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profitable and expanding operations of their transatlantic competitor, Cunard Lines, believed there was both need and justification for a substantial increase in the subsidy, especially in light of additional support Cunard was receiving. Cunard's annual subsidy had been considerably more than doubled—from £55,000 ($ 275,000) to £145,000 ($ 725,000) between 1839 and 1846—and by 1852 it had been increased to £173,340 ($ 866,700). To make matters worse, by 1852 Cunard was offering at least twice as many sailings to North
America as Collins. This was especially the case during the unprofitable winter season when the Collins Line ran only one steamer per month across the Atlantic, while Cunard—now operating from New York as well as Boston—maintained a weekly schedule by providing alternate bi-weekly services between both New York and Boston and its British terminus at Liverpool.
615:
527:
515:, petitioned Congress for a major increase in subsidy. Notwithstanding the popularity of its huge, fast and luxurious vessels, Collins had been losing money steadily. Shareholders had not received a cent in dividends and the stock was selling far below its initial offering price. And now the US government was asking the line to increase the frequency of its winter sailings simply to match the current Cunard schedule between New York and Liverpool. In those circumstances, Edward Collins maintained, the subsidy would have to be more than doubled just to break even. He therefore sought an increase to $ 858,000 per year.
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a weekly service on the route with five ships superior to those of Cunard in every way. Collins' proposal convinced the authorities and the tender was awarded to his New York and
Liverpool United States Steamship Company, commonly known as the Collins Line. Due to the financial constraints of building five ships, the service was eventually scaled down to a bi-weekly operation using four ships. Collins hired the young
483:, the new ships were superior to those of Cunard Line in many ways: at nearly 3,000 tons, they were twice as large as Cunard's largest ships; at their maximum speed of 12 knots, faster; and they included many new innovations such as steam-heating, running water and a ventilation system in all accommodations. Other features included bathing cabins, a hairdressing salon and separate lounges for men and women.
650:
the onset of a brief but severe depression, Congress finally gave the required six-month notice of a subsidy reduction to the pre-1852 amount of $ 385,000 yearly and for only twenty trips. By the next
February, the Collins Line had suspended operations, and on 1 April 1858, in the midst of bankruptcy proceedings, its remaining vessels were sold at auction. The
306:
and returned with the largest cargo yet brought to New York. From then on, the company was a serious competitor for the transatlantic trade. At that time, all of the competing shipping firms were
American. Collins' ships predominantly carried cotton for the English cotton industry. The firm continued
448:
In 1849, the US Postmaster
General Office invited companies to submit bids for a ten-year federal government-subsidized mail service contract between New York and Liverpool, in direct competition with Cunard, which had opened a similar service in 1848. Collins submitted his ambitious plan to operate
649:
was launched on April 7, 1856. She was 355 feet (108 m) long and was 3,670 tons, with a maximum speed of 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph). She was intended to begin service in
November, but due to technical problems, she did not run her sea trials until 1857. In August 1857, shortly before
564:
had no watertight compartments and began to fill with water. The captain tried to reach land before the ship sank, but only fifteen miles from shore, the ship rolled over and sank. 322 passengers are said to have perished. The next day
Collins went to meet his family, but received a letter from the
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became the first mail ship to cross in less than ten days. However, due to their high speeds, the
Collins steamers were also extremely uneconomic, with fuel consumption at 87 tons of coal per day (compared to 37 tons for Cunard ships). Additionally, the ships required constant expensive repairs due
503:
Within two years of its initial oceanic voyage, the
Collins Line was in financial trouble. The annual federal subsidy of $ 385,000, which its organizers and major investors first believed was sufficient to assure profitability, appeared seriously inadequate. Collins and his backers, in viewing the
547:
left
Liverpool with 233 passengers, including Collins' wife, their only daughter 19-year-old Mary Ann and youngest son 15-year-old Henry Coit. The ship had a good crossing until she encountered thick fog less than sixty miles from the North American coast. In the fog off
606:’s disappearance was challenged in 1993 when a wreck found off the coast of Wales was identified as the ship's remains. The accuracy of that conclusion has been questioned, however, and alternative evidence presented in support of the contemporary verdict about her loss.
