Collins Line SS Arctic disaster

a cartoon 1852, depicting collins–cunard rivalry

with government subsidies promised, @ $385,000 year, , backing of leading investment bank brown brothers, collins founded new york , liverpool united states mail steamship company, familiarly known collins line. embarked on ambitious steamship construction program. first of 4 collins line ships, ss atlantic, launched in 1849 , began service in april 1850. 3 sister ships, pacific, arctic , baltic, in service before end of 1850. four, constructed of wood, broadly similar in size , performance; arctic marginally largest, @ 284 feet (87 m) in length , 2,856 tons american custom house measurement. new collins line steamers 25 percent larger biggest of cunard ships, , outperforming them; crossings in ten days became routine. arctic entered service on october 26, 1850. luxurious standards of passenger accommodation contrasted experienced charles dickens, crossed atlantic in cunard s britannia in 1840. dickens found britannia cabin dark , cramped, thoroughly hopeless, , profoundly preposterous box , while bleak saloon long narrow apartment, not unlike gigantic hearse . in arctic, according seasoned transatlantic passenger, cabins in comfort , elegance surpassed of merchant vessel great britain possessed , while main saloon had air of oriental magnificence .

under captain, james luce, 49-year-old veteran of thirty years @ sea, arctic became celebrated of collins ships. record eastbound crossing, new york liverpool in 9 days, seventeen hours in winter of 1851–52, earned title of clipper of seas . luce admired passengers social qualities seamanship; reporter harper s new monthly magazine wrote approvingly: if ever wish cross atlantic, find in arctic 1 of noblest of ships, , in captain luce 1 of best of commanders .

cite error: there <ref group=n> tags on page, references not show without {{reflist|group=n}} template (see page).