Chapter X.
HOUSTON LINE.
This well-known line of steamers was established about a quarter of a century ago by the present senior partner of the firm, Mr. R. P. Houston, Member of Parliament for the Toxteth Division of Liverpool. Like many other undertakings which have grown to gigantic dimensions from small beginnings, this firm started in a modest manner with one small steamer. This was the steamer Athlete, followed in the year 1881 by a larger steamer, the Hercules, built by the Whitehaven Ship Building Co., and engined by Messrs. J. Jones & Sons, of Liverpool. She was a vessel of 742 tons net register, and 1,155 tons gross register, her principal dimensions being, length 212 feet, beam 34 feet and depth 16 feet 6 inches. Her engines, which were of 150 nominal horse-power, were compound. These two vessels were not engaged in any regular trade, but ran wherever profitable freights could be obtained, and chiefly to Java and Eastern ports. Becoming too small for Messrs. Houston’s requirements, they were sold. All the succeeding vessels of the fleet, of which there have been a great many, have been named after Greek mythological deities or Roman celebrities, each name beginning with the letter “H.”
Although already very busily engaged with large contracts for the conveyance of material to the Panama Canal Co., and the West African Co., Mr. Houston, believing there was ample room for a new line of steamers to the River Plate from Liverpool, decided to enter upon that trade in the year 1884. New steamers were designed and built specially for this trade, and so energetically and successfully was the trade worked that, although severe opposition was encountered at first from the existing lines, in a short time not only were Messrs. Houston’s steamers fully occupied, but many steamers had to be chartered to meet the rapidly increasing traffic, since which time the Houston Line has assumed very large proportions.
Hydaspes s.s. Houston Line.
The first steamer engaged in this trade was the Hermes, built on the Clyde in 1882, and engined by Messrs. J. Jones and Son, Liverpool. She was a much larger vessel than the Hercules, her gross register being 2,175 tons, and her principal dimensions 290 feet in length by 40 feet beam and 22 feet depth.
After a short interval more steamers, each of about 2,000 tons gross, were added to the fleet in 1884. These were the Hellenes, built by Richardson, Duck & Co., and engined by G. Clark, of Sunderland—length 270 feet, beam 40 feet, and depth 18 feet 7 inches; and the Hesperides, built by R. & J. Evans & Co., and engined by George Forrester & Co., Liverpool—length 286 feet, beam 38 feet, and depth 24 feet. The following year (1885) a larger boat than any yet built for the firm was added to the fleet. This was the Heliades, built by Richardson, Duck & Co., Stockton. She was 320 feet long, and of proportionate beam and depth. Her gross register was about 3,000 tons, and she was fitted with triple-expansion engines by T. Richardson & Co., of West Hartlepool, with which class of engines all the succeeding steamers have been fitted. A sister ship, but having more powerful engines, the Heraclides was launched for the firm in July, 1886. She was followed in 1889 by the Hippomenes, built at Belfast by Workman, Clark & Co., and the Hydarnes and the Hellopes, built at Port Glasgow by J. Reid & Co. These steamers, like their immediate predecessors, were each of about 3,000 tons gross register, and were all practically of the same dimensions. The whole of these four steamers are fitted with refrigerators for the carriage of frozen meat from the River Plate.
Mr. Alfred S. Collard, a gentleman with a large and varied experience in the River Plate trade, and one thoroughly conversant with the working and requirements of an important steamship line, joined Mr. Houston as partner in 1893.
During the closing years of the last and beginning of the present century the quantity of railway rolling stock and plant for shipment to the River Plate was so great that it was not an uncommon event for the Brunswick Station of the Cheshire Lines Railway to be almost entirely blocked with wagons of railway material consigned for shipment by the Houston Line. So large were some of these packages, they could only be brought through from the manufacturers on Sunday, it being impossible to convey them on the railway while the ordinary traffic was being carried on. In 1898 Messrs. Russell & Co., of Port Glasgow, built two sister ships of over 3,500 tons gross register for Messrs. Houston. These were the Herminius and the Horatius.
The year 1899 was an important one in the firm’s history. In that year the trade between New York and the River Plate was entered, and since that time a regular service has been maintained, the pioneer steamer being the Hermes (the second of that name). She was a steel built steamer of 3,400 tons gross, driven by triple expansion engines of about 2,500 horse-power effective. She was launched at Sunderland in January, 1899, and is of the following dimensions:—Length 350 feet 2 inches, beam 47 feet, depth 17 feet. She was the first of a fleet of seven similar vessels which were launched to the order of the firm during the course of that year, the others being the Honorius, Hortensius, Hyades, Hydaspes, Hylas, and the Hyanthes.