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- \/ TYPED BY SHARD -=A((eSS=- 4th AUGUST 1993
-
- PROUDLY PRESENTS - 1869 - FULL MANUAL
- ---------------------------------------------
-
- FOREWORD
-
- We have always been friends of two years of the sailing sport. Around
- two years ago we came across a book about clippers of the 19th century.
- The elegance of the fast yachts and the atmosphere of the turbulent era
- captured us totally.
-
- The real work began after we spontaneously decided to use this theme as
- a story for a trade simulation. We spent weeks in University libraries
- and museums collecting all available material of that era. The more we
- found out the more fascinated we became. In our research the year 1869
- seemed to appear most frequently. It was the year of the opening of the
- Suez Canal and at the same time the turning point in shipping history.
- 1869 had to be the title of our simulation.
-
- The time for research and material collecting was over. The examining
- and sorting of the material and the first thoughts on the shape of the
- game drafts on paper and the programming started.
-
- Right from the start our intention was to create a wide history and
- trade simulation, which was as accurate as possible including true
- events, and also be graphically superior to previous trade simulations.
-
- After spending approximately three man years, we look back over an
- interesting and sometimes hectic time. Through the program we had a
- look into a piece of history and experiences varied from war and death
- to the splendour and greatness of marked times.
-
- 1869 is dedicated not only to the proud ships which sailed the seas in
- the last century,but also to the countless men who lost their lives
- while performing their hard work.
-
- MAX DESIGN
-
-
- LOG BOOK
- --------
-
- The World in the 19th Century
-
- Story from 1854 to 1880
- World politics
- World Economics
- Imperialism
- The Colonial Powers
- The Era from 1800 to 1882
- The Role of the British Empire
- The Colonial Realm of France
- Other Colonial Powers
- Events and Conflicts
- The Wave of Immigrants
-
- Shipping in the 19th Century
- The Development of Shipping
- The Blackwall Frigates
- The Baltimore Clippers
- The Early Clippers
- The Heyday of the Clippers
- The American Schooners
- The Steamships
- Wood as a Building Material
- Ships of Iron
- The Clipper Layout
- Shipyards and Shipbuilders
-
- Fates of Famous Ships
- The Passage around Cape Horn
- The Great T-Race
- The Thermopylae
- The Last Witness, The Cutty Sark
- The Unlucky giant
-
- Principals of Ship Building
- Life on Board
- Work on Mail Ships
- Sailors on Land
- Last Anchorage
- The Life of the Captains
- Travel in Luxury Class
- Pilot on Board
- Catastrophes at Sea
- The Lifeboat Pioneer
- The Pioneer of Steam Shipping
- The Great Fire
-
- The Hand Book for the successful Shipbuilder
- Operation of 1869
- Installation of 1869
- Start of the Game
- The Ship Auction
- Fast Entry for the Impatient
- Game Aims
- The Main Chart
- Dialogue Operation
- The Shipyard
- In the Tavern
- Branches and Registered Offices
- Buying and Selling in the Offices
- Route Planning
- Ship Status
- Crew Status
- Historic Connections
- The Bank
- Tax Demands
- The Balance
- List of Records
- Options (Load & Save)
-
- Tips & Tricks
-
- THE WORLD IN THE 19th CENTURY
- -----------------------------
-
- The Story from 1854 to 1880
-
- The 19th century was the age of change and progress. It was an era for
- political reform which, step by step, involved more people taking part in
- political decisions and was an era of advance. The threshold of the age
- ofindustry promised better production methods, stronger trades and a more
- promising future. Natural science added to progress, as new findings
- promised longer and healthier lives.
-
- The growing importance of new raw materials like oil and cotton, and the
- discovery and increased production of mineral resources gave the economy,
- especially in the second part of the 19th century, a tremendous boost.
-
- World Politics
-
- The second half of the century was a quiet time. Wars did not last very
- long and were limited to the smaller regions. A short summary should give
- us the most imporiant political events from 1854 to 1880.
-
- 1854 The Crimean war between Russia and Turkey is still in full swing.
- France and Britain enter the war on Turkeys side. Two years later the
- Paris Peace talks ended the Crimean war, the Black sea became a neutral
- zone.
-
- International maritime law forbade privateering and guaranteed private
- ownership in naval warfare. In the same year the Buren Free State
- Transvaal was founded and later the Republic of South Africa.
-
- Two years later the East India Company lost its power over India and Great
- Britain, who had put a Viceroy into India.
-
- Claims on surrounding South China territories kept leading to wars with
- France and Great Britain against China. A long-lived era of tension with
- many sealed and broken peace treaties was born.
-
- 1860 Abraham Lincoln became the first republican president of the USA.
-
- He was for the abolition of slavery, which meant eleven Southern States
- leaving the USA in 1861. The creation of the confederacy was the marked
- beginning of the American Civil War between the Northern and Southern
- States. After 4 years of bitter fighting the Northern States won due to
- their technical superiority.
-
- In 1867 the USA acquired Alaska for a mere 7.2 million dollars from Russia
- which was the best business deal of all time. South Africa experienced a
- boom era with the discovery of the diamond fields in the Orange Free State.
-
- The opening of the Suez canal in 1869 marked one of the most important
- milestones in the world economy. The sea route to Asia was nearly halved
- when the dangerous trip around the Cape of Good Hope was no longer
- necessary. Just as important was the opening of the Pacific Railway which
- connected the West coast with the East coast.
-
- France became Independent in 1870 after a war with Prussia, and a year
- later the German Reich was born with Otto von Bismark as Chancellor.
-
- The World Economy
-
- The second half of the century presented itself as the time of prosperity
- and technical revolution. The building of Railway Lines had an enormous
- boost which in turn increased the demand for steel. The length of the
- International railway network increased two fold every ten years.
-
- In 1854 England lifted the last prospected duty and so the era of free
- trading began. Through the opening ofthe Suez Canal in 1869 goods from
- Europe reached India much quicker. At the same time bigger and faster
- ships came into use and pushed out more and more sailing ships. The
- importance of raw materials, like oil and cotton increased. The demand for
- cotton in Europe was greater due to the lack of production during the
- American Civil War.
-
- The finds of gold in America and Austrailia, and Diamonds in South Africa
- attracted no end of Europeans to the places of discovery.
-
- Improvement in the steel production enabled expansion of the vechicle and
- machine building industries.
-
- Loading capacity was increased greatly by the steamships in 1870.
- Agriculture was heavily influenced with production being intensified
- rationalised and increased.
-
- Sugar trade improved greatly and cane-sugar was prefered to sugar-beet.
-
- The increase of the world population and the colonization in the nearly
- uninhabited parts of the continents of America and Australia, the
- development of natural resources, the transition of production to new
- techniques and unimaginable expansion in industry, made the world not just
- bigger and greater but also brought it closer together.
-
- Steamships and the Railways bridged distances and brought trade partners
- closer. World trade increased 4.7 times between 1850 and 189O.
-
- Bigger distances, investments and concentration were the foremost signs of
- the new industrial and technical production expansion. Trade kept pace and
- increased strongly. The introduction of Industrial and agriculture duty
- through the German parliament in an era of free trade meant an economic war
- declaration, and the beginning of the pre war period, a time of potentially
- high tension and open aggression.
-
- Imperialism
-
- Imperialism is defined as the striving for international standing and
- power. An Imperial state would try to affiliate as many territories to
- their own political and economic influence. Starting in the mid- seventies
- ofthe 19th century in Great Britain, it spread to all great world powers.
- Besides the traditional colonial powers of Great Britain, France and
- Russia, the USA, German empire, Belgium, Italy and Japan also strived
- towards imperial power. The race for the division of the world lasted
- until the beginning of the first world war in 1914.
-
- Imperialism is today more of an emotional and negative term, but not so in
- the past. It was the utopia of a World Power with international standing
- if not World domination. The politics were always of a global type.
- Strongly linked with national prestige, it led to excessive Nationalism.
- The white race and its civilisation were regarded as superior. That
- mentality became more popular, influenced by Darwins theory. The Darwin
- theory rested on the conception of the natural elite. With his help all
- ofthe brutality against natives and colonial tribes seemed justified.
-
- The actual motives for Imperialism cannot be traced back conclusively. In
- 1852, Benjamin Disraeli who later became the speaker for British
- Imperialism, described the English colonies as "millstones around our
- neck". But in 1875 the British minister Edward asked "Who is talking about
- giving up the colonies? No demand is as popular as the one to keep our
- colonial empire!" With this change of mood, a new era became easily
- recognised. The motives were power, prestige and political competitive
- thinking. Many people saw it as an important and honourable mission, to
- teach primitive people the European culture and way of life. But many
- economic interests could have been the founder of Imperialism.
-
- Since the mid 19th century, Europe produced more buying power than the
- European was allowed. The goods could no longer be sold on the domestic
- market. This increased during the depression years of1873 to 1876. The
- industrialists and buyers were forced to look for new outlets and
- investment possibilities. The government supported this, as they could
- acquire foreign territories which provided useful raw materials for
- domestic industry.
-
- After England had been in the process of building a gigantic empire, other
- states began to desire world power. As the realisation of this goal
- involved the use of force and the building of railways and roads, only the
- great Powers with accordingly big war and trade fleets could be involved.
-
- Through the acquisition and economic exploitation of foreign territory, the
- Imperial states increased their power and wealth. It used any means
- available from the commercial activity of single settlers in contracted
- trade-connections to forceful oppression of the natives. The raw material
- of the colonies was exploited and shipped to the mother country. There it
- was manufactured into end-products and partly resold to the colonies at a
- great profit. A most profitable cycle for the colonial powers' economy
- developed.
-
- The Colonial Powers
-
- Europe had several colonial eras during the 16th century, with it also
- colonial powers. In the beginning it was Spain and Portugal who were the
- leading powers, but in the 19th century it was Great Britain, France and
- Russia.
-
- The heyday of Imperialism began between 1870 and 1880, and finished just
- before the 2nd World War. The world became divided under the few colonial
- powers. Approximately 72 million square kilometres and over 560 million
- people were under colonial rule in 1914. That made up more than half the
- total land surface of the earth and nearly a third of the worlds population
-
- The Time Between 1880 until 1882
-
- After Latin America's independence, the European possessions overseas
- became smaller. Generally the colonial empire shrank in the first quarter
- of the 19th century.
-
- Several reasons didnt allow for amn increase in colonialism, Because of the
- withdrawal of mercantilism through the free trade, the foundation was taken
- away, especially in America. Through defensive politics and further trade
- preferences, it was advantageous to own as many colonies, trade stations
- and most of all ports. The beginning of free trade led to the freeing of
- restrictions. England opened its colonies to foreign ships and traders.
- So England contributed greatly to the success of free trade politics, even
- before it finally abolished the trade monopoly between the mother country
- and the colonies in 1849.
-
- By then free trade was already happening. The reorganisation of Europe
- after the Vienna congress and the following 5 year peace, reduced the
- military and strategic value of many possessions. Many of them were only
- dead pledges or diplomatic exchange objects. Thanks to Englands
- overpowering fleet, it managed to acquire significant territorial
- possessions, England was in the position to lay claim to all overseas
- regions and enforce it. As the British didn't seek further expansion, no
- systematic political expansion took place in Europe. It wasn't the
- anti-imperialist attitude that stopped them. As Canada, Australia and also
- the United States were freely available to Immigrants, England as leading
- industrial power, was not dependent on the colonial market outlets.
-
- Most European states were skeptical over new acquisitions of colonies until
- 1882.
-
- One assumes that because of the colonial and expansion policies, no
- overseas acquisitions were made. Local interest and the wish for securing
- borders around possessions, were the main reasons for further occupation.
- The impetus came from the colonies themselves. The industrialisation and
- the great technical advance brought a vast widening of trade connection to
- the whole world, The development of the steamship gave International trade
- an enormous boost. This increased political interference. The development
- of military technique and the power structure benefited Europe. No non
- European country, with the exception of the USA, had resistance to the
- military power. A small English expedition corps was able, through their
- advanced weapon superiority and the efficient use of their means, to bring
- China to it's knees between 1839 and 1842. The conquest of India was also
- due to the military superiority of the English. Great empires fell apart
- after confrontations with Europes super power. The ease of occupying new
- colonies led to a strengthening of colonial expansion as never before
- witnessed.
-
- The Role of the British Empire
-
- The British Colonial Empire differed through its size and diversity, and
- free trade differed greatly from other colonial powers. At it's peak
- around 1933, the British Empire had extended to a hardly imaginable 31.6
- million square kilometres and a population of 502 million. That was nearly
- the equivalent of a quarter of the land surface of the earth and nearly a
- quarter of the population.
-
- In 300 years of colonial politics, the British had built an enormous
- empire. Every adjoining region, with the exception of the USA was included
- in the Empires federation.
-
- India was regarded by the English as the foundation pillar of the empire.
- The securing and controlling of the sea route was, therefore, a priority
- task. In particular the Suez Canal played a decisive role. The opening of
- the canal in 1869 was the most important occurance for the history of
- modern India and for the trade in Europe and would become of fundamental
- importance as trading volume doubled in susequent years.
-
- And yet Great Britian had initially opposed the building of the canal as
- she suspected a hostile move by the French. One year after the opening of
- the canal the British government even rejected the acquisition of a share
- package offered by Egypt. The change in British canal politics was
- demonstrated in 1875 by Benjamen Disraeli, an ardent representative of the
- new imperialism, when he ordered the acquisition of the share package. A
- furthur demonstrative step to manifest the interest in India and the
- connecting routes was the proclamation of Queen Victoria, the Empress of
- India. On the 1st January 1877. Through her interest in the Suez Canal,
- England became more and more involved in the affairs of India and the
- country finally came under British rule in the year 1882. Of equally great
- strategic importance for the securing of the sea routes was the acquisition
- of Cyprus in 1878.
-
- Originaily the conquest of India was not planned, the intention merely
- being to protect British trade and to create strong points.
-
- Only when the real importance of the Indian market became apparent,
- Englands interest grew. Politically too, India was important for England.
- Although a poor country, India was a great military empire. England placed
- herself in an already feathered nest so to speak and became herself one of
- the two main powers of the East. At one stroke, therefore, the British
- Empire had under its control an additional population of 200 million
- inhabitants. No other European colony was of such political and economical
- importance.
-
- More than any other. the Indian army increased the political and military
- might of Britian. One has to bear in mind that although Britain had at her
- disposal the strongest naval force, her regular army which numbered 250,000
- men distributed in garrisons throughout the empire, was militarily
- superior. With the aid of the Indian army deploying over 150,000 men and a
- huge mobilisation reserve, Britain was able to establish itself as the
- greatest landforce of the East. Moreover the Indian army was completely
- maintained by India. Thus Britain was able to play a leading roll in world
- politics which could never have been paid for by the British taxpayer.
- Only in this way was it possible for the British to play a leading role in
- the apportioning of East Africa and South East Asia.
-
- Possessions in the Mediterranean were strategically important strong
- points. Gibraltar, Malta and the Ionian Islands had already been acquired
- before 1815. Cyprus and Egypt joined in 1878 and 1882 so that the sea
- route to India through the Suez Canal was completely secured. Up to 1880
- the expansion in Africa proceeded very slowly. It was only in the last
- twenty years of the 19th century that this process was accelerated by the
- race of the colonial powers. At first the African colonies appeared to be
- without importance economically but changed subsequently due to the
- increasing significance of their products for world trade. In particular
- the diamond and gold finds of 1868, 1869 and 1886 in the Transvaal drew the
- British to Africa So in 1871 the diamond fields belonging to the Orange
- free state and those in the Transvaal (1877) were annexed. At the height
- of imperialism the British dreamt of an Africa British from the Cape to
- Cairo. On British territory a railway line was to cross the whole of
- Africa from North to South. However this dream of the British was never to
- be fulfilled.