269:
The Collins Line, as it was commonly known at the time, were the ships and lines run by the shipping company, I. G. Collins (later I. G. Collins and Son). Israel Collins had left the sea in 1818 to establish the shipping company in
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was the first ship in service, beginning her maiden voyage on 27 April 1850. With the crossing from New York to Liverpool taking 10 days and 16 hours, the ship clipped 12 hours off the existing Cunard record.
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Grief-stricken though Collins was, he did not give up his determination to dominate the transatlantic trade. He began to plan a new ship that would be bigger, faster and more luxurious than the rest, the
518:
Discussion of the subsidy persisted until a compromise was hammered out, under which Congress after December 1854 would be free to terminate the increase upon giving Collins six months' notice.
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of the Dramatic Line. The consensus at the time was that the missing steamer had probably collided with an iceberg and sunk: Eldridge would have been desperate to stay ahead of the
418:, after winning the tender for subsidies from the British admiralty. In 1840–41, four ships were delivered to Cunard for this service, with two additional ships following in 1844.
421:
Dissatisfied with the dominance of British companies in the transatlantic mail packet trade, the US Congress decided to begin a state-subsidized service of their own in 1845. The
282:, ahead of his competitors and corner the market in cotton. This was the turning point in the company. In 1827, the company started a line of packets sailing between New York and
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403:
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274:. The firm traded in a fairly small way. In 1824, Israel was joined by his son Edward. In January 1825, Edward took advantage of a cotton shortage in
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841:"The Unlucky Collins Line: An enterprising Yankee briefy ruled Atlantic sea lanes but a chain of disasters dogged his great steam packets"
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disappeared without trace while on a voyage from Liverpool. Forty-five passengers and 141 crew members were lost, including her captain,
693:. After conversion to a sailing ship in 1871, it became a coal hulk for the African Steamship line and was beached in August 1885 in
1403:
1358:
618:
SS Adriatic stuck in the ice in North Sydney harbor in March 1862. This is one of the only existing photographs of any Collins liner.
1005:
Sloan, Edward W. (1993) “The Wreck of the Collins Liner Pacific – A Challenge for Maritime Historians and Nautical Archaeologists.”
433:. Four companies, including a group led by Collins, submitted their proposals. A five-year tender of carrying mail from New York to
381:
of the Collins Line began to be used even before passenger service began. This was listed in the early 1850s, possibly because the
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Up until 1835 the company had not seriously competed in the transatlantic trade, but in that year it received a new ship, the
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on the Mexican coast. The line prospered. Israel Collins died in 1831, and Edward took over management of a New York-
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As a consequence, in early January 1852, the Collins Line, with the support of both the Postmaster-General
402:, crossed the Atlantic in 15 days and heralded a new age in the transatlantic trade. Two years later, the
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598:, the Cunard Line’s first iron-hulled steamer, which was due to leave Liverpool a few days after the
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on her maiden voyage, and was herself damaged by ice floes on that voyage. This explanation of the
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The collapse of the Collins line left Cunard with very little opposition in the Atlantic, as the
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and her sister ships consistently bettered the crossing times of the Cunard ships, and the
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365:
191:
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151:
992:
The Lost Hero of Cape Cod: Captain Asa Eldridge and the Maritime Trade That Shaped America
353:
335:
8:
1054:
McKee, Marguerite M. (October 1922). Bassett, John Spencer; Fay, Sidney Bradshaw (eds.).
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to structural damage to their wooden hulls caused by their excessively powerful engines.
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Steam Titans: Cunard, Collins, and the Epic Battle for Commerce on the North Atlantic
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250:. Under Edward Collins' guidance, the company grew to be a serious competitor on the
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697:, Africa, after it was leaking so badly it could no longer be used as a storeship.
