The Inman and International Line.
This famous Line took its name from William Inman, a partner in the firm of Richardson Bros., Liverpool, in connection with whom he founded this steamship service in 1850, under the title of the Liverpool, New York and Philadelphia Steamship Company. The line began with only two steamers—the City of Glasgow and City of Manchester—both screw steamships, built by Messrs. Tod and McGregor, of Glasgow. These boats having proved successful and profitable, and especially popular with emigrants, their shipping port was changed from Philadelphia to New York in 1857. In the meantime a number of high-class steamers had been added to the fleet, each improving upon its predecessor, until the line became famous for speed and comfort. The City of Brussels, launched in 1869, was the first on the Atlantic to reduce the voyage to less than eight days. This fine ship came to grief through collision with another vessel off the mouth of the Mersey during a dense fog, January 7th, 1883. The Inman Line met with a number of other heavy losses. The City of Glasgow, with 480 persons on board, and the City of Boston both disappeared mysteriously in mid-ocean; the City of Montreal was burned at sea, but all hands were saved; the City of Washington and City of Philadelphia were wrecked on the coast of Nova Scotia; the first City of New York and the City of Chicago became total wrecks on the Irish coast, the one on Daunt’s Rock near Queenstown, the other on the Old Head of Kinsale in the same neighbourhood.
The City of Berlin, which came out in 1875, proved a great success, but later additions, culminating in the new City of New York and City of Paris, gained this line for a time undisputed supremacy. These twin-screw ships, built by J. & G. Thomson, of Glasgow, are over 500 feet in length, rated at 10,500 tons, and 18,000 indicated horse-power, and have developed a high rate of speed. The Paris, as she is now called, made her maiden trip in May, 1889, in 5 days, 22 hours, 50 minutes. Her fastest westward trip was made in October, 1892, viz., 5 days, 14 hours, 24 minutes—the fastest ever made up to that time. The New York for some time held the record for the fastest voyage from Southampton to Sandy Hook, made in September, 1894—6 days, 7 hours, 14 minutes. Both ships have met with mishaps: the New York, going east, had one of her engines disabled, but completed the voyage with the other, actually running 382 knots in one day with only one engine at work. The Paris had a much more alarming accident. The breaking of one of her main shafts set the engine a-racing, and before it could be stopped a rent was made in the ship’s hull, the longitudinal bulkhead separating the engine-rooms was broken and both engine-rooms were flooded. The other bulkheads, however, did their duty and kept her afloat until a passing steamer towed her into Queenstown, where the water was pumped out and she proceeded to Liverpool unassisted. Her escape from destruction was marvellous: as it was, the damage to the ship and machinery was enormous. On another occasion the same ship’s rudder became disabled in mid-ocean, but by means of her twin screws she was kept on her course and brought safely to port. Since then she has limped across the Atlantic with one engine, owing to a broken shaft.
“CITY OF PARIS”—HER TWIN SCREWS.
From “Our Ocean Railways.”