-
- During the course of this time the importance of many colonies underwent
- change. Especially the Island colonies that had been annexed initially for
- purely strategic reasons. Due to the increasing demand for their products
- such as rare wood and rice on the world market, the colonies acquired
- economical gain. Many colonies supplied valuable raw materials and thus
- improved the British Balance of trade. The richer colonies were also good
- markets for British goods. Many colonies however. produced and consumed
- very little. With strictly economic profitability considerations the
- British would have dispensed with many of their colonies.
-
- The Colonial Empire of France
-
- The French colonial empire was similar to that of Great Britain because of
- its diversity and geographical scattering. However France did not possess
- colonies of the importance of India or the British dominions such as Canada
- and Australia. France too did not pursue planned colonial policies from
- the 19th century up to the year 1871. Local interests and lawsuits were
- the main reason for new acquisitions although the protection of missionary
- stations and trading bases were further considerations.
-
- Compared with England the essential difference was that France owned few
- colonies at the start of the 19th century which could have led to the
- starting point of further expansion. Also French overseas trading was too
- unimportant to make further acquisitions of colonies meaningful. For
- French colonial thinking the economic aspects were decisive. In order of
- interest the colonies had to yield profits for the mother country. Further
- more, France continued to adhere for a long time to mercantilism since
- France was inferior to Great British as far as industry and shipping were
- concerned. Up until 1860 the colonies were only allowed to trade with the
- mother country and French traders. However, since France sought an
- improvement in its relations with Great Britain and its colonies depended
- on British goods, it introduced free trading for a period of time. In 1860
- the colonial markets were opened and customs duties lowered. Free trading
- was extended to include the West Indies in 1861. Guyana and Senegal in
- 1864 and Algeria in 1867.
-
- In the main French Imperialism concentrated on the development of Africa
- and on the conquest of Indochina. To this end friction frequently arose
- with the British. In Africa the evident goal was a compact territory in
- the shape of a West East belt. Following much fighting with China the
- French were able to secure their influence and their possession of
- Tongking, Annam and Laos.
-
- After 1871 French Imperial politics were greatly influenced by the defeat
- inflicted by Germany. France lost the war against Germany during the years
- 1870 and 1871. Consequently the French had to relinquish their position of
- priority in Europe to the German empire and they feared political
- isolation. In order to be recognised once again as a world power, the
- French intensified their endeavours towards new colonies with the aim of
- once more extending their sphere of power.
-
- The Other Colonial Powers
-
- The colonial territories of all other countries were relatively small
- compared with those of England and France and they were sharply defined
- geographically. The crucial points of Portugal, Germany and Belgium were
- in Africa. The Russians colonies were of considerable size but formed a
- geographical unit with the mother country.
-
- Hollands colonial empire streched across Indonesia and some smaller islands
- in the West Indies. As the only modern colonial empire the Netherlands
- stopped expanding during the period from 1815 to 1945 and were satisfied
- with occupying and developing the already existing territories. The island
- world of Indonesia was indeed one of most valuable European possessions.
- It was typical plantation colony and yielded considerable profit with
- exported goods such as sugar tobacco. rubber, coffee, copper, mineral oil
- and tin. The colonial government in Batvia possessed similar authority as
- granted to Calcutta by the British.
-
-
- Although Portugal belonged to the first colonial powers it acquired the
- majority of its possessions only after 1884. In spite of being a poor and
- martially weak country it was able to keep its colonies longest. By 1884,
- however, the Portuguese colonial empire was marked by disintegration. From
- 1580 to 1882 it lost one colony after the other. Only with the colonial
- division of Africa at the end of the 19th century the empire was once again
- enlarged. Its gains were due to the rivalry of the other states. So
- territories such as Angola and Mosambique were practically given to
- Portugal as a buffer zone against British expansion. Portuguese colonial
- politics, however, could not compete with the other states and failed to
- yield the expected profit.
-
- The Belgian colonial empire consisted of just one territory-the Congo.
- However this colony was practically the private property of King Leopold.
- By cunning and shifty moves he succeeded, aided by misled humanitary
- organisations to make the Congo his possession. He exploited this
- territory in an unyielding and drastic manner and caused many critics to
- protest. It was only in 1908 that the Congo became the possession of the
- Belgian state. Due to the rigorous exploitation and because of rich
- mineral resources this colony was especially profitable.
-
- Germany's colonial politics started as late as 1884 under Bismarck. The
- few colonies were a product of colonial apportioning and yielded only small
- economic profit. By 1919 the brief era of colonialism ended for Germany.
-
- Events and Conflicts
-
- One of the most important events for International trade was the abolition
- of the Navigation Act 1849. This law decreed by England in 1651 said that
- only English ships could call at ports in the British colonies. Equally
- all merchandise whether for import or export had to be distributed via
- English ports even when the goods were destined for another country. This
- form of trading restriction coupled with often high prospective duty is
- regarded as mercantilism and was also practised by other states. Free
- trade as a mutually open system was also introduced during the first half
- of the 19th century by England and also by the United States. With the
- abolition of the Navigation act in 1849 all British ports were opened for
- foreign dealers and ships. Considerig the size of the British empire and
- its preeminent economical standing this was of enormous importance for
- trade. Equally great was its model function for other states which were no
- longer able to resist the free trade.
-
- In 1859 the construction project of the century and milestone in shipping
- was started. Based on the drawings of the Austrian Negrelli and under the
- management of the Frenchman Lessops the Suez canal was built over a period
- of ten years. The opening in 1869 marked one of the most important turning
- points of International trade. The lockless canal cuts through the Isthmus
- of Suez between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. With a length of
- 173 kilometres and a depth of some 14 metres it connects Suez and Port
- Said. Due to the canal the sea route from Europe to Asia is almost halved
- and also the dangerous and time consuming route around the Cape of Good
- Hope became unecessary for the Far East traveller. British colonial
- politics were greatly influenced by the Suez Canal. In order to secure the
- sea route many territories were annexed including Egypt in 1882. To the
- present day the Suez Canal has remained a political bone of contention even
- though its political importance has diminished.
-
- The most important events from 1853 to 1884 were; the occupation of the
- Danube principalities by the Russians leads in 1853 to the start of the
- Crimean War. Russia fights against Turkey and France and Great Britain
- enters the war on the side of the Turks. In 1854 an American naval
- squadron forces the opening of Japanese ports. In the following era of
- 1855 Alexander II becomes the Czar of Russia and the famous explorer and
- missionary David Livingstone crosses Africa and discovers the Victoria
- Falls. His travels and those of other explorers arouse great interest in
- Africa throughout Europe. In 1856 the Paris Peace Treaty terminates the
- Crimean war, paris of Besarabia go to Turkey and the Black Sea is
- neutralised. Russia loses its pre-eminence to France. In Africa the Boer
- freestate off Transvaal is founded. One year later the British and French
- start the Lorcha War against China and occupy Canton. Following rebellions
- the East India Company is wound up in 1858 and a Viceroy appointed by Great
- Britain takes over British rule in India. Due to the Peace Treaty of
- Tientsin, China is forced to open several ports for European ships. In
- 1859 France conquers Saigon in Indochina and Russia subjugates the
- Caucasus. Mineral oil production begins in the United States and Russia.
- One year later England and France occupy Peking and force China to ratify
- the Treaty of Tsientsin.
-
- France and Great Britain decide to abolish the protective duty by way of
- trade treaty and introduce a most-favoured clause. After secession of
- eleven southern states and the formation of a confederation the Secession
- Civil war breaks out in 1861 between the Northern and Southern States. In
- 1864 the Northern states win the war due to their great technical and
- industrial superiority. Slavery is abolished in the United States. In
- 1866 Prussia goes to war with Italy against Austria and the German
- confederacy. With Austria losing the war, this means the end of the German
- confederacy. Austria separates from Germany and Venice becomes part of
- Italy In 1867 Canada becomes a British dominion Maximillian, Archduke of
- Austria and emperor of Mexico since 1864, is captured and executed by the
- former president Juarez after his retreat of the French troops. Mexico
- once more becomes a republic under President Juarez. In 1868 William
- Gladstone, the leader of the Liberals, becomes British Prime Minister. In
- Japan the power of the shoguns ends and the newly appointed Emperor starts
- the 'europeanization' of Japan. In 1870 war breaks out between France and
- Germany. Germany wins the war in 1871 and occupies Paris.
-
- In Versailles the German Empire is founded under Chancellor of the Reich
- Otto von Bismark and Emperor Wilheim 2nd. Due to its defeat France loses
- its preeminent position to the German Reich. During the same year the
- neutralisation of the Black Sea is cancelled. The famous meeting between
- Stanley and Livingstone takes place in East Africa. In 1874 the
- conservative Benjamin Disraeli becomes British Prime Minister. Annan
- Tonkinh became a French protectorate. In 1875 war breaks out between Egypt
- and Abyssinia which is won by Abyssinia in 1879. In 1876 Queen Victoria of
- England is proclaimed Empress of India. In the following year war breaks
- out again between Russia and Turkey. The Russians advance as far as
- Constantinople. Great Britain annexes Transvaal Freestate. In 1878 the
- Balkan states gain independence. Turkey cedes Cyprus to England. In 1879
- the Saltpeter War between South America and China commences and is
- eventually won by Chile in 1884. One year before the death of Disraeli,
- William Gladstone becomes British Prime Minister for the second time.
- Tunis becomes a French possession and Italy begins the conquest of Eritrea.
- In 1881 Italy conquers Somaliland and during the following year Egypt
- becomes a British Protectorate. In 1884 the first German colonies are
- established in South West Africa including the Cameroons, Togo, East
- Africa, New Guinea, the Bismarck Archpelago and the Marshall Islands.
-
- From 1871 first Reichs Chancellor of the German Empire founded by him.
- Dismissed by Emperor Wilheim II. in 1890.
-
- The Flood of Immigrants
-
- From 1846 to 1855 over two million people sailed across the Atlantic to the
- West. This amounted to nearly half as many as in the seventy years from
- the time of the Independence declaration to 1845. Most of these immigrants
- were impoverished people without civil rights. They fled from political
- upheavals and famine in the hope of starting their new life in a homeland,
- worthy of human beings. But business people and tourists made this journey
- too.
-
- For most of the passengers this sea journey was to become a time of hard
- tests and great misery. On the mail boats there were so many people
- pressed together that undernourishment and illnesses occurred more and more
- frequently. This state of affairs improved only with the introduction of
- the steamships which with effect from the middle of the 19th century
- enticed the passengers away from the mail boats. As long as the immigrants
- crowded on the mail boats the crossing became a real nightmare for many.
-
- On average such a journey took 35 to 40 days, but often twice as long in
- bad weather. The immigrants were accommodated between decks, normally up
- to 800 people on a 1000 ton ship. One has to imagine the steerage as a
- dark smelly room which due to the large number people caused agoraphobia.
- The ships bottom was sometimes positioned so low within the cargo space
- that water ingressed through the planks. Rats were a familiar sight and
- fresh air came only through the hatches. However bad weather these hatches
- were frequently tightly closed causing stench due to lack of ventilation.
- the generation of the smell. The hygienic devices, of which there were
- hardly any or very few, became even worse.
-
- Even whilst asleep, the steerage passengers were not able to forget the
- daily inconveniences. Sleep hardly came into consideration on 1.80 metre
- long bunks, which were arranged in two or three tiers, one on top of the
- other. The bunks were 45 centimetres wide, or also 1.80 metres wide,
- whereby more than four passengers often then had to be accommodated in one
- bunk. As the main deck was off limits during stormy weather, the
- conditions became even more aggravated. To make matters worse, clothing
- and the bedding was, for the most part, wet through, as the hatch covers
- were not closed in time when the storms began and waves lashed into the
- steerage area. Generally, nothing dried until the end of the voyage, so
- everything remained damp and smelt accordingly.
-
- After the conditions in the steerage area and the situation of the
- passengers leaked out to the public by various investigations. parliment
- felt compelled to pass the Passenger Ship Law of 1848. A minimum space
- requirement was now stipulated for each passenger. However, shipowners and
- captains took no notice of this law for economic reasons.
-
- Precisely at a time when rigid rules were laid down for relationships
- between sexes, on the majority of the emigrant ships there was not even
- separate areas for men and women.
-
- With crowds of people pushed together in small spaces, smells and dirt
- could not be avoided. On one occasion a Canadian government inspector
- found during investigations on the mail boat "Lady MacNaughton" that the
- few vacant spaces between decks were filled with ,ship biscuit leftovers,
- bones, rags and all types of rubbish, all rotting and full of maggots. The
- stench was considered to be worse than the filth as one could shut ones
- eyes in order not to see the dirt, but the stench was ever present. The
- smell of rotting wood and that of earlier and new cargo intermingled with
- the odour of hundreds of people producing an unbearable stench.
-
- Hermann Melville. the author of Moby Dick remembers his time as a crew
- member on a transatlantic ship. When one week after sailing "one put one's
- head through the front hatch one could believe that one was placing one's
- head into a suddenly opened cesspit.
-
- But not only stench and dirt caused the passengers between decks much
- trouble. For their health the completely inadequate food was surely more
- detrimental with which they had to exist for weeks and months.
-
- A shipowner admitted openly that the normal diet was adequate to prevent
- dying of starvation but not to survive and thrive." Small wonder therefore
- that on some ships ten percent of the passengers died on the sea. The
- surviving passengers were almost always undernourished when they finally
- set foot on land.
-
- At the beginning of the flood of immigrants the passengers had to bring
- their own food for consumption on board, but later a law was passed to
- ensure minimum rations were available. The shipowners and captains,
- however, found many ways to evade such legislation. It was for instance
- customary to have the required provisions on board at the time of sailing
- but to send back to land after sailing a large part of the provisions on
- with the help of escort vessels. It also happened that food was sold to
- the immigrants at cut throat prices instead of being distributed free of
- charge as prescribed.
-
- A further difficulty was the preparation of food. On nearly all ships the
- cooking facilities were totally insufficient for the number of passengers.
- Often the facilities could not be used at all in bad weather. It can be
- taken from a contemporary report that often only six cooking facilities
- were available for 400 passengers.
-
- A constant battle raged over the preparation of meals. Women travelling on
- their own often had no choice but to starve for days on end. Sometimes the
- ships cook would prepare meals for the immigrants but demand payment for
- the privilege. Thus bribery became the only means of acquiring several
- meals per day. Poorer passengers without the required financial resources
- had to make do with one warm meal per day or even one meal every other day.
- An equally big problem was the drinking water supply. A law stated that
- each adult passenger was entitled to three litres of fresh water daily.
- Many ships. however. obtained their water from rivers and this was often
- not fresh. Furthermore the storage of water in barrels left a lot to be
- desired. According to legislation water was to be kept in clean barrels
- provided for the purpose, but in actual practice this did not occur.
- Consequently the water was often putrid and practically undrinkable upon
- distribution, and led to diseases such as cholera, smallpox and typhoid.
-
- On some ships these diseases spread to such an extent that a captain
- recorded the following:- "it is a miracle, indeed, that so many survived
- the journey." Of course the immigrants were medically examined before going
- on board the ships, but these examinations were more than superficial and
- correspondingly useless. Feared more than other diseases was typhoid.
- This disease was widespread whenever many people stayed together and it
- became known as "jail fever or camp fever". When the wave of immigration
- reached its climax and the number of typhoid cases on the ships increased
- dramatically, the disease was called "ship fever".
-
- Despite all the difficulties, migration continued across the Atlantic to
- the land of promise. America. without diminishing. Fortunately the
- journeys were not always difficult. On some mail-boats the immigrants
- formed selfhelp groups in order to cope with the adversities of the
- journey. They cared for the sick, attempted to protect themselves against
- theft and helped women who travelled alone to resist encroachment from the
- crew and other passengers.
