Too Long; Didn't Read

The breaking up of the Baltic, the last of the famous Collins line of steamships, calls out a number of interesting facts with regard to the history of the several vessels of that fleet. There were five in all, the Adriatic, Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, and Baltic. They were built and equipped in New York. Their dimensions were: Length, 290 feet; beam, 45 feet; depth of hold, 31½ feet; capacity, 2,860 tons; machinery, 1,000 horse power. In size, speed, and appointments they surpassed any steamers then afloat, and they obtained a fair share of the passenger traffic. A fortune was expended in decorating the saloons. The entire cost of each steamer was not less than $600,000, and notwithstanding their quick passages, the subsidy received, and the high rates of freight paid, the steamers ran for six years at great loss, and finally the company became bankrupt.