Tod & Macgregor Shiplist

Notes:

The Inman Line made its bid for the Blue Ribbon with the launching, in December 1865, of the first City of Paris. Messrs. Tod & MacGregor built both her hull and machinery at Glasgow (Meadowside Yard). In keeping with Inman tradition she had a clipper bow and was subdivided by five transverse watertight bulkheads. City of Paris carried a full ship rig and had one funnel.

          Originally City of Paris was fitted with simple-expansion direct-acting horizontal trunk engines having two cylinders 82in. (2.083m) diameter by 42in. (1.067m) stroke; rated at 500 n.h.p. they developed in service 2,600 i.h.p. Eight rectangular fire tube boilers with 24 furnaces each supplied steam at 30 psi (2.109 kg/cm²) pressure. With this machinery the vessel’s speed was 13½ knots (25.05 km/hr) and she burned 105 tons of coal per day. The screw propeller was three-bladed and about 19 ft diameter.²

          In 1867 City of Paris won the westbound Blue Ribbon from Scotia at a mean speed of 13.77 knots (25.56 km/hr) but she was never able to take the eastbound title.

A very famous race between the Russia and the City of Paris took place in 1868. They both left New York on the 10th February, the Paris at 1.35 and the Russia at 2.40. After that their progress shows the difference that can be made in a race of this sort by different courses steered. On the 11th they both met a heavy head sea, the Russia doing 245 miles and the Paris 242. Next day again the conditions were about equal and the day’s runs were 282 against 295.

On the 13th it was 314 against 316, and next day, both of them having a moderate breeze, they did precisely the same run of 323 miles during the 24 hours. But on the 15th things were changed, the Paris on her course had a fresh breeze and contrived 342 miles, while on the Russia’s course it was a strong gale and she only managed 333.

Then weather conditions continued to harass both ships. On the 16th it was 346 miles against 329, on the 17th 338 against 232, but on the 18th the Russia worked off her bad spell and logged 349 miles against the Paris’s 346. To Queenstown the passage was 8 days 19 hours 23 minutes for the Inman ship and 8 days 20 hours 5 minutes for the Cunarder.

No need to say that the Queenstown call was cut down to the minimum by both ships, and they were off on their way to Liverpool. The total steaming time to Liverpool was 9 days 13 hours 50 minutes against 9 days 13 hours 17 minutes, the Russia improving her speed in still water and more than making up for the deficiency on the ocean passage, in considering which it must be remembered that she had to heave-to for an hour and a half on the 13th, in order to repair a valve in the air pump.

In June of the same year the City of Paris had another excellent race, this time with the North German Lloyd steamer Main. She left New York an hour and a half ahead of the German but early next morning the two ships were abreast. The Main arrived at the Needles after a passage of 9 days 13 hours, while the City of Paris reached Queenstown 9 days 4 hours from New York.

As the Needles are 280 miles beyond Queenstown—roughly 22 hours’ steaming at the speed of these ships—the Main can claim to have beaten the Inman ship by a comfortable margin, a remarkable performance. But in those days there was little or no interest shown in the Channel service and all the popular enthusiasm was centred on the Queenstown—Liverpool run.³

In 1870 she was lengthened to 398 feet and increased in tonnage to 3,500 gross. The accommodation became, 150 cabin, 400 3rd-class (steerage).

          In 1879 while serving as a transport in the Zulu war City of Paris stranded on a rock in Symons Bay, South Africa, but was re-floated and returned to service. In this duty she had secured the high price of 25s per ton per month, which was 25% more than the National Line had been able to command.

          She was re-powered in 1881 and in 1883 she was sold to Abraham Hoffnung of London. Like many earlier liners she ended her days as a cargo vessel. As Tonquin carrying coal from Cardiff to Marseilles in March 1885 she collided with a French Steamer in fog off Malaga and sank.

[W.A. Baker]

¹[Trans-Atlantic Passenger Ships, Eugene W.Smith]

²[Merchant Steamers, Science Museum]

³[A Century of Atlantic Travel, FG Bowen]

          The Master is listed as Capt. Kennedy.