-
- Around the middle of the 19th century some 250,000 people crossed the
- Atlantic on average and up to half a million during peak periods. The mail
- boats transported ambitious cargoes ranging from rails for railways to
- French wine. With the introduction of steam ships to the traffic across
- the Atlantic mail boats became less viable. By 1863 steam ships had gained
- a 45% share of the passenger traffic and by 1866 the percentage had grown
- to 81%
-
- The mail boats managed to remain competitive for a while carrying heavy
- cargos such as grain and coal. By 1878 however three of the five major
- lines had been shut down, namely the Red Star Line, The Blue Swallowtail
- Line and the Dramatic Line. The trail blazing Black Ball Line ceased
- trading after the summer of 1878 and most ocean-going mail boats were
- turned into cash. On the 18th May 1881 the last mail boat arrived in New
- York. She was appropriate named "NE PLUS ULTRA" - No Further."
-
- SHIPPING IN THE 19th CENTURY
- ----------------------------
-
- The Development of Shipping
-
- As strange as it may sound the development of the proud clippers was not
- the only product of the 19th century. These fast sailing ships were the
- last link in a long history of development which began in pre-christian
- times. The ancestors of the clippers were not the ships of the
- Phoenicians, Egyptians or Romans but the narrow and fast boats of the
- Vikings. Many centuries of shipbuilding led finally to that perfection
- which helped to create the last and best sailing ships.
-
- From the 17th century one can trace the theory of the construction of fast
- ships. From the middle of the 18th century water tank experiments were
- carried out with various models and around 1840 the brothers James and
- William Hall were engaged in model tests in a three metre long glass tank.
- A three centimetre layer of turpentine which was coloured red, was poured
- onto the water surface.
-
- A scale model of a boat was pulled through the water by a weighted line
- running over a reel. Based on the movement of the red turpentine one was
- able to arrive at conclusions regarding the effects of various bow and
- stern shapes. By the use of different models with equal transaction weight
- it was possible to carry out efficiency comparisons. Today's drag tests
- are carried out in large plants and they are fully computer aided. But in
- the end this is merely a perfection of the test method which was used 300
- years ago.
-
- The Blackwell Frigates
-
- After the shutdown ofthe East Indian company in 1833 and the advent of the
- steamships it became necessary to build faster ships. The ships used to
- date had simply become too slow and thus uneconomical. The shipbuilders
- were forced to change their views and to adapt their designs to the
- requirements of the time. The Blackwell Frigates, a newer faster type of
- ship were created and derived their name from the Blackwell dockyard of
- Green and Wigram. In 1837 the Seringapalam left the dockyard as the first
- ship of the new type. Although she had virtually the same length width
- ratio as the East Indian Vessels, there were clearly sharper lines and only
- a small poop. With the launching of the 1200 ton Prince of Wales in 1842
- the new construction desighn had been used for the first time on a larger
- ship.
-
- Blackwell frigates were also built on the Thames and in the North of
- England on the Wear and Tyne. The two most successful ships were built in
- the years 1846 and 1848 in the dockyard of T & W Smith on the Tyne. They
- were the Marlborough weighing 1402 tons and a length of 53 metres and the
- "Blenheim" 1314 tons. Both ships had flush decks without raised poop and
- deckhouse.
-
- Compared with the clippers the Blackwell Frigates were still heavy and
- showed round lines. They were used for carrying passengers and cargo to
- India. Following the striking of gold in Australia and the correspondingly
- increased demand for passenger ships, the building of the Blackwell
- Frigates especially for the passenger traffic to Australia was started.
- The first clippers took away the importance for the fast passenger and
- cargo traffic from the Blackwell Frigates. Later they would become the
- preferred conveyance for cargoes where speed was of lesser importance.
-
- The Baltimore Clippers
-
- During the Era of the Blackwell frigates, the Baltimore Clippers had their
- heyday. These schooners, built on the East coast of America, were
- considered during the first quarter of the 19th century to be the fastest
- ships in the world. During the war between the United States and Great
- Britain they were, therefore, preferentially used as privateers and
- blockade runners.
-
- A typical privateer schooner possessed very sharp lines and a long outrun
- towards the stern. The continuous deck was almost free of super
- structures. Because of their superior speed they liked to invade British
- trading convoys. plunder them and sail away from the warships without
- great difficulty. It was only when unfavourable wind conditions prevailed
- that they could be captured by the ships of the British Navy.
-
- After the war the Baltimore Clippers were used for the slave trade. From
- 1820 onwards the slave trade was classed illegal and opposed by the most
- important states. British ships cruised the coasts of Africa under orders
- to capture and seize slave ships. Thus. Baltimore clippers were used due
- to their great speed and ability to avoid these patrolling vessels. In
- fact due to their success rate, schooners of this type became the chosen
- vessel of the slave traders.
-
- The British Navy made great endeavours to foil the Baltimore Clippers. New
- ships were built to incorporate many construction features of the Baltimore
- Clippers, and subsequently they became more succesful in their role. When
- slave trading was outlawed in 1850, the Baltimore Clippers lost their
- importance . They were unsuitable for use as normal merchant ships because
- of their limited loading capacity.
-
- The Early Clippers
-
- The name Clipper for fast-sailing ships is still controversial. It is
- often misunderstood as a name for a definite type of ship. Generally
- speaking one may consider the fast sailing ships dating from the 19th
- century onward as clippers, independent of their construction and rigging.
- Primarily they were rigged and sailed with speed in mind. Loading
- capacity, running costs, comfort and safety were of lesser importance.
-
- The demand for clippers resulted in enormous profit due to their fast
- and specialised transportation capabilities.
-
- In the first half of the 19th century this was offered by the opium and tea
- trade. The first landing of one season's tea yielded great premiums and
- the importers paid high freight rates for the first loads. Also for the
- gold finds in California and Australia around the middle of the century
- fast ships were needed. They were to take gold diggers and materials as
- quickly as possible to the places of discovery. The clippers did not
- represent a completely new concept but formed part of a tradition of
- continuing development and adaption to market requirements. Especially the
- shape of the hull of the ship was improved. The American shipping
- historian Howard I. Chapelle wrote that on the clipper not one special
- feature was incorporated which would have been completely new. "Thus it
- was the combination, and improvement of proven elements which made these
- ships so fast and successful.
-
- During the period from 1840 to 1850 the American shipbuilders led their
- European competitors in the development of fast sailing ships. In America
- it was customary for the clippers to take gold prospectors to California
- around Cape Horn, to sail across the Pacific with Ballast and start the
- homeward journey to New York or Boston with tea from China. The fast
- clippers were especially suited for this journey. After the abolition of
- the Navigation Act 1849 American clippers were also used for the tea trade
- with England.
-
- The best ships were built on the North East coast of the United States of
- the United States. They were in most instances built completely out of
- wood and lined with copper plate below the water line. A large number of
- these ships had three fully rigged masts. They had a greater length/width
- ratio than the ships of that time.
-
- Due to the great demand for fast ships and the reputation of the American
- shipbuilders many British shipowners ordered clippers from the United
- States yards.
-
- In Great Britain the reorganisation of tonnage dimensions led in 1836 to a
- rethink concerning ship construction. One thought was to keep the rudder
- action as low as possible by corresponding construction of the ships hull.
- James and William Hall from the Alexander Hall & Sons dockyard in Aberdeen
- developed a type of ship which according to the new dimensioning rules even
- resulted in a saving of steering action. The most outstanding feature was
- the so-called Aberdeen bow, an extremely wide stern which jutted out. The
- first ship of this new design was the "Scottish Maid" built in 1839. By
- and by the proven Aberdeen Bow also influenced by the construction method
- of the other British shipyards and many smaller excellent clippers were
- developed.
-
- However, when in 1854 another system of tonnage dimensioning was
- introduced, the Aberdeen bow lost its importance and was ousted by the less
- extreme clipper bow. The British clippers around 1850 were smaller than
- the American ships, but they represented the English fast sailing ships of
- the next quarter of a century.
-
- The Heyday of the Clippers
-
- Around 1850 the need for the shortest possible delivery times emerged in
- all trading areas. Therefore fast ships could obtain high freight rates.
- Resulting from thi was a correspondingly great demand for fast clippers
- with adequate loading capacity. Even when in most publications the peak of
- the clippers is considered to have occured during the time from 1860 to
- 1870 more extreme clippers were built from 1850 to 1855 for the greatest
- number of application ranges that would ever happen again. During the
- Crimean war a record number of new ships were built and in the year 1855
- steam ships and sailing ships with a total tonnage of 323200 were
- constructed. But only a low percentage of this applied to clippers.
- Towards 1860 the number of newly built clippers decreased greatly although
- an exception to this rule were the tea clippers.
-
- The gold finds in Australia had great influence on the development and
- distribution of clippers, particularly in England. A letter by G.H.Heaton,
- captain of the "Thomas Arbuthnot", points to the conditions in the port of
- Sydney. The letter was printed in the "Times" on the 10th September 1851.
-
- It Read as follows:-
- "Gentlemen, i assume you know of the rumours about the discovery of
- extensive gold fields in New South Wales which brought about an upheaval of
- a kind which in my opinion can afflict a country. The colony is completely
- paralysed Each man and each boy as far as he is able to hold a shovel goes
- to the gold fields if he is not there already Many places of work are
- completely deserted. The consequence of this is that sheep and cattle are
- abandoned. The prices of almost all foods have risen by about 200% in some
- cases and when one thinks of the next grain harvest which will greatly fall
- off because of the lack of labour then it is clear that the means of
- subsistence for man and beast will become very scarce and dear. No doubt a
- wave of immigration will commence in all parts of Europe as soon as the
- news has gone round.
-
- We have Australian gold aboard to the value of £800 which is the first gold
- shipped out of the colony it was purchased by four gentlemen, managing
- partners of different merchant firms in Sydney , on site.
-
- The gold consisted of lumps of almost pure gold and the largest lump was
- just short of four pounds by 2 ounces. When this lot was taken to the ship
- much more gold was lying in Bathhurst awaiting a military escort which it
- was hoped would be authorised by the Government. The gold we have abroad
- was brought here by four gentlemen armed to the teeth.
-
- I had great difficulties getting away from Sydney, Although I had doubled
- the wages of the crew, six or seven men left as soon as this matter became
- known. Anticipating what would probably happen I arranged for a tugboat to
- tug the ship to the "Heads".
-
- Day and night I positioned an armed policeman at each and every end of the
- ship. Nevertheless the swimmers still managed to get off. All measures
- taken caused great expense. When I put to sea, the Lady Clarke remained
- behind ready sail. Without a soul on board but the captain. I think that
- - carrying his mustering roll in his pocket - he was on his way to
- Bathhurst thinking that he would be able to persuade some sailors to return
- to the ship to be mustered.
-
- The sailors who had stayed on in Sydney demanded £80 for the journey back
- and the guarantee that a ship would be provided for their immediate return
- to Sydney. I paid five to six pounds per month for the men that I
- required.
-
- Yours very faithfully,
- sgd . G . M. Hamilton."
-
- A huge migration wave to America commenced and the shipowners foresaw
- business opportunities. In the following year the most extreme clippers to
- leave the dockyards of Britain were built. These Australian clippers
- required fine lines for the journey across the Atlantic but they also had
- to permit the use of sails during storms in the "Roaring Forties". At this
- time the first clippers appeared. The length-width ratio was increased to
- 7:1. The masts became higher and amounted to almost two thirds of a ships
- length,
-
- Usually they were equipped with fully square sails and provided a sail
- expanse of up to 3,000 square metres with three masts. Towards the end of
- the century fully rigged ships with up to five masts appeared and in
- exceptional cases had even six or seven masts. From 1860 onwards the best
- ships hulls were made of Iron.
-
- The end of the big time of the clippers came with the opening of the Suez
- Canal. Due to the "stinking ditch" as the canal was unkindly called by the
- sailors the Eastern route became also profitable for the steamships. The
- same consequences emerged due to the opening of the Panama Canal. Although
- it would still take until the end of the 19th century before the steamships
- would outnumber sailing ships, the end of sailing vessel shipping was in
- sight.
-
- A final upsurge in sailing vessel shipping was experienced at the beginning
- of the seventies but the sailing ships could no longer keep pace with the
- rapid development of the steamships. The only clipper to survive was the
- "Cutty Sark" and she can still be seen as a relic of a past epoch in a dry
- dock in London.
-
- The American Schooners
-
- Around the middle of the 19th century an increasing number of steamships
- were used by America for coastal trade. The sailing ships were then
- utilized for the transportation of heavy and bulky cargoes such as grain,
- building timber, coal, cotton and various building materials. This
- resulted in an increased demand for bigger schooners able to transport this
- merchandise economically. Up to the year 1870 mainly three- mast schooners
- with a tonnage of 1,000 were used. Their construction was influenced by
- the American mainyard clippers. Since they had been designed specifically
- for special routes and cargoes, with low building and running costs
- compared with the steamships and necessitating a small crew only, they were
- quite capable of competing with the steamships.
-
- From 1870 onwards shipbuilding switched to large schooners. Most
- frequently four-masters up to 1,500 t were built. Five-masted schooners
- above 2,000 t also proved popular and were built mainly with the overseas
- trade in mind. Barring a few exceptions these schooners were completely
- made of wood.
-
- The Steamships
-
- The combined steam/sailing ship "Savannah" managed in 1819 to cross the
- Atlantic for the first time under steam. Oddly enough this machine was
- operable for only 88 hours due to its heavy fuel requirements. The glory
- of the first crossing of the Atlantic with the aid of a steam engine
- belongs to the small steam ship "Sirius". After she had put to sea at Cork
- on 4th April 1838, she arrived at New York on the 22nd April with 40
- passengers on board. She nearly failed to reach America when her coal
- stock ran out and as a result the captain ordered the burning of the
- interior equipment and the rigging. This proved to be necessary since a
- few hours after the "Sirius" arrived, her rival the "Great Western" docked
- alongside.
-
- The struggle for power between sail and steam lasted virtually until the
- turn of the century. Although the steamships were largely independent of
- wind and weather, they had numerous shortcomings. One of the greatest
- problems was their enormous fuel requirement. Due to the large quantity of
- fuel needed the running costs of the steamships were much higher than those
- of the sailing ships. The opening of the Suez Canal and the Panama Canal
- substantially reduced this disadvantage.
-
- Power derived from paddle wheels was a further weakness of the steamships.
- Due to the consumption of combustable materials the ship rose even higher
- out of the water. The paddle wheels then failed to reach their optimum
- immersion depth and the ship noticably lost more power. In heavy seas the
- paddle wheels dipped irregular and the controllerbility of the ship was
- impaired. Often the paddle wheels were severly damaged by the action of
- waves. It was common place for steamships to drift along on the high seas
- for days in such a condition.
-
- The introduction of the propellor which eliminated the disadvantages of
- paddle wheels proved to be a great step forward in nautical development.
- But even this new innovation there were still obstacles to be overcome
- until mature conditions were completely attained.
-
- For a long time the steamships were mainly used for coastal trade. It is
- true to say that there were some well-known atlantic- crossing steamships,
- but the majority only navigated short distances near the coast.
-
- Only after the opening of the Suez Canal and the Panama Canal the big hour
- had struck for the steamships.
-
- At last they could be profitabley used for the Eastern voyages and for
- shuffle traffic along the Western and Eastern coasts of the United States.
- In spite of everything there was only a tonnage of 3.5 millions of
- steamships compared with an 18 million tonnage worldwide in the year 1880.
- The demise of the sailing ships loomed but did not actually take place
- until the end of the 19th century. In the year 1900 the turning point was
- reached and compared with 16,000 steamships with a registered tonnage of
- more than 22 million worldwide there were only 12,000 sailing ships left
- with a total registered tonnage of 6.5 million. Within a century steam
- power had ousted the sailing ships which had dominated for thousands of
- years.
