearance. This vessel is remarkable as being the first Atlantic liner constructed of steel, the material of which all ocean-going steamers are now built.
In 1881 the Parisian was launched, a steamer which has always been a favourite on the route. She has accommodation for 200 first, 100 second, and 500 third-class passengers, and is popularly known as the “ladies’ ship,” a title bestowed upon her because she is credited with having carried a larger proportion of lady passengers than any other line. The three crack boats of the present fleet are the twin-screw steamers Bavarian, Tunisian, and Ionian. The first of these sailed on her maiden voyage to Canada in August, 1899, and she was followed by the Tunisian in April, 1900. The Ionian, the latest addition to the passenger fleet, is a twin-screw steamer of 9,000 tons. So far as outward appearance and internal arrangements go these are sister ships, though the Tunisian is 10,576 tons, against the 9,000 tons of the Ionian.
The dimensions of these magnificent steamships are as follows:—length 520 feet, beam 60 feet, and depth 43 feet.
All the passenger vessels of the Allan fleet are lighted by electricity, and they are being fitted with the Marconi system of wireless telegraphy.
The new ship (to be named the Victorian), now being built for the line in Belfast is to be supplied with Turbine Engines. She will be the first transatlantic liner to be fitted with marine engines of this type.
By its recent purchase (1903) from Messrs. Elder, Dempster and Co., of fifteen large and full-powered ocean steamships, the Canadian Pacific Railway Co. has placed itself in the front rank of steamship owners. Prior to this deal, it owned the steamers Alberta, Athabaska, Manitoba, Michigan, and Ontario, all of which plied on the great inland lakes of Canada as adjuncts to its train services. These steamers ranged from 498 tons net register to 2,768 tons.
In 1891, the Naval Construction and Armaments Co., at Barrow, built three magnificent mail and passenger steamers for the Canadian Pacific Railway. These steamers, the Empress of China, Empress of India, and Empress of Japan, are almost identical in measurement, capacity and speed. They are each 455 feet 6 inches in length; 51 feet 2 inches beam; and 33 feet 1 inch depth of hold. They are propelled by twin screws driven by a pair of triple expansion engines of 1,167 horse power. These three steamers have maintained since 1891, a regular mail service between Vancouver, B.C., the Pacific terminus of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and Japan and China.
The steamers Tartar and Athenian, two smaller and less powerful boats are despatched, as intermediate steamers, at regular intervals.
From Liverpool to Hong Kong—over sea and over land—the Canadian Pacific Railway Co. stretches a long unbroken line nearly 12,000 miles in length.
In 1870 Messrs. Flinn, Main & Montgomery despatched the St. Louis from Liverpool to New Orleans. She was the pioneer steamer of a Company promoted by the firm named for the purpose of trading between Liverpool and New Orleans, and called the Liverpool and Mississippi Steamship Co. The views of the promoters becoming enlarged, they changed the name of the Company in 1872 to the Mississippi and Dominion Steamship Co., and entered into the Canadian trade. For many years the steamers of the Line sailed only between Liverpool and Quebec and Montreal, but about 1891 a second service was established, with sailings to and from Bristol and the ports on the St. Lawrence.
In 1894 Messrs. Flinn, Main & Montgomery retired, and the two sections of the business were taken over—the Liverpool service by Messrs. Richards, Mills & Co., and the Bristol service by Messrs. Elder, Dempster & Co.; the former continued to be known as the “Dominion Line,” but the latter service was merged into the Beaver Line, and as such formed part of the fleet purchased by the Canadian Pacific Railway Co., referred to in a preceding paragraph.
In 1902 the Dominion Line was acquired by the American Shipping Combine, and in October, 1903, a further change was made by the transference of the latest and best steamers of the fleet to the White Star flag.