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Bernard Dumpleton, “The Story of the Paddle Steamer”, 1973, The Uffington Press,
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was added, larger than any competitor. At that time, Collins' main rival was the
1136:"New York & Liverpool United States' Mail Steamship Company / Collins Line"
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Office invited tenders from US-based shipping companies for a service from
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only made one voyage for Collins' company under these circumstances. The
1094:
Goes to Washington: Lobbying for a Congressional Steamship Subsidy, 1852"
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was sold and later converted to a sailing ship; it was broken up in 1880.
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The Collins Line's remaining ships were auctioned off to pay creditors:
588:, who had previously worked for Collins as commander of the packet ship
995:. Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts: The Historical Society of Old Yarmouth.
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made one in January 1858, but in February the planned sailing of the
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The Collins Line – Yet unconquered, it has only itself to beat.
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to commission the largest ships that it could, and three vessels,
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Bankrupt following recession and termination of government subsidy
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featured on the 12 cent postage stamp in the US Postal Service's
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company started by Israel Collins and then built up by his son
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captain telling him that his wife and two children were dead.
556:, she collided with the 250-ton French iron propeller ship SS
290:
packet line. He made a great success of this venture as well.
1007:
Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History, Volume 5
404:
British & North American Royal Mail Steam Packet Company
330:
248:
New York and Liverpool United States Mail Steamship Company
34:
New York and Liverpool United States Mail Steamship Company
670:, in the service of her new owners, made a crossing from
1167:(Sharp Photography Publications, 2021) ASIN B091MBTGJ7
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was sold; it was broken up for scrap in September 1871.
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832:
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1056:"The Ship Subsidy Question in United States Politics"
578:
In 1856, before the new ship had been completed, the
827:
410:, began transatlantic steam packet service between
1207:. New York: W. F. Sametz & Co., Inc. p.
319:, were added to the fleet. In 1838 the 1,030-ton
1345:
666:was cancelled and the company was wound up. The
1354:Defunct shipping companies of the United States
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938:Monarchs of the Sea: The Great Ocean Liners
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16:Defunct American shipping company (1818-58)
1399:Transport companies disestablished in 1858
1369:1858 disestablishments in New York (state)
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1134:Swiggum, S.; Kohli, M. (5 February 2005).
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904:The Liner: Retrospective & Renaissance
674:to Newfoundland in only 5 days 19Âľ hours.
533:sinking by the stern after colliding with
1389:American companies disestablished in 1858
278:to charter a schooner in order to get to
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331:Transatlantic mail and passenger service
1394:Transport companies established in 1818
1364:1818 establishments in New York (state)
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685:was sold for British mail service. The
634:at a New York City banquet honoring the
1384:American companies established in 1818
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453:, who later designed the famous yacht
221:$ 385,000 annually (occasionally more)
1252:
1165:A Sharp Eye on collecting US Classics
1087:
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628:A toast on April 17, 1856 from Mayor
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560:, and was holed in three places. The
1204:History of American Steam Navigation
658:made a sailing in December 1857 and
1185:Marine Engineer and Naval Architect
965:. Greenwitch Editions. p. 14.
385:was becoming more and more similar.
13:
940:. Bloomsbury USA. pp. 43–44.
14:
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1088:Sloan, Edward W. (January 1995).
1066:(1). Northampton, Massachusetts:
459:, to design his new ships. Named
1404:Historic transport in Merseyside
1359:Transatlantic shipping companies
1201:Morrison, John Harrison (1903).
1181:"THE COLLINS' LINER "ADRIATIC.""
1060:Smith College Studies in History
839:Whitney, Ralph (February 1957).
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423:United States Postmaster General
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719:Great Western Steamship Company
445:, which began service in 1846.
400:Great Western Steamship Company
1142:. TheShipsList. Archived from
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936:Ulrich, Kurt (15 April 1999).
511:and the Secretary of the Navy
439:Ocean Steam Navigation Company
437:was eventually awarded to the
1:
1374:History of the Atlantic Ocean
1187:. London: 9–10. 1 April 1892.
816:
302:. The ship was dispatched to
264:
1233:. New York: Bloomsbury USA.
721:had already ceased trading.