-
- Wood as a Burning Material
-
- For centuries wood had been the material traditionally used in
- shipbuilding. The art of wood processing for shipbuilding had been
- perfected based on long tradition and experience. Oak wood was considered
- most suitable for ships. For the building of a ship huge quantities of
- wood were required. At the beginning of the 19th. century one tonne of
- wood was used per ship's tonne. In the case of warships the wood
- requirement was double. Half of the wood, however, was lost during
- processing. Especially in Britain good wood for ships became very
- expensive in the 19th century as the native forests had been depleted.
- Therefore, the British were forced to import oak wood from Canada or the
- Adriatic countries. It was, therefore, not surprising that Iron ships
- increasingly gained importance in Britain.
-
- For large ships massive wood thicknesses were required in order to obtain
- the necessary strength of the hull.
-
- The larger the ship, the bigger the "forest" of spatial supports, side
- keelsons and suspension elbow braces. Stowing of the cargo, therefore
- became a considerable problem. Accordingly it was soon decided to use Iron
- for elbows, beams and spatial supports. Due to the higher strength of the
- material it was possible to save space, This nmethod was mainly applied in
- Great Britain whilst the Americans continued to build their ships nearly
- exclusively out of wood. As a result the American ships tended to be
- somewhat larger than the British ones. Whilst the English built few wooden
- ships over 1,000 t around the middle of the century, so many large wooden
- ships were launched in America that the launching of a such ships were
- hardly taken notice of. The largest and most sensational ship built in
- America was the "Great Republic". She was originally designed for 4,555 t
- but following a fire shortly after completion she was modified to provide a
- tonnage of 3,357.
-
- Many English shipbuilders bought ships from the United States or Canada
- during the time of the boom around 1850.
-
- The English dockyards had the advantage that they did not have to cater for
- larger ships so that there was still a demand for their similar ships
- during the subsequent depression.
-
- Ships Made From Iron
-
- As with any other technical innovation, iron needed some time to prevail on
- the market as a material for shipbuilding, Iron had been used in wooden
- vessels for supports, elbows and beams. Regarding the fully rigged iron
- ships most shipowners were very scepical in the beginning. Moreover, the
- manufacture of ships from iron required re-thinking and traditional wood
- shipbuilders were not suited to the task. Accordingly the art of
- shipbuilding was mainly developed by former mechanical engineers.
-
- The advancement a of the iron ships proceeded slowly but irresistably
- around 1850. More and more shipowners allowed themselves to be convinced
- regarding the advantages of this novel construction method. The
- shipbuilder Alexander Stephens Jr. described in 1858 the essential
- advantages of an iron ship in listing the following five points:-
-
- 1. Prime cost lower than that of a ship made of wood of the same class.
-
- 2. In many ranges of voyages iron ships offered the advantage of ensuring
- safer transportation.
-
- 3. Considerably greater loading capacity.
-
- 4. Durability.
-
- 5. Efficiency in maintenance. Elimination of high bills due to wood rot.
-
- A great advantage was the increased loading capacity. Due to leaving out
- of many supports and beams which were required to give strength to a wooden
- ship more stowing room remained for the cargo. Also it was easier to stow
- the cargo than in the tangle of wooden hull supports. The wall thickness
- of a wooden ship were considerably thicker.
-
- Estimates revealed that compared with a 500 t capacity of a wooden ship a
- similar ship made of iron could carry 600 t.
-
- A further considerable argument in favour of iron ships was their
- stability. An iron hull could withstand greater stresses than a wooden
- hull.
-
- But iron ships had their disadvantages, too. Bilge water within the cargo
- space caused corrosion. A layer of Portland cement or asphalt was needed
- to prevent this. Difficulties with the ventilation of the cargo space
- contaminated many a cargo in the early years.
-
- A special problem was the deflection of the compass caused by the quantity
- of iron in the hull. Only the endeavours of scientists would eventually
- solve this problem.
-
- An especially annoying and persistant problem was the fouling at the bottom
- of the ship. The iron of the hull seemed to attract sea pocks. Often sea
- pocks were removed by the tonne from the bottom of a ship in dry dock.
- Excessive fouling reduced the speed of a ship by three to four knots. In
- order to avoid this and to prevent more extensive damage an iron ship was
- put into dry dock once or even twice a year so that the hull could be
- scraped and provided with an anti-foul coat.
-
- Due to the more easily attainable strength of the hull it was possible to
- build larger ships. In the case of iron ships the length width ratio was
- increased to 7:1. Although iron could never replace wood in the case of
- the sailing ships, it finally made the breakthough in steamships from 1870
- onwards.
-
- The Composite Clipper
-
- An extremely unpleasant characteristic of the iron ships was as previously
- pointed out the fouling of the hull. Especially in tropical waters the
- iron skin was particularly badly affected. With wooden ships such fouling
- was largely avoided by copper plate protection. From the year 1840 copper
- was substituted by a copper zinc alloy which remained free of fouling for
- up to ten years. Iron ships, however, could not be mounted with copper
- since in salt water a galvanic corrosion occurs between iron and copper.
-
- These difficulties resulted in the first trials of a composite construction
- which was to combine the advantages of both construction methods.
-
- The identity of the first composite ship can no longer be safely
- established. In general the steamship "Assam" completed in India in 1839
- was considered the first composite ship. During the course of the years
- many patents existed in this field. Each shipbuilder had his own designs.
- Such a ship consisted mainly of iron and only the outer planks were
- manufactured of wood. The wooden planks were lined with copper or brass.
- The bar keel was made from wood. A special skill was the fastening of the
- wooden planks with copper rivets which were not allowed to be in contact
- with the iron.
-
- From 1860 onwards many excellent ships of this design were built such as
- the "Taeping", the "Ariel", the "Sobraon", the "Thermopylae" and the "Cutty
- Sark". In 1861 the Lloyds Register Committee even granted a higher
- classification for composite ships which further contributed to their high
- reputation. They were excellent ships but they did have one disadvantage.
- They were so expensive to build that not every shipowner could to afford
- them. Thus they remained much noticed and praised but they could not oust
- either wooden or iron ships.
-
- Shipyards and Shipbuilders
-
- Shipbuilders and shipyards were as well-known in the 19th century as the
- automotive manufacturers of today. Their products were noted and
- discussed. One must not forget in this connection that for practically
- every shipyard the main business consisted of the building of small ships
- well below 1,000 tonnes. Although we tend to read today about the large
- and fast sailing ships, the daily bread for each shipyard was earned by the
- building of normal small ships for the average shipowner.
-
- One of the most well known shipbuilders of his time was Donald McKay. His
- shipyard in Boston produced above average many famous and successful ships.
- McKay was not only a gifted shipbuilder but he was also one of the first to
- introduce machinery such as steam-driven tilting saws and lathes. These
- machines enabled him to reduce building time and keep his production costs
- low. His ships were well-known and respected everywhere and they were sold
- throughout the world. On the McKay shipyard the largest mainly wooden
- construction ship "The Great Republic" was built.
-
- Some of the best known ships of Donald McKay
- were the following:-
-
- STAGHOUND (1,534t),FLYINGCLOUD(1,728 t), SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS (2,421 t),
- GREAT REPUBLIC (4,555 t and 3,357 t respectively), LIGHTING
- (1,468t),JAMESBAlNES (2,275t), CHAMPION OF THE SEAS (1,947 t) and the
- DONALD MCKAY (2,408 t).
-
- Great Britain's most famous shipyard was that of Alexander Hall & Sons in
- Aberdeen. In 1830 the brothers James and William Hall took over the firm
- from their father. Their fame began with the building of the "Scottish
- Maid" in the year 1839.
-
- She was completed in 1866 and sailed the seas until 1941.
-
- She was the first ship with the exemplary Aberdeen bow. The new hull shape
- was to influence a whole generation of fast sailing ships. The ships of
- this design were very fast and yielded tax advantages since the new
- dimensioning ruling in 1836. During many drag tests with true-to-scale
- models in large glass tanks the Hall brothers perfected their new hull
- shape. The ships painted in the traditional "Aberdeen Green" enjoyed great
- popularity all over the world. During the second half of the 19th.
- century some of the best iron sailing ships also came from the Aberdeen
- shipyard. Well- known ships from this dockyard were the
- following:-STORNOWAY (527 t), CHRYSOLITE (440 t), CAIRNGORM (939 t),
- SCHOMBERG (2,284 t), REINDEER (965 t) SOBRAON (2,131 BRT) and the CALYPSO
- (1,061 BRT).
-
- In the port of Galveston in Texas one can still admire to this day the only
- intact sailing ship of the Hall brothers. This is the iron bark "Elissa"
- with 430 BRT built in 1877.
-
- This ship was restored at a cost of one million dollars and since 1982 has
- been sailing the seas in its original condition.
-
- It would be too difficult to mention here all good shipbuilders of the
- 19th. century. But one must not forget the Alexander Stephens & Sons
- shipyard in Scotland. With the fully-rigged iron ship "Storm Cloud" a ship
- was launched in 1854 which caught all eyes. She was built in accordance
- with the plans of Alexander Stephens at the shipyards own risk. With a
- long, sharp and concave bow she was practicaily the transposition of the
- wave theory by Russell. In 1855 her sister ship "White Eagle" put to sea.
-
- Another well known shipbuilder was William Rennie. He was co-owner of the
- shipyard of Rennie, Johnson & Rankine in Liverpool Among his other ships
- the "Sappho" (359 t) and the "Fiery Cross" (688 t) set speed records.
- Despite these fast clippers the shipyard went bankrupt in 1855.
-
- Some of the best clippers originated from the Robert Steele & Co.
- shipyard. These tea clippers were built especially for the China voyages
- and they achieved some of the fastest passages to and from China. They
- offered the advantage of sailing quickly in light winds as well as in
- strong ones. A tea race of "Taeping" against "Ariel" (both built by Robert
- Steele) made history. The best ships from this dockyard were TAEPING (724
- t), ARIEL (853 t), SIR LANCELOT (847 t) and TITANIA (880 t) all of which
- were composite ships.
-
- Fate of the Famous Ships
-
- Ships and especially sailing ships, were credited with all possible and
- impossible characteristics, but never was a ship regarded by sailors as an
- inanimate object. Many stories about the proud sailing ships were told,
- some true and others invented. Each ship had a special fate, often a
- tragic one. Even though the ships themselves have disappeared long ago,
- their stories and fame live on. The life stories of some well-known ships
- are descibed in more detail as follows
-
- The Flight around Cape Horn
-
- In the year 1848 the whole of America was alarmed by the news "Gold in
- California". Within a shortest possible time the gold fever seized
- everybody in America. Numerous sections of the population of the East
- coast dreamt of quick riches waiting for them on the West coast. The only
- obstacle, however, was the journey to the West. Since the Journey over
- land was not a practicable, this left only the sea voyage around Cape Horn.
- At the time of the gold rush innumerable ships were built for the
- transportation of people, equipment and provisions.
-
- Such a voyage promised enormous profit and it was, therefore, small wonder
- that the shipyards were almost unable to cope with the orders. For exactly
- this purpouse the 1,783 t "Flying Cloud" was built in 1851 in the dockyard
- of Donald McKay in Boston.
-
- She put to sea on the 2nd, June 1851 at New York under Captain Josiah
- Perkins Creesy. Heavy storms caused the ship problems. With fine weather
- restored, she reached a run (the distance covered per day from midday to
- midday ) of an incredible 325 nautical miles at a maximum speed of 18
- knots. No other ship had sailed so fast up to that day. With the absolute
- and unbeaten time of 89 days and 21 hours she put into the port of San
- Fransisco under full sail. As the gold a diggers and the sailors, who also
- wanted to try their luck in the gold fields were in a special hurry, the
- sails were not reefed as usual upon entry in the harbour.
-
- Some over-hasty people even jumped off board in order to avoid losing time.
- The "Flying Cloud". then crossed the Pacific Ocean, took on a cargo of tea
- in Canton and returned to New York as a proud record holder.
-
- The Great Tea Race
-
- The British had always been enthusiastic supporters of bets. This betting
- passion was also practised on the tea clippers and enormous sums were
- placed on certain ships. Generous premiums for the first cargo of tea of a
- new season brought ashore were paid for by the tea merchants and sold at
- especially high prices. Thus real tea races took place every year between
- the fastest ships. The last and most well known tea race took place in
- 1866. Referred to in the history of shipping as the "Great Tea Race".
-
- In May of this year 16 clippers were at anchor in Fu Tschou. Five of these
- ships were classed as favourites for the imminent race, namely the four
- times winner "Fiery Cross", the "Taeping", the "Serica", the "Taitsing" and
- the "Ariel"
-
- With great haste the first crates of tea were stowed away and on the 28th.
- May the "Ariel" put to sea first with 1,108,000 pounds of tea aboard. It
- was the bad luck of the ship that she had taken an unreliable pilot on
- board. She, therefore, lost her lead and was overtaken by the "Fiery
- Cross". During the crossing of the Equator "Fiery Cross", "Ariel" and
- "Taeping" were equally placed even though they were out of sight of each
- other.
-
- On the 5th. September "Ariel" and "Taeping" reached the coast of Southern
- England almost at the same time. The "Fiery Cross" had already been
- beaten. At Dungerness the "Ariel" was the first ship to ask for a pilot.
- The captain of the "Taeping" was going to snatch away the pilot and only a
- daring run in front of the bow on the pact of the "Ariel" prevented this.
-
- But she was unlucky once again, this time with the tugboat which was to tow
- her up the Thames. Helplessly the crew had to look on as the "Taeping"
- went past. She reached the London dock a few minutes before "Ariel"
-
- According to the rules however, the race was only then finished when the
- last crate of tea was brought ashore. Tension was maintained. In the
- meantime the price of tea had dropped sharply in London. Therefore the
- owners of both ships agreed to share the premium before it was possibly
- cancelled, and although the "Ariel" had unloaded her cargo first the
- "Taeping" was declared the winner. During this year over ten million
- pounds of tea were brought ashore within a few days. This caused the
- prices to drop to such an extent that a regular tea race was never again
- staged. However, the competitions of well-known ships for the fastest
- voyage home were still held as before.
-
- The "Thermopylae" was designed by Bernard Waymouth and built in the year
- 1868 in Aberdeen by Walter Hood & Co. She was a composite ship with a
- length of 64 metres and 947 t. As an extreme clipper she reached a run of
- 348 nautical miles with a maximum speed of 26 knots. She was planned to be
- used as a China clipper for tea passages.
-
- On her maiden voyage she broke all records in all sections. She achieved
- the voyage from Fu Tschou to London (the famous tea run) in 91 days though
- the "Sir Lancelot" lowered this record two weeks later. On her voyages to
- Australia she normally managed in 69 days and on her tea voyages she
- reached an excellant average of 106.5 days. This made her a typical
- example of the beautiful and efficient clippers of composite design.
-
- In 1887 her masts were shortened and in 1892 she was re-rigged to serve as
- a bark. After serving as a Portugnese training-ship she was sunk by a
- Portuguese torpedo.
-
- The Last Witness - the "Cutty Sark"
-
- It may safely be said that the best known clipper today is the "Cutty
- Sark". She is also the only surviving clipper of the big time and tells
- the story of the good old days of the sailing ships in her dry dock in
- Greenwich. As an active ship she achieved the record, for her voyage from
- Sydney to London in only 79 days.
-
- She was built in 1869 as an extreme clipper with a length of 64 metres and
- 921 t. Towards the end of the second clipper boom she was one of the last
- ships built for speed. Although she was never brilliant during the China
- voyages her trips to Australia were still remarkably fast. In order to
- reach full capacity, however, she still needed strong and constant winds.
-
- In 1895 she was sold to Portugal and re named "Ferreira". Captain Dowman
- bought her in 1922 and refurbished the rigging which had been altered. In
- 1954 she went into her own dry dock in Greenwich once again under her own
- name "Cutty Sark" and she has been preserved as a national monument for
- admiring future generations as the only surviving extreme clipper.
-
- The Unlucky Giant
-
- The steamer "Great Eastern" was to impress the world. Designed by the
- famous Sir Isambard Kingdom Brunel this ship was ahead of its time by over
- forty years. The building of this "Giant of the Seas" began in 1854 Her
- length came to a ledgendary 211 metres. She had two paddle wheels with a
- diameter of 17 metres and a 7.3 metre propellor at the stern. Five funnels
- and six masts with a sail expanse of 5,400 square metres. Based on ten
- watertight sections and a double bottom the ship was to be made unsinkable.
- Indeed she never sank despite all the misfortune she suffered the only
- thing the "Great Eastern" did not have was good luck.
-
- Misfortune began when one day a riverter and an apprentice disappeared, The
- workers believed that both had been encased in the double bottom by
- accident where the riveting hammers drowned their cries for help. Their
- request to open up the bottom once again was rejected for cost reasons.
- From that time onward the ship was hounded by bad luck. The first
- launching took three months.
-
- All manner of things happened until in the end the giant floated on the
- Thames. The first company were declared bankrupt because of increased iron
- prices and the second was ruined by the cost of the fittings. The day
- before the ship sailed Brunel collapsed with a stroke during a photographic
- session. He died a week later at the age of 53. On the same day five
- people died when a funnel exploded during the transfer trip. Besides
- everything else the captain drowned when his boat capsized on the way to
- the landing stage. Since such an accident before or during the maiden
- voyage was a bad omen the reputation of a jinxed ship stuck to the "Great
- Eastern". The third company also pulled out.
-
- The famous shipowner Sir Samuel Cunard then took over the ship as the new
- owner.
-
- At last on the 16th June 1860 the "Great Eastern" started her maiden voyage
- with only 38 paying passengers and a crew of 418 men aboard, not a
- profitable undertaking. However, her arrival in New York was celebrated by
- thousands of enthusiastic people. An outing was arranged and enormous
- prices were charged but only 300 beds were available for the 2000
- passengers. The outing was eventful with a burst pipe spoiling the
- provisions and due to a navigational error the "Great Eastern" went badly
- off course.
-
- On the return voyage to England the series of mishaps continued. A drive
- shaft broke down, two people drowned when "The Great Eastern" became
- entangled with the hawser of a small ship and as a conclusion she also
- rammed the "Blendheim". She crossed the North Atlantic for four years and
- was involved in accidents again and again causing enormous repair costs.
-
- In 1864 Cunard gave up as well and auctioned the ship off at a ridiculous
- price which did not even cover cost of the last repair. She was converted
- to a cable-laying ship for the first undersea cable from Europe to America,
- but when special cable-laying vessels were built in 1874 she was sold
- again.
-
- In 1888 she was finally scrapped with the aid of specially designed
- tooling. To the horror of the workers the skeletons of the riveter and his
- apprentice who had disappeared were, indeed found in the double bottom.
- Everybody was now convinced that the dead were the reason for the lasting
- bad luck of the "Great Eastern". It was not until 1899 that a larger ship
- was built again.
-
- BASIC PRINCIPLES OF SHIPBUILDING
- --------------------------------
-
- The layman often looks upon sailing ships as untidy vessels which are
- burdened with useless ropes and undefinable rigging. In reality extremely
- strict order prevails. Even the smallest part has its place and each
- manual function has to be carried out in a certain manner. Only in this
- way was it possible to carry out vital manoeuvres practically blind, in the
- night or in heavy seas. Even on ships with dubious crews, order was
- maintained since every sailor knew that his life could depend on such
- order. He had to be able to rely on everything being in the proper place
- in the same way that he relied on the man before him having fixed a rope
- properly when he balanced at giddy heights above stormy seas. It was no
- problem for the sailor to recognise and name the innumerable elements of a
- sailing ship right off the bat. Also the non seafaring population of the
- 19th century was quite able to tell the difference between a bark and a
- fully rigged ship. One could tell sailing ships apart in the same way as
- nearly everybody can make a distinction between leading car makes nowadays
-
- Life on Board
-
- There is much to report on about life aboard a ship even though there are
- not many authentic contemporary reports available. Additionally the
- reports of that time are romantically coloured and exaggerate or understate
- the dangers and joys of life aboard One has to bear in mind that shipping
- in the 19th century and everything connected with it was very much in the
- centre of public interest. Departure schedules were always issued and the
- deeds of famous captains were constantly talked about.
-
- Work on Mailships
-
- Nowadays it is often presumed that the profession of a sailor required no
- qualifications, but in actual fact it was a very demanding and
- instructional profession in which one had to learn everything from scratch.
- Captains especially, who in most cases started their career as ordinary
- sailors, were extremely respected persons.
-
- To work on mail ships men of special calibre were required. They had to
- carry out hard work even in bad weather, put up with bad food and little
- sleep and often suffer rough treatmnent from a strict captain.
-
- To run a mail ship required two to three dozen such men. The crew was
- responsible to the captain, the first coxswain and the second coxswain
- Additionally a carpenter, a cook a boatswain, some cabin boys and one or
- two stewards belonged to the crew. A capable sailor had to be well versed
- in many a trade. He had to be able to handle sails, booms and ropes, forge
- hooks and rings and work as a carpenter or weaver during repair jobs. The
- sailors work, therefore, was in no way limited to setting and hauling down
- sails.
-
- The crew was split into two watches taking turns. In charge was always one
- of the two coxswains. One sailor had to be at the helm at all times. In
- stormy seas it was often necessary for two sailors to hold the rudder.
- They had to brave the waves beating over board and sometimes they faced the
- danger of being washed over board. The crows nest too, at the bow was
- constantly manned. This was a pleasant job in fine weather but pure hell
- in bad weather. Part of the crew was continually busy doing maintenance
- work. To knock rust off the anchor was frequently a punishing job. The
- most monotonous of all work, however, was the scrubbing of the deck. Every
- morning this work was carried out at the commeucement of the morning watch
- at 04.00 hours. It was considered to be a matter of honour to execute all
- work without objections and grumbling. In order to ease frequent
- monotonous work the sailors sang appropriate songs. For each activity
- there was a rhythmic shanty which exactly sited the rhythm of the work and
- was often over one hundred years old. Especially popular and respected
- were the sailors who were able to incorporate in the words of the songs the
- char- acteristics of individual crew members.
-
- Normally the watch was relieved every four hours. In his leisure time
- there was hardly any diversity for the sailor. When there was a storm the
- rest period was often interrupted by the shout "All Men". In spite of
- hardship and danger the sailors on mail ships earned very little. Since
- most of them spent there money on alcohol and women, only few sailors
- managed to provide for old age. Therefore, in most cases sailors ended up
- as dossers in some seaport town.
-
- Few were offered the possibility of promotion from sailor to coxswain.
- Most officers on mail ships were ordinary sailors before. The second
- coxswain could possibly be promoted to first coxswain, Usually such
- promotion was effected at the age of thirty years. The first coxswain was
- responsible for navigation and cargo. Beyond that he had to have a wide
- all round knowledge in order to take the place of the captain in an
- emergency. Approximately every third coxswain could hope to be given the
- position of captain, but whoever was not a captain by the age of 35 years,
- remained third coxswain and normally turned out to be a very strict
- superior.
-
- Old Salts of the Land
-
- After months of hard work and having been cooped up on a ship, the sailors
- craved for any kind of fun. One voyages pay was nearly always spent in one
- day on alcohol and prostitutes. The seaport towns offered many
- opportunities to spend money. Around the harbour the place was alive with
- inns, cheap and nasty theatres and brothels.
-
- Numerous public houses invited you to indulge in enormous drinking bouts.
- The different entertainment places outbid each other in an attempt to
- promote business with the sailors. It is mentioned in reports about a
- famous Liverpool establishment that their patrons could inhale from
- containers filled with laughing gas in order to get them into a euphoric
- and generous mood after a few puffs.
-
- Among the entertainment establishments there were the pawnbrokers shops
- easily recognisable by three golden-coloured balls by the door. Often the
- last pair of trousers were pawned here in order to obtain money for last
- drink. Tattooing salons also offered their services. The sailors liked to
- have their upper bodies and arms decorated with all imaginable pictures.
- Especially popular was a big cross which was to take care of a Christian
- burial in the event that the corpse was washed up on some heathen coast.
-
- As soon as money ran short the pleasures came to a sudden end. Often the
- insolvent sailors were handed over by the pub landlords to agents. When
- once sober the sailor found himself on a strange ship putting to sea. The
- landlord and the agent received a payment for this which was later deducted
- from the sailors wages.
-
- Last Anchorage
-
- Most sailors failed to manage to provide for their old age. The purse
- strings were far too loose during stays on land with alcohol, women and
- pleasures too tempting. The sailors finished up as dossers in seaport
- towns and often died on the street. With effect from 1833 a protective
- haven was offered to sailors by the Sailors Snug harbour which provided a
- chance for pleasant and Secure retirement. This Sailors home was founded
- on Staten Island and it was financed with the estate left by the ship owner
- John Randall. Its objective was to take care of old and needy sailors.
-
- "They took me in because I am a cripple. They washed and shaved me and
- gave me a room which was as clean as the captahis cabin on a warship and
- they said' Here you will be well and safely looked after for good!". Thus
- wrote a sailor in his memoirs who found refuge in Snug Harbour.
-
- The destitute sailors were accommodated in comfortable rooms and provided
- with good food. A doctor and a nurse looked after their physical well
- being. With different kinds of work the sailors were able to earn some
- welcome pocket money. Alcohol was absolutely taboo for the residents
- inside and outside the home. Violation of this rule was punished with the
- withdrawal of the chance to work, house arrest or smoking ban. There was a
- similar punishment for non- attendance of church services. Most people
- accepted their obligations willingly since it secured for them a protected
- and pleasant retirement.
-
- The Life of the Captains
-
- As no other, the profession of a captain was surrounded by romantic charm
- during the 19th. century. The representatives of this profession enjoyed
- a high social prestige and associated with well situated circles. It was
- quite customary to invite captains to social gatherings of the so- called
- high society. For especially fast crossings or other achievements, the
- captains as well as their ships received praise in the newspapers. Many
- people sought out their company and some passenger planned their voyage in
- such a way that they could be at sea with their favourite captain.
-
- The captains of mail ships led a pleasant and luxurious life on land. Many
- of them were the owners of magnificent mansions and they stayed at elegant
- hotels.
-
- Even their attire displayed a certain elegance. The mail ship captains
- earned especially good money as they shared in the considerable profit.
- For example they received prime money amounting to 5 % approx of the
- freight charges as well as 25 % of the fares of the passengers. Some
- captains even received the whole charge of mail consignments. It was
- customary on many ships to place at the captains disposal a small part of
- the cargo space to enable him to conduct his own business. Therefore,
- their earnings were often thirty times as much as those of a sailor.
-
- But such money has to be well-earned in the first place. Although the
- captain could delegate such tasks to his coxswains, the responsibility was
- always his. In order to adhere to sailing times or to break the reeords of
- other ships and captains, each bit of sail had to be raised. In doing so
- the ship was not to be seriously damaged. Frequently daring decisions were
- called for which verged on the narrow edge between irresponsibility and the
- pleasure in taking risks. The necessity to get the ship ahead all of the
- time was such an ordeal for mail ships' captains that hardly any captain
- stood the pace of transatlantic routes longer than five years. Upon the
- first signs of a drop in performance a captain would be dismissed by the
- shipowner. Therefore, many captains left voluntarily before it came to
- this. If savings sufficed, a captain could go into retirement.
-
- Many captains took on new activities such as ships inspector for insurance
- companies or advisor to shipbuilders.
-
- Captain H. Marshall was the proverbial exception to the five year rule.
- The gruff and cantankerous captain spent altogether 27 years at sea and he
- was a mail ship captain for 12 years. He was born in the son of an old
- whaler family Nantucket. At the age of 24 year he was already appointed as
- captain of the 350 t ship "Julius Caesar ". During his course of duty he
- distinguished himself as a great go getter. In 1822 he commenced duty as a
- mail captain with the Black Ball Line. In 1834 he acquired the major
- portion of shares within the company, settled in New York and managed the
- business from there. He was a famous example of how far a captain could
- advance.
-
- Another famous captain was Samuel Samuels. So many passengers wanted to
- sail with this infamous man that tickets for his ship had to be booked a
- season in advance. With his 1,400 ton luxury mail ship "Dreadnought" he
- sailed the transatlantic route
-
- Samuels made the shipping agents a unique offer. He was so convinced of
- being able to adhere to the running times that he offered to pay back the
- freight charges in case the cargo was not delivered on time. Supposedly he
- never faced the embarrassing situation of having to fulfill his offer.
- Sailors often rumoured that Captain Samuels probably knew a secret route
- between New York and Liverpool.
-
- Another famous captain was Nathaniel Brown Palmer affection- ately known as
- Captain Nat. The man from Connecticut went to sea for the first time when
- he was 14 years old and he became captain of the mail ship "Garrick" at the
- age of 38. Furthurmore he was a partner of the Dramatic Line which owned
- this ship. When in the harbour of New York he liked to display his
- nautical skills.
-
- Whilst all the other ships arranged for the putting into and leaving the
- port to be made easier by using tug boats, he insisted on sticking to the
- old method of sailing into and out of the harbour under his own power with
- great public interest. In 1840 he managed the crossing from Liverpool to
- New York in only 15 days with the "Siddon". This record was never broken
- by another mail ship.
-
- Travel in The Luxury Class
-
- Cabin passengers could expect the sort of luxury on their travels which
- compared with the better hotels. So reports an enthusiastic journalist in
- 1843 after inspecting a mail ship's facilities. No salon or boudoir on
- land displays better white and gold colours, as in the time of Ludwig XIV
- or XV, the dining room of the "Marco Polo" as follows:- "The ceiling is
- panelled with maple wood and the square support columns are encased with
- decorated and silver-plated glass on which coins from different countries
- represent a novelty".
-
- Both the furnishings and the meals were lush and extravagant. According to
- a contemporary report the breakfast served at nine o'clock consisted of
- "Black tea, coffee, biscuits, fish, chicken, lamb and eggs". Lunch
- consisted of a large selection of cold meats. The main meal was served at
- four o'clock in the afternoon and often lasted hours.
-
- On the menu were "Soups, fresh lamb, beef, pork and sometimes veal,
- chicken, bacon, plum pudding, preserves and cakes". For desert different
- nuts and frits were served and drinks such included Madeira, Port and
- Bordeaux, Frequently real champagne was put onto the table. On some ships
- dinner was served again at seven o'clock. In the period between meals,
- which must have been short for some passengers, there were different ways
- to pass the time. A popular pastime was chasing rats and also shooting at
- bottles with rifles or pistols. Sometimes daring passengers, would jump
- overboard and swim around the ship. On some ships there were even
- orchestras, Then of course there were popular games such as draughts,
- dominoes, chess, backgammon, whist and poker. At that time the custom of
- placing bets on the number of kilometres sailed per day was also
- introduced. If famous actors were on board, for instance Tyrone Power who
- crossed the Atlantic often, private performances contributed to the
- entertainment of the passengers. The fun and the pleasure was spoiled only
- during dead calm or storm.
-
- In such situations the sea voyage could be torture for even cabin
- passengers.
-
- Pilot on Board
-
- On the open sea countless dangers lurked for the ship. But these dangers
- were not over when approaching a port. Entering port represented an
- obstacle run between shifting sandbanks and changing currents with the
- constant risk of running aground. Especially demanding for the captains
- was the port of New York, a distance of 25 miles from the fireship Sandy
- Hook to the piers on the East river. Therefore, most captains made use of
- a harbour pilot to ensure safe entry. These pilots knew everything about
- shallows and currents. They managed to cope well with the often
- temperamental winds and they could tell a sandbank which had shifted after
- a storm by slight changes in the colour of the water. Correspondingly
- their judgment was highly appreciated. With the subtle intuition they knew
- how to guide the ships entrusted to them safely into the harbour.