521:
235:was the common name for the
81:; 166 years ago
52:; 206 years ago
7:
294:Transatlantic freight trade
10:
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906:. Conway. pp. 19–21.
541:On 20 September 1854, the
280:Charleston, South Carolina
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383:Jack of the United States
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961:le Goff, Oliver (1999).
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989:Miles, Vincent (2015).
902:Dawson, Philip (2005).
398:, owned by the British
1227:Fowler, William M. Jr.
1169:(read online, page 41)
1113:10.25071/2561-5467.722
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636:shipwrights of the SS
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244:Edward Knight Collins
152:Brown Bros. & Co.
70:Edward Knight Collins
42:Ocean-going transport
1335:List of ocean liners
1101:The Northern Mariner
1020:"The Workmen of the
691:1869 Pictorial Issue
406:, commonly known as
339:The "Great Western".
327:, also of New York.
252:transatlantic routes
695:Bonny, Rivers State
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1146:on 3 February 2011
1032:The New York Times
725:Collins Line fleet
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610:End of the company
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261:shipping company.
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913:978-1-84486-049-4
845:American Heritage
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1035:. 18 April 1856
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1280:Collins Line
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1219:Bibliography
1203:
1184:
1175:
1164:
1160:
1148:. Retrieved
1144:the original
1139:
1129:
1107:(1): 19–32.
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1071:. Retrieved
1063:
1059:
1049:
1037:. Retrieved
1030:
1021:
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1006:
1001:
991:
963:Ocean Liners
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851:23 September
849:. Retrieved
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586:Asa Eldridge
579:
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554:Newfoundland
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429:to ports in
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247:
233:Collins Line
232:
230:
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147:
123:
115:
102:Headquarters
39:Company type
22:Collins Line
18:
408:Cunard Line
346:House flags
288:New Orleans
204:Cunard Line
200:Competitors
166:Ships owned
132:New Orleans
111:Area served
1348:Categories
1283:steamships
1150:6 November
1073:6 November
817:References
806:Steamship
789:Steamship
772:Steamship
755:Steamship
738:Steamship
379:house flag
300:Shakspeare
265:Early days
143:Key people
29:Trade name
1121:247643690
550:Cape Race
522:Disasters
441:, led by
412:Liverpool
304:Liverpool
128:Liverpool
1323:Adriatic
1295:Atlantic
1229:(2017).
1039:13 March
1022:Adriatic
1009:, 84–91.
809:Adriatic
741:Atlantic
704:Atlantic
683:Adriatic
668:Adriatic
664:Atlantic
656:Atlantic
652:Adriatic
647:Adriatic
638:Adriatic
626:—
572:Adriatic
493:Atlantic
488:Atlantic
462:Atlantic
393:SS
313:Sheridan
284:Veracruz
240:shipping
237:American
193:Adriatic
188:Atlantic
158:Services
136:Veracruz
105:New York
1302:Pacific
758:Pacific
604:Pacific
600:Pacific
590:Roscius
581:Pacific
480:Pacific
456:America
416:Halifax
321:Roscius
317:Siddons
309:Garrick
276:England
256:British
254:to the
183:Pacific
148:Bankers
84: (
76:Defunct
65:Founder
55: (
47:Founded
1316:Baltic
1309:Arctic
1237:
1119:
1092:Baltic
969:
944:
910:
878:
792:Baltic
775:Arctic
711:Baltic
672:Galway
660:Baltic
595:Persia
562:Arctic
544:Arctic
531:Arctic
497:Baltic
474:Baltic
468:Arctic
435:Bremen
377:First
371:Second
315:, and
259:Cunard
190:, and
177:Baltic
171:Arctic
116:Routes
1117:S2CID
1097:(PDF)
1090:"The
1027:(PDF)
822:Notes
558:Vesta
535:Vesta
359:First
1235:ISBN
1152:2017
1075:2017
1064:VIII
1041:2011
967:ISBN
942:ISBN
908:ISBN
876:ISBN
853:2011
709:The
702:The
681:The
645:The
486:The
477:and
414:and
231:The
94:Fate
86:1858
79:1858
57:1818
50:1818
1209:419
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