-
- With effect from 1837 the New York Harbour Authority made it compulsory for
- ships to take a pilot aboard prior to entering New York harbour and imposed
- a fine on every captain who entered without one.
-
- As soon as the fireship "Sandy Hook" was sighted the captain called for a
- pilot by using flare signals. With up to eighteen pilot boats continuously
- cruising off the coast, three to four boats would immediately set course
- for the ship wishing to be put into port. Races often took place as the
- pilot who reached the ship first was always awarded with the assignment.
-
- Depending on the size of the ship, the pilot demanded 20 to 25 dollars for
- his work. Many pilots brought along the latest newspapers, fresh laundry
- for the captain and also freshly caught fish The pilots did not take
- command of the ship, but the captain based his instructions on the advice
- of the pilot. Slowly but surely they then proceeded in the direction of
- the port. The pilots did not attach any importance to speed as their
- reputation depended only on how safely they guided their ships into port.
- A voyage from Sandy Hook to the harbour normally lasted 24 hours but it
- could take days or even weeks in storms.
-
- Catastrophes at Sea
-
- Mail ships were very much endangered at sea. This was not because they
- were built badly, but because the captains often had to take, risks in
- order to adhere to the running times For a mail ship, bad weather was not a
- reason to heave to, or to delay the start the voyage
-
- On the 1st April 1822 the 434 ton mail ship the "Albion" left the port of
- New York. She was a robustly built and well-proved ship serving the Black
- Ball line, sailing under the command of Captain John Williams. He was 37
- years old and at the height of his career. He was the unofficial commodore
- on the Black Ball fleet. Within the excellent time of 21 days the ship
- reached the Irish coast in pleasant weather But then the visibility
- deteriorated and white squalls appeared. Towards the evening the storm
- changed to hurricane conditions and the ship was seized by a huge wave and
- slung to the side. Many passengers were injured and the main mast, the top
- of the mizzen mast and the front of the Marsstenge broke off. The
- lifeboats, the deckhouse, quarterdeck equipment, compasses and all axes
- were washed overboard. Six crew members and passengers were swept into the
- sea. Without the rudder the ship was no longer controllerble and was
- carried by the waves. At about one o`clock in the morning the end was in
- sight. The captain declared the ship lost. The first coxswain said later:
- "At that moment our situation was undescribable. I dare not think of the
- horror nor do I want to tell the details".
-
- At three o`clock in the morning the "Albion" crashed against some rocks on
- the shore. The ship broke apart, the captain was swept overboard and came
- to an end in gale-lashed sea.
-
- Only a few people managed to escape to the cliffs where they held on for
- dear life. It was only after several hours that the storm abated and some
- helpers managed to free the survivors from their precarious situation with
- the aid of ropes.
-
- The seas proved their power in other ways, too. Some ships for instance
- disappeared without trace on high seas. In November 1844 the 650 t "United
- States" and a week later the 729 t "England" left Liverpool harbour.
- Although both ships were considered reliable they never arrived in New
- York, their destination. On the 7th. March 1845 they were finally listed
- as missing.
-
- On the 24th August 1848 the 1,301 t "Ocean Monarch" put to sea from
- Liverpool. There were large quantities of cargo and nearly 400 passengers
- on board. Still in the channel the ship met with the 1,404 t "New World".
- A race between both ships was imminent. But round about lunchtime a fire
- broke out in the rear section of the ship. Within a short time the entire
- aft the rear of the ship was burning. All attempts to extinguish the fire
- achieved nothing. Two boats could be lowered into the water and the first
- coxswain, some crew members and some passengers were able to save
- themselves. The other boats burned before they could be lowered But it was
- a blessing in disguise that the "Ocean Monarch" was still close to shore
- where many ships were about. The life boats of these ships fished the
- survivors out of the water. The ship was completely destroyed by fire.
- Nearly half the passengers and crew lost their lives, but the reminder were
- rescued.
-
- In most cases the insufficient number of life boats was responsible for the
- tragic outcome of many a disaster at sea. If one had secured a much sought
- after place in the boat, this did not mean ultimate safety. The boats were
- often overloaded and liable to sink. Often macabre fights developed in a
- boat promising salvation. Especially horrible is the story of a life boat
- on the "William Brown" which collided with an iceberg in June 1841. The
- life boat, over which coxswain Alexander Holmes had taken command was
- hopelessly overloaded. Holmes ordered the crew to throw sixteen passengers
- overboard. The first to go over- board was a man called Frank Carr.
- Despite his fervent pleas to have mercy on him, he was thrown into the sea.
- Horrified, his youngest sister Mary called: "If you throw him out, throw
- me out as well. I want to die in the same way as my brother. Please do
- not separate me from my brother." Promptly she was taken at her words and
- also thrown overboard without hesitation, together with another sister. A
- little later the life boat was sighted by a ship and the passengers were
- taken aboard. The witness accounts of the surviving and horrified
- passengers later led to the conviction of Holmes for manslaughter
-
- The Lifeboat Pioneer
-
- Life boats were not built to withstand rough handling. Many were wrecked
- during hectic lowering onto the water. Furthermore, they were not
- seaworthy on stormy waters. They keeled over easily and high waves the
- boats to sink quickly.
-
- Joseph Francis from Boston dedicated his life to the improvement of life
- boats. At the age of eighteen he won a prize for designing an unsinkable
- rowing boat, the bow and the stern of which were filled with cork.
-
- He went to New York to find buyers for his invention and to continue his
- work on better life boats. Up to 1837 his success was very modest but in
- that year he introduced his newest invention to the public and the press in
- a spectacular way. His new boat had cork chambers at the bow and the stern
- and also additional air chambers made from copper at the sides and
- underneath the benches. On the sides lifelines made it possible for up to
- 40 persons to hang onto the boat. The boat was turned around and the water
- drained away quickly through the perforated bottom. Attempts to sink the
- boat failed. Following this demonstration and other similar and successful
- ones, Francis was able to look forward to a secure future. Already in 1840
- it was compulsory for all American warships to have Francis' life boats
- aboard. During the following years he perfected his life boat by
- substituting metal for wood.
-
- His next invention was a recovery vehicle. It was to facilitate the saving
- of passengers from ships aground close to a coast. To date it was often
- not possible to reach these ships from the shore since the rescue boats
- would have been destroyed in the stormy surf
-
- The new rescue vessel was an enclosed metal boat with space for up to five
- persons. By means of a hawser harpooned from the shore to the ship the
- vessel was securely pulled along above the raging sea.
-
- The Pioneer of Steam Shipping
-
- In the first years of mail boat shipping it was taken into consideration as
- to whether steamships could fulfil their task in a better and more rational
- way. They were of course largely independent from the wind and it was
- widely believed that their machines would not withstand the stresses of
- such a voyage.
-
- Junius Smith believed in steam ships and wanted to open a steam ship line
- across the Atlantic. He travelled across to New York in order to find
- financial backers for his undertaking. Greatly disappointed, by the
- unwillingness of New York financiers to take risks, he returned to London.
- In the end he found financial backers for his project. Subsequently he
- founded, in 1835, the British and Ameriean Steam Navigation Company. The
- first ship was completed in 1838. She was the 1,850 t "British Queen".
- But competition was not napping either. The great Western Steamship
- Company founded one year later also planned a crossing of the Atlantic with
- the "Great Western", Smith had to charter the small steamship "Sirius"
- which arrived in New York on the 23rd April 1838 as the first ship having
- crossed the Atlantic with steam drive only.
-
- She arrived barely eight hours before the "Great Western"
-
- Thereafter the "British Queen" sailed on the London-New York route. For
- her voyage to the West she took 16 days on average and in the other
- direction two days less.
-
- Many sailing ships took twice as long for this run. The greatest coupe of
- junius Smith was the commissioning of the "President" in 1840 With 2,866 t
- she was the biggest and proudest ship. Subsequently Junius Smith the
- daring innovator, was showered with honours Rumour had it that he was even
- to be knighted.
-
- But in 1871 the "President" sunk. All 136 crew members and passengers
- died. Among the passengers were such famous persons as the Irish actor
- Tyrone Power. This disaster in shipping occurred and not on the seas. On
- the 16th December 1835 a fire broke out in the business quarter of
- Manhattan. Starting in a warehouse a devastating fire developed. Due too
- strong winds the fire spread rapidly. Additionally the hydrants were
- frozen so that the fire brigade had to look on almost helplessly. Most
- captains suceeded in taking their ships to the open sea before the flames
- reached the pier. Only few ships caught fire.
-
- On land the owners of warehouses had to look on as their properties were
- consumed by fire. There was unimag inable chaos. Within 24 hours 674
- buildings were destroyed. It was only on the next day that the fire would
- be brought under control.
-
- THE HANDBOOK FOR THE SUCCESFUL SHIPOWNER
- ----------------------------------------
-
- Operations From 1869
-
- Sucess of course does not come about by itself. A ship owner of the last
- century had to be well informed in many areas. Not only the knowledge
- about the secrets of trading ensure success but also an excellent knowledge
- in the field of shipbuilding, types of ships, running a ship, nautical
- science, readiness to take risks, and last but not least being informed
- about the political and economical situation of the world were absolutely
- essential for the running of a shipping firm.
-
- As 1869 includes true historic events, it is important to spend one or two
- hours of your leisure time reading this handbook. In so doing you will be
- able to appreciate the finer points of 1869 and give you a competitive edge
- over rival "shipowners". For example at the time of the American Civil War
- your competitors may be trying unsuccessfully to buy cotton in Savannah,
- you may have long seen the signs of the times and ordered your merchant
- fleet to go to more profitable and safe ports.
-
- In 1869, as in life generally, "Knowledge is Power"
-
- Installing 1869
-
- PC Version
- The PC version cannot be played from floppy disk. 2.4 MB are required to
- be free on the hard disk.
-
- For installing purposes please insert the disk in a disk drive. Now start
- the installation program INSTALL. BAT. from that drive.
-
- During the installation you are given the possibility of entering another
- index path. As a standard 1869 is installed on hard disk C in directory C:
- M-Design.
-
- Example:-
- Disk A is in disk drive A and 1869 is to be installed on hard disk C.
-
- - Enter A:/INSTALL<Enter.>
- - Upon the question for the desired installation path press <Enter.>
- - Insert disk B on request.
-
- Start the game with the following entry:-
- C:\M-Design\ 1869 <Enter.>
-
- AMIGA Version
- If you wish to play 1869 from the disk, insert disk A in the disk drive.
- Now switch on your computer or call from the workbench the 1869 Icon by
- double click.
-
- You may also install 1869 on the hard disk. For this purpose call
- INSTALL-ICON from your workbench. For the start of the game call 1869-Icon
- from the work bench.
-
- Start of the Game
-
- Upon the start of the game you have the following possibilities regarding
- selection and entry:
-
- Control
- You can select whether you wish to play with the mouse or via the keyboard.
- (Mouse operation is recommended).
-
- New or Old Game
- If you begin a new game, press the space bar. In order to load an old
- game. press J. You can then select the game from previously stored games.
-
- Number of Players
- Enter the number of players. Up to four players may take part
-
- Name of player
- Here you can enter your name. You will also be addressed by this name by
- the layers coming up in the game. It goes without saying that such
- pseudonyms as Captn. Hook are also permissible.
-
- Sex
- In order to ensure that you are correctly addressed by merchants, dockyard
- owners and bank directors you should state your sex here.
-
- Name of Firm
- Now you should give your rapidly flourishing and growing firm an attractive
- name.
-
- Location of Firm
- Select where the principal town of your firm is to be. In this town you
- will have your company office and also your first store. Each of the five
- towns for selection have their advantages and disadvantages which will
- become evident as you progress.
-
- When all players have completed their details you will be asked whether all
- details are to your satisfaction. If this is so, then there is nothing in
- the way to begin a thrilling and entertaining game.
-
- The Ship Auction
-
- For more than one player 1869 begins with a ship auction. Many favourable
- bargains can be had here, but care is needed as many a player has ruined
- himself at the start by aggressive over-bidding.
-
- A ship is called up by the auctioneer at a minimum price. Each player can
- now participate in bidding by clicking his players name. Thereby the offer
- increases by fixed values. The name of the player offering the most at
- this time is displayed. If there is no more bidding for a certain time,
- then the highest bidder receives the addition.
-
- The auction can be speeded up with the ESC key. The highest bidder will
- receive the addition immediately and the auctioneer continues with the next
- ship. If there are no bids for a ship then there is no sale.
-
- An auction also takes place when a player has ordered a ship but is unable
- to make payment. The completely built ship which has not been paid for is
- released by the shipyard for auction. Some time before the date of the
- auction each player receives notification enabling him to be at the
- location of the auction in time.
-
- You may only participate in an auction if you are present at the location
- of the auction either on a ship or in a branch office ensuring of course
- that on this ship or in this branch office sufficient funds are available.
- Auctions prove again and again to offer a popular opportunity to acquire
- cheap and good ships.
-
- Fast Entry for the Impatient
-
- Successful shipowners distinguish themselves by showing patience, control,
- and readiness to take risks and the instinct to know the right moment for
- action. However, for the very impatient player we have a few tips for a
- quick entry to the game.
-
- First go to the shipyard and buy a second hand ship. When the ship is
- yours, go to the tavern, not to drink of course, but to hire a Crew for the
- ship. The landlord of the tavern is pleased to give assistance. The
- quality of the crew should match the quality of the ship. It takes a few
- days for the landlord to drum up the crew. In the meantime you may take
- money from the warehouse to the ship since merchandise always has to be
- paid for on the spot. Since it is not your intention to go on pleasure
- trips you are urgently advised to call at the office in order to purchase
- goods. Only with a relevant cargo in the ships hold does she become a
- trading vessel.
-
- Do not go on excessively long voyages to start with. Call only at safe
- ports and trade merely with safe goods. Your ship should always be fully
- loaded since half filled ships can ruin a company in a short period of
- time.
-
- Game Aims
-
- In the single-player mode it is the aim of your game to be included in the
- "List of the Best" after a certain number of years. In the multi- player
- mode there is the possibility of a "knockout" victory if all competitors
- have been eliminated. Winning can also be defined as the player who has
- the strongest company after the end of playing time.
-
- The main chart is the central control element of the trading simulation in
- 1869. From here you manage your world-spanning company, direct ships and
- enlarge your trade empire,
-
- By simply clicking on sections of the chart you get comfortably and quickly
- into the individual action screens. The chart consists of a large main
- field which depicts one of the four continents of the world and different
- control parts, the importance of which are explained in the following.
-
- Name of Firm
- This is the name of the active firm which is taking its turn during the
- present move of the game.
-
- Calendar
- The actual date may be taken from this calendar.
-
- Clicking the calendar finishes one's current move. With only one player
- participation, the calendar flicks to the next event. When there are
- several players the next players move in turn. When all players have
- completed their moves, the calendar goes on to the next event. Now it is
- the turn of the player whom the occurring event concerns. Subsequently all
- the other players may participate in the game.
-
- There are the following events:- A ship has put into harbour, a ship has
- been completely rebuilt or repaired, a hired crew has come aboard or a crew
- is completely rested after a break in the harbour.
-
- Ship's Control
- If one clicks the ship with the left mouse key one enters the ship dispatch
- mode.
-
- If one clicks the ship with the right mouse key the ship status screen
- appears with the information and sets possibilities with regard to the
- condition of the ship, cargo and crew.
-
- Actual Capital in Cash
- Here you see at a glance how much actual cash is at your disposal
- currently. This includes all cash in branch offices and on ships, Each
- player begins with a capital of $7,000.
-
- WorldMap
- By clicking the relevant continent the view in the main field changes to
- that desired continent.
-
- There are four continents, namely North America/South America, Europe/North
- Africa, Africa/ South Asia and Asia/Austrailia. The views overlap a little
- to permit optimum operations.
-
- Bank
- By clicking the symbol you can enter the Bank and take out new loans or
- extend existing ones.
-
- Records
- Clicking this symbol leads to a memorial tablet on which the eternal
- records of crossings are retained. It is the dream of every captain and
- shipowner of course to see the name of his ship on this tablet.
-
- Balance sheet
- This is an extensive listing of the firms expenditure. It offers a means
- of drawing comparisons between individual firms.
-
- Options
- Here you are given the possibility to load or store positions in the game,
- to switch on or off messages and to end the game.
-
- Ship
- This symbol indicates a ship lying in the port which is available.
-
- Branch Office
- If one has a branch office or head office in the port the relevant port
- symbol is indicated by a flag.
-
- Port
- If there is no ship of one's own, branch office or head office in the port
- clicking of this symbol causes a view of the port to appear as well as the
- information window showing the name of the current town, its main export
- goods and the political state of the country.
-
- By clicking on a port, with the mouse, where you have either a ship or a
- branch office, you get to the office.
-
- If click such a port with the right mouse key, a symbol listing appears
- with up to four possibilities of selection.
-
- Info
- The information panel belonging to the port appears.
-
- Beer Jug
- Enables you to visit the tavern in the port where one can hire crews and
- also pick up some useful tips
-
- Anchor
- This symbol leads to the shipyard. The symbol only appears in the case of
- ports with a shipyard.
-
- Crate
- Allows you to go to the store or the head office. The symbol appears only
- in the case of ports where you have a warehouse or head office.
-
- Dialogue Operation
-
- With 1869 you need not make any entries via the keyboard. All actions,
- dialogues and transactions can be made using the mouse. During the course
- of the game you conduct discussions and negotiations with different
- persons. You may select from a number of sentences that which suits your
- taste and intentions. This means of communication applies throughout the
- entire game.
-
- On some occasions the dialogue concerns amounts of money or quantities of
- goods. Such sentences always begin with three dots (for instance "How much
- would 200 crates of textiles cost me" ) Here you adjust the quantity or the
- amount by clicking. If you click such a sentence with the left mouse key,
- the set quantity or amount is increased. By clicking with the right mouse
- key the quantity or the amount is reduced. Therefore, the rule is always:
- Quantities or amounts are increased with the left mouse key and reduced
- with the right mouse key.
-
- In order to confirm purchases, sales or other transactions you always
- select a sentence beginning with "OK". For instance if you wish to confirm
- a purchase you click the sentence, "OK load everything." The set quantity
- of goods will then be taken to the ship and the purchasing price will be
- debited.
-
- If you have several sources of money in a port (for instance a ship and a
- warehouse,) you can enter the money source from which the money is to be
- debited with the following sentence: "I have $3000 at my disposal in the
- warehouse".
-
- Here again the following rule applies: up with the left mouse button and
- down with the right button.
-
- Since this kind of operation remains constant throughout the game you
- quickly become competant in the games methodology.
-
- The Shipyard
-
- Your first steps in the game should take you to a shipyard except if you
- have already bought a ship at the auction. At the shipyard you can
- purchase a second hand ship or order a new ship. Remember, second hand
- ships are somewhat cheaper than new ones and your budget is not very high
- at the beginning. Even if the idea of a new ship seems attractive you
- should take into consideration that you have to purchase goods, hire a crew
- and that your competitors may already be making a profit during your
- waiting time by using a second hand ship with a shorter delivery.
-
- Ships can also be repaired in the shipyard. Depending on necessity
- barnacle growth can be removed from the hull (scraping), the hull can be
- painted and sealed, the rigging or steam engine overhauled and the ship
- generally serviced this being the most expensive option. Depending on the
- extent of repair work this will take a few days. During a repair the ship
- is not at your disposal and the relevant ship symbol disappears. Also only
- ships without cargo may be taken in for repair.
-
- If you wish to buy a second hand ship or choose to have a new ship built
- you can select the desired ship from the model catalogue. Second hand
- ships must be fully paid for immediately in cash and they will be placed at
- your disposal after four days.
-
- For a new ship a down payment of 25% of the purchase price is due
- immediately.
-
- The remainding 75% of the purchase price can be paid to the shipyard at any
- time prior to completion of building. If the total purchase price is not
- paid by the completion date, weekly interest will be charged. In this
- instance caution should be exercised as the ship is released by the
- shipyard for auction if the interest exceeds the down payment made.
- However, up to the date of the auction the original purchaser is offered
- the possibility at any time to pay the outstanding amount.
-
- When buying new ships you can trade-in your old ships. If you finds that
- the sales price for an old ship is higher than the cost of the new ship,
- then the ship yard will pay the excess into the next available money
- source. If there is a warehouse in the town it is paid into that,
- otherwise it goes to a ship.
-
- If one has selected a new ship, she can be formally named. A heraldic
- figure appears on the screen in which you can enter the name of the ship.
- The first letter of the name must not be a zero symbol. If you press the
- ENTER key without naming the ship the purchasing procedure is called off.
- If the name has been entered the down payment is required to be made at the
- office immediately. But it is also possible to withdraw from the purchase
- at the office.
-
- A ship which is no longer required can be sold to the shipyard. However,
- this can only be done when there is a second ship in the port or a new ship
- ordered from the shipyard.
-
- In addition to large and famous shipyards there are also some smaller
- shipyards. Some of these only carry out repairs or offer smaller types of
- ship. You can also sell ships to these yards. These are kept on the books
- as second-hand vessels for a period, after which they are scrapped. As
- happens so often in life, repairs at the smaller shipyards are often
- cheaper than the big and well-known dockyards which are over- burdened with
- orders.
-
- In The Tavern
-
- As a respectable shipowner, one does not visit the tavern, to drink grog.
- With business in mind you can hire a ships crew from the landlord. This
- means that if you have the choice you also have the worry. The question is
- should you hire top people with correspondingly high wage requirements or a
- normal crew or even a low-paid crew who mix up port and starboard? The
- scope is wide and this is where your instinct comes in. Generally the
- motto "The right crew for the right ship" applies. Even a top crew cannot
- perform miracles with a ship that is half-wrecked and a lot of landlubbers
- will not achieve record times even with the proudest clipper. But do make
- sure that you are able to afford the monthly wages as without pay even the
- most reliable crew will revert to mutiny.
-
- By clicking the desired crew with the right mouse key the confirmation
- sentence "OK, I take the people" appears on the screen. By selecting this
- sentence you are hiring the crew. The landlord will then inform you in how
- many days the new crew will arrive on your ship.
-
- The landlord also provides information regarding the cost of a branch
- office in this port. If you wish to open a new branch office you may do
- this here and now.
-
- Additionally you can transfer money in the tavern from one ship to another.
- For this purpose you select first the source ship and then the receiving
- ship, enter the relevant amount and confirm as follows:- "OK, I will send
- the money to the..".
-
- Since many people from all over the world call into port taverns and as
- alcohol makes people very talkative a lot of useful information comes to
- the landlords ears. For a round of beers he might perhaps let out some
- secrets to you.
-
- Branch Offices and Head Office
-
- In the town which you select as your starting point at the beginning of the
- game the head office of your firm is located. The head office and possibly
- further branch offices are marked on the main chart by a flag.
-
- At the head ofice or the branch offices goods can be stored and then loaded
- onto a ship. Money can be transferred from a ship to the warehouse and
- vice versa.
-
- The appearance of head office, depends on the value of a company. The
- bigger the firm the more sumptuous the head office, but unfortuately the
- same applies the other way around. The head office of a company can
- neither be moved nor closed.
-
- You may establish branch offices in any, port. However, a warehouse also
- swallows up running costs. The costs of establishing a branch office are
- dependant on the chosen location. At stragically important points
- establishing and maintaining a warehouse is very expensive in most cases.
- But a warehouse offers the advantage that one is always informed of the
- kind and price of the offered and required goods in the relevant port.
-
- Every warehouse with the exception of head office can be closed down as
- required.
-
- At the beginning of the game one should proceed with caution when
- considering the opening of new branches as the costs of them are high.
- Consider the location of a new warehouse very carefully and observe the
- cost/ yield factor.
-
- Selling and Purchasing in the Office
-
- Since it is certain that you are not sending your mercantile fleet across
- the oceans of the world for the fun of it, you should visit the office
- frequently. This is the place of transshipment of goods in a port and here
- all purchases and sales of goods are dealt with.
-
- You will see on the board which goods are required or offered by the
- dealer. The price either which he demands or offers will vary as not every
- dealer pays the same for goods and a comparison is always worthwhile. For
- urgently required merchandise a high additional premium is often offered.
- On the other hand it can happen that a dealer does not need a full ship's.
- cargo of a certain kind of goods. This happens regularly in smaller ports.
-
- When you offer a dealer goods he will first tell you the required quantity
- and the possible premium. This quantity is automatically entered with the
- sentence "How much do you pay for.....?" If you enter the sentence "OK I
- will sell the goods" without changing the quantity, then you sell the
- dealer the quantity he requires and for which he may pay the premium. Of
- course one can also sell to him the rest as long as he offers a reasonable
- price.
-
- Generally you can sell anything to a dealer. He will, however, pay a
- minimum price for non required goods which is below the cost price in most
- cases. If possible you should avoid such loss-making business.
-
- You can also purchase goods from the dealer, but only the merchandise that
- he has on offer. If you have several ships or one warehouse in the port
- you can select where the goods are to be delivered to. The dealer always
- offers the quantity of goods first which corresponds to the maximum loading
- capacity of the ship or to have maximum available capital. Naturally one
- can buy less. If you do not have enough money on the ship for the desired
- goods you can also pay for these from a second ship in the port or from a
- warehouse in this town, in some offices notes are displayed on the counter.
- If you click any such note you will receive special orders or passenger
- conveyance. Some of the special orders are very favourable but they also
- entail great risks (For instance: supply of arms to countries at war)
-
- If you have a ship fitted with cabins you may convey passengers. In this
- case 1a group of passengers may want to be taken to a certain port. These
- people will disembark only in the port of destination. Since costs will be
- incurred for supplying food for passengers, you should not arrange any
- sightseeing tours but head for the port of destination as quickly as
- possible.
-
- Route Planning
-
- Once the ship has been loaded you should send her to the port of
- destination. But what is the good of the most valuable cargo if it cannot
- be sold. In order to send a ship to a definite port you have to enter the
- ship dispatch mode. For this purpose you click the large ship on the main
- chart by using the left mouse key
-
- The ship selection menu appears giving you the names of your ships as well
- as the status symbol, the location and technicai conditions.
-
- The status symbols provide information regarding the avability of the ship
- and crew.
-
- Their meaning is as follows:
-
- Ship under sail: Ship is available
-
- Hammer: Ship is being repaired
-
- Ship's hull: Ship is being built
-
- Wave: Ship is in transit
-
- Men with question mark: No crew on board
-
- Men with luggage: New crew still to come
-
- Only available ships may be selected The names of non-available ships
- always appear in the selection menu in red print. When you have selected
- the desired ship a wild rose is shown instead of the usual mouse indicator
- (dispatch indicator) and the departure port is indicated by a rotating
- square. Additionally the navigation points can be seen. All selected
- ports and navigation points are always marked with a rotating yellow
- rectangle. Two of the sea navigation points are put on the land within the
- chart, namely the navigation point at Cape Horn and the Suez Canal.
-
- Dispatch indicator (click with upper left hand corner)
-
- Navigation Point (not marked)
-
- Selected Navigation Point
-
- Selected Port or Port of Departure
-
- If you click the port of destination by means of the left mouse key the
- temporary navigation points are selected simultaneously they are
- recognisable by yellow rotating markings. In the case of some routes it
- may happen that other ports are also marked. These ports serve as
- navigation points only as the ship will not put into port. By clicking the
- port of destination with the right mouse key you confirm the course and
- send the ship on her way. If a ship is on route she cannot be manipulated
- until she arrives at the port of destination.
-
- The automatically set route, however will not always be the most favourable
- one. With the aid of weather and flow charts you will be able to make a
- decision regarding a better route. By clicking the last valid route point
- with the left mouse key all following points are cancelled. You can now
- enter all desired route points individually. Please take note that a
- longer route with more favourable current is better than a short route with
- a strong counter current.
-
- Steamships have a limited range since they have to refill the coal bunkers
- during the voyage. Therefore, you can only map out their route within
- relevant reach. On the other hand steamships are largely independent wind
- and dead calms and they are also some what faster than sailing ships.
-
- When planning the route always take into consideration the weather and
- current charts as well as the seasons. Excessively long voyages cause
- reduction of the freight rates.
-
- Furthermore, you should reckon with the possibility that your ship may get
- into a heavy storm resulting in serious damage or in the worst case she may
- even sink.
-
- The extent of damage is shown in detail on the ship's status and the
- dispatch menu in the form of a percentage.
-
- You must check on the condition of your ships regularly. Damaged ships
- result in unsatisfactory crossing times with correspondingly bad freight
- rates. In the case of iron ships you should check for barnacle growth
- regularly as excessive growth considerably slows down a ship. It is also
- recommended to arrange for a ship to be overhauled at a shipyard from time
- to time. The costs incurred are in most cases compensated by freight rates
- increasing afterwards. Do not attempt to save money unwisely.
-
- Ships Status
-
- You access the ship's status by clicking the large ship in the main chart
- with the left mouse key. Thus you can inform yourself of the technical
- state and you can also control and manipulate the crew.
-
- On the ship's status screen you will find information regarding the cargo
- and the cash carried on the ship. Furthermore. you will be informed about
- the current location of the ship. By clicking the ship hull you can access
- all your ships.
-
- Check your cash flow at regular intervals. For planned purchases there
- must always be sufficicnt money in the ship's cash account if for instance
- you want to buy goods in Bombay, the money in the Liverpool head office
- does not help. Goods always have to be paid for from a ship or warehouse
- in the port where the purchase is effected.
-
- But you must also avoid leaving too much money on a ship. The ship may
- sink in a storm and then money would be lost. It is therefore recommend to
- transfer the excess cash of profit-yielding ships from time to time to a
- branch office or to head office. It is also possible in the tavern to
- transfer the excess money to another ship.
-
- Technical State
-
- In order to obtain exact information regarding the technical condition of a
- ship click the state key. You will receive detailed information regarding
- barnacle growth, the taking on of water, condition of rigging or steam
- engine etc. You should take special notice of this information before
- planning repair work. It does not make sense for example to generally
- overhaul an otherwise completely intact ship with barnacle growth. A
- cheaper and quicker scraping job would suffice in this case.
-
- Crew Status
- You access the crew status by clicking the crew key of the ship status
- screen. Thereby you can check and manipulate the crew of each ship,
- however the latter is only possible when a ship is at disposal.
-
- Each ship has her own crew with their condition. ability and motivation
- directly affecting the ship's condition and speed. Within the crew control
- field you can obtain information regarding the vitality and experience as
- well as motivation of the crew. Furthermore, you can enter the amount of
- wages, alter the captains order and forecast a success premium.
-
- A bar chart provides information indicating the vitality and experience of
- a crew. The upper bar identifies the vitality and the lower bar refers to
- experience. The longer the bar the more rested or experienced the crew
-
- Vitality
- The more vitality a crew has the better it performs. Caution! A badly
- exhausted crew may get the idea of putting an end to their suffering by
- mutiny.
-
- Vitality is influenced by the length of a voyage, storms and by the
- captain's order. Do not deprive your crew of a relaxing break in the port
- after a long and stormy voyage. They will repay you by increased
- performance.
-
- Experience
- The experience of a crew plays a big role during storms. An experienced
- crew will master dangerous voyages for instance around Cape Horn.
- Additionally, ships with an experienced crew are less heavily damaged
- during storms, The experience of a crew also affects the speed of a ship.
-
- Once a crew has mastered a storm or another difficult situation, their
- experience is enhanced. In this way a modarately reasonable crew can turn
- out to be a top crew.
-
- When hiring a new crew the following rule should be applied: The more
- experienced a crew the higher are the wage demands. Therefore, you must
- make sure to select a crew to suit the ship.
-
- Motivation
- With the aid of the portrait you can determine the contentment or
- motivation of a ships crew. A smiling face indicates a happy crew. A
- grim- faced crew is perhaps already thinking of mutiny. If instead of a
- portrait the window is closed then there is no crew on board.
-
- Payment of Wages
- The motivation of a crew is affected by the payment of wages. If one would
- rather fire a crew than remotivate them one simply sets the payment on
- zero. Without payment of wages even the most loyal crew will not stay
- aboard. Members of the crew, however, who are still waiting to be paid off
- will not leave until the dues have been paid
-
- Captain's Order
- With the aid of the captain's order you can determine how hard the captain
- drives the crew and how fast sailing is to proceed. These settings affect
- the vitality.
-
- If you set an order on "EASY" it means that the crew is fairing well, they
- can take their time and have sufficient breaks. This humanitarian
- viewpoint will not affect the vitality.
-
- With the setting "MEDIUM.' the crew has to achieve more, any breeze is
- used, additional sails are used so the work is hard. Sailing times are
- reduced but with the adoption of this view point vitality is decreased.
- Treat your crew to a break now and then.
-
- If the ship sails under the order "HARD" the crew have to do their utmost,
- Sailing goes on day and night and the sails are not reefed even during
- storms. With this sweat and strain the crew's vitality is of course
- greatly affected and therefore, you should keep an eye on your ill treated
- crew.
-
- Premium
- In order to make sure that the men really drive the ship forward to achieve
- record times you can put up a premium. Every sailor can use additional
- money and they will make an almighty effort correspondingly. In the case
- of voyages with deadlines premiums are very high.
-
- Always bear in mind that in order to achieve an optimum speed the condition
- of the ship and crew is decisive. Even the proudest clipper will not bring
- about record times when damaged nor can a completely exhausted crew achieve
- peak performances.
-
- Historic Connections
-
- Since 1869 incorporates actual historic events messages regularly appear
- they may bear a direct influence on the happenings of the game. The
- historic section of this handbook, therefore, may give you a decisive
- advantage over your competitors. Whilst your uninformed competitors may
- get entangled in the troubles of the American Civil War you will already
- have shifted your interests toward safer areas. Of course as a fair
- shipowner you should allow your co players to gain an insight into this
- handbook. Astute business people, however, will mercilessly keep the
- handbook under lock and key.
-
- Not all events have the same effect on the course of the game. The opening
- of the Suez Canal in 1869 causes a shortening of the voyage times to Asia
- which is a positive event indeed. On the other hand there was a sea
- blockade near Odessa during the Crimean War around 1854 coupled with the
- risk that ships may be captured. Accordingly this is a negative event
- which perhaps is only Positive for the risky arms trade within crisis
- areas.
-
- Due to crisis and wars ports maybe closed temporarily. During a civil war
- there is the danger that warehouses will be raided and burned down. Above
- everything however, wars and crises affect the production and consumption
- of goods in a country.
-
- Some newspapers reports concern technical developments or even inventions.
- Not all wars or clashes are reported in the papers as some of them are of
- local interest only. Prior to putting into harbour you should, therefore
- inform yourself about the active state of the country by using the
- information panel.
-
- Options also offer the possibility to exclude newspaper reports. As
- before, the events will take place but they are no longer registered.
-
- 1869 represents a very accurate trade simulation as never seen before. We
- would, therefore, advise only historically well informed players to switch
- off the newspaper reports. Do not underestimate the effects of daily
- historic happenings on world trade.
-
- The Bank
-
- By clicking the coin symbol of the main chart you may visit the bank at any
- time. It is located in the town of the firms head office.
-
- At the bank you may take out loans or pay back already existing loans.
- However you became credit worthy only when you provide securities such as
- ships, warehouses or cash. In the case of loan applications without
- adequate security bankers react very unfriendly. The maximum extent of a
- loan depends on the value of your securities.
-
- You may pay off loans at any time before the due date. Since this enables
- you to save considerable interest you should, if possible repay loans as
- soon as possible. Loan repayments must always be effected by head office.
- Therefore you must make sure under all circumstances that there is
- sufficient money in the kitty of the head office.
-
- Settlements of accounts are always dealt with On the 31st December of the
- current year. If a player is not solvent at this point in time then he
- must declare bankruptcy and is eliminated from the events of the game.
-
- Therefore, be very careful with loans. The Balance Sheet screen provides
- an overview of existing loans.
-
- Tax Regulations
-
- As you might expect 1869 also includes unpopular tax regulations. The
- state requests you to pay up and you have to follow.
-
- Taxes depends on the total tonnage of your merchant fleet and is based on
- the tax regulations of Great Britain in the 19th century. The Balance
- Sheet screen constantly provides an overview of the tax due for repayment.
-
- Taxes become due for a whole year on the 31st December of the following
- year. For instance the taxes for the year 1854 have to be paid on the 31st
- December 1855. Debiting is effected automatically from the cash account at
- the due date. If you are unable to pay the taxes your firm has to declare
- bankruptcy and you will be eliminated from the game.
-
- The Balance Sheet
-
- The balance provides a survey regarding due dates of taxes and loans.
- Furthermore you can check your stock of goods and cash flow.
-
- Keep an eye on turnover and development of the firm, You are given the
- choice to either quickly look at a graphical representation or a listing of
- figures. The representation of turnover and company development assists in
- a very good way to recognise economic tendencies. Moreover it permits
- direct comparisons with your competitors and you are able at any time to
- see how you are placed in the race for the distinction of greatest
- shipowner of the century.
-
- Using cunning, dexterity and by knowing the tricks of the trade you have
- the chance to become the best shipowner of the century in history and to be
- included in the list of the elite.
-
- The List of Records
-
- If one of your ships manages to achieve a new best time for crossing on a
- record route it will be immortalised in the list of the fastest ships.
- This not only lifts the mood of the proud shipowner but it also increases
- the sales value of the ship. Providing circumstances are good one may
- possibly be able to sell the ship at a price which is higher than her
- original price.
-
- Record times are also reported in the papers. These record times relate to
- all stored games.
-
- Options (Loading and Storing)
-
- The option screen offers possibilities such as loading, storing, new game
- or finish. In order to load a game status you have to click the desired
- name and select "LOADING". You can also cancel a game status.
-
- In order to store a game status you click initially the first empty stop of
- the stairs. Now give the game status a name and click "Storing".
-
- In this connection, too, you can exclude or include newspaper reports or
- leave 1869.
-
- TIPS & TRICKS
-
- In real business life and in this game too there are some golden rules
- which should be observed under all circumstances. Only in this way will
- one achieve the success hankered and way hoped for. Beyond that of course
- there are numerous tricks which help a business man on the road to success.
- Every successful trading tycoon has his own speciaI tricks and knacks which
- he will not disclose. For all budding shipowners we want to reveal here
- some golden rules and tricks.
-
- 1869 makes available a wide field for experiments and strategies. Find out
- your own personal tricks and try out these to see which is the best way to
- succeed.
-
- Ten Golden Rules
-
- Rule No1
- Always load ships fully. It is better to have a ship fully loaded with
- cheap goods than to have a ship half-loaded with expensive merchandise.
-
- Rule No2
- Undertake as few profitless voyages as possible Especially avoid voyages
- with no cargo.
-
- Rule No3
- Always keep ships in good condition. The advantage of an intact ship
- offsets repair costs
-
- Rule No4
- When purchasing a ship leave enough money to buy goods.
-
- Rule No5
- Always pay taxes on time and keep money for this in reserve.
-
- Rule No6
- During route planning current and weather charts help to save time, and of
- course time is money.
-
- Rule No7
- Leave only as much money on a ship as required for purchasing goods, wages
- and repair costs. Surplus money should go to the warehouse or even better
- to head office.
-
- Rule No8
- Watch political conditions in ports. Unsafe ports mean high risks.
-
- RuleNo9
- Keep an eye on the crew and select the crew to suit the ship
-
- Rule No1O
-
- Do not miss good business.
-
- Where do I purchase the right goods?
- This trading simulation is based on the economic system of imperialism (see
- chapter "Imperialism"), Raw materials are imported from colonies and under
- developed countries then they are processed. The finished products are in
- part sold back to the colonies with high profits.
-
- Many products such as fruit, cotton, and tea depend on harvests and are not
- always readily available. This means you have to be in the right place at
- the right time. Produce that depend on harvests can be contaminated during
- a long voyage and become useless. If one has perishable goods on board one
- should try to reach the port as soon as possible. Produce deteriorates at
- the same rate for instance fruit spoils much quicker than tea. One should
- also bear in mind that naturally such goods can get spoiled in a warehouse.
- The motto should therefore be to get perishable goods to the buyer as
- quickly as possible.
-
- You can learn about the main export goods of a port using the information
- panel.
-
- It provides information regarding the goods and their largest quantities
- kept in storage ports. Thus harvest bound goods are also indicated since
- they are the main export article. During harvest time when accurately
- observing the relevant information panels one can be fully informed
- regarding the relevant harvest times.
-
- With harvest dependent goods it is absolutely necessary to reach the
- relevant port in good time. In most cases the product is available for two
- to three months only. Therefore plan your arrival in such a way that you
- arrive at the right time. You should take into consideration the possible
- duration of the trip.
-
- At the beginning of the game it is best to restrict yourself to trade in
- nearby ports, Only with sufficiently large financial reserves, may one dare
- to venture to such far away markets as Asia.
-
- Second Hand Ships at the Beginning
-
- At the beginning of a career one should if possible - refrain from having
- new ships built or buying expensive second hand ships. When purchasing
- ships make sure that sufficient money is left for the cargo. What is the
- use of the nicest and fastest clipper if it is used for futile voyages only
-
- No Risky Freight at the Beginning
-
- Keep your hands off risky freight at the beginning of the game for instance
- arms deliveries into territories at war. Even when the profit seems
- tempting the risk of losing perhaps your one and only ship is simply too
- high. If, on the other hand, you have several ships later on in the game
- it could turn out to be a most lucrative business even though it may not be
- exactly honourable, to load arms onto a second-hand ship and sell them at a
- high profit to a territory at war.
-
- Taking into Consideration the Political State
-
- It is extremely important at all times to keep an eye on the political
- state of a country. If a country is in a stable state then it is not
- dangerous to put into its ports and conduct trading. But if there is
- unrest it may happen occasionally that roaming gangs raid and plunder your
- warehouse or ship. The cautious trader takes little or no cash at all on
- voyages to countries where there is unrest. If uprisings are the order of
- the day in a country it can happen that your warehouse or ship is plundered
- completely so that you have to put to sea without money or goods.
- Therefore, without very good reason one should avoid such ports.
-
- Under no circumstances should you put into port in territories where civil
- or other wars are being waged. If one is unlucky the ship might be sunk
- without warning or explanation. That is the risk with which arms dealers
- have to live. It is true of course that a large profit can be made when
- delivering arms to territories at war but in the worst case the ship
- complete with cargo is sunk.
-
- Ship to be Loaded Fully at all Times
-
- Always ensure that your ship is fully loaded It is far better to load a
- ship fully with cheap goods than to half load her with expensive
- merchandise. Try to make as few empty voyages as possible otherwise your
- budget will be consumed by running costs. Take only as much money as
- needed for trading. Surplus money is best kept at head office It is safe
- there and prevents you from getting embarrassed when loan repayments or
- taxes become due.
-
- Repairing Old Ships
-
- The older a ship the more expensive the repairs. With the same extent of
- damage the repair to an old ship costs more than for a new ship. At some
- time the point will be reached with each ship when the repair costs exceed
- the purchasing costs. Meaning that repair work is no longer worthwhile.
- Therefore sell old ships in good time
-
- The Right Crew at The Beginning
-
- To begin with you should not burden yourself with the wages required by a
- top crew. As in all probability you will own an average ship, therefore
- you should also hire an average crew. Proven to be reliable and dependable
- men, they do not cost too much and they are not landlubbers either.
-
- It can happen that you are stuck in a port without money or goods. The
- crew refuses to work as they are not paid wages. In this case you can
- dismiss the old crew and hire another one. The new crew expects wages
- after their first voyage.
-
- This very unkind method will only work, however, when there is no cargo on
- board. Otherwise one would be forced to sell a part of the cargo at a low
- price so that after paying the crew one can convince to carry on working
-
- Breaks for the Crew
-
- Since the speed of a ship is considerably affected by the crew you should
- always keep an eye on the vitality of the crew. If their vitality sags the
- ship will go slower. Therefore, it is an advantage not to go on stop ovcr
- long distances but to call at a port in between and let the crew have a
- short period of rest Thus the men can replenish their strength. vitality
- is increased and with it the speed of the ship. The time lost in the port
- is compensated by an increased sailing speed.
-
- Use Breaks for Repairs
-
- Whilst the crew recuperates in the port you can use the time to have your
- ship overhauled quickly. This is advisable especially after stormy
- crossings which can often cause severe damage. A damaged ship loses speed
- and by having her repaired you effectively gain time. When planning the
- route for long voyages bear in mind that during the voyage you will not be
- given the possibility to act, meaning that even after heavy storms you
- cannot simply take your ship to the next dockyard. Therefore, to be on the
- safe side stop on the way when you are making a long voyage.
-
- Save Repair Costs
-
- It need not always be one of the best known or famous shipyards. Give a
- small dockyard for instance in Bombay or Kapstadt a chance and you will see
- that these shipyards carry out the quality of work at a lower price.
-
- Terms of Loans
-
- When taking out a loan you should agree such terms so that the loan expires
- at the beginning of a year. The bank always settles up on the 31st
- December. This means that if loans are unpaid by this date and interest
- for delay to be paid, then bankuptcy procedure is introduced at a time of
- maturity. If the terms finish at the beginning of the year then one still
- has time to raise the sum at the end of the year. However, this is not an
- easy undertaking when one thinks of the very high interest on delay.
-
- Observe Due Tax Dates
-
- Taxes for one year have to be paid at the end of the following year. This
- means that the tax due is automatically debited from head office accounts.
- On the 31st. December,
-
- Bankruptcy Even in the Case of a Firm Doing Well
-
- If there is not sufficient money in the head office account bankruptcy
- procedure is introduced. Even a busy firm with sufficient capital or
- assets can become bankrupt when at the tax due date there is not sufficient
- money in the office account or when due loans are to be repaid. If the
- value of a firm drops below a certain limit a bankruptcy procedure is also
- introduced.
-
- Delivery Times for the Purchase of Ships
-
- Take note of the delivery time of a ship since you have to pay the tonnage
- tax due retroactively for the whole year. Therefore, one should plan the
- purchase in such a way that the ship is delivered at the beginning of the
- year. Thus it is ensured that one does not pay taxes needlessly. For the
- same reason you should sell ships at the end of the year.
-
- Locations of Warehouses.
-
- Think carefully about the location of a new warehouse. Each warehouse
- costs money and after closing a warehouse this money is lost and the value
- of the firm's assets are reduced.
-
- Warehouse at Strategic Points.
-
- Wherever possible establish your warehouse at strategically important
- points to enable you to control and cover the market.
-
- Tea Races and Special Orders
-
- Tea races and special orders placed with your office is good business. For
- tea races you should aim to arrive in good time in India during the
- harvesting period with a fast ship and a good crew. The newly harvested
- tea is to be loaded and the port of destination headed for as fast as
- possible. For the first cargo of tea one receives a good premium. If you
- are too slow then someone else will snatch the premium from under your
- nose.
-
- End of Civil Wars and Wars
-
- After the end of civil wars and wars there is usually an enormous demand
- for goods from the reopened trade merchants. Putting into such ports will
- certainly bring about some good business
-
-
-
- -------------------------------- END ----------------------------------
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