11 a mile for sailing about 124,000 miles.[GD]
By subsequent acts the secretary of the navy was authorized to advance
twenty-five thousand dollars a month on each of the ships called for by
these several contracts from the time of their launching to their
finish; and the date of the completion of the first Collins steamer and
the opening of the New York and Liverpool service was extended to June
1, 1850.[GE]
At the same time that the secretary of the navy was executing these
contracts the postmaster-general under the authority of an act "to
establish certain Post Routes and for other purposes," also approved
March 3, 1847,[GF] was contracting for a steamship mail-service between
Charleston and Havana, with a subsidy of forty-five thousand dollars per
annum. This contract was entered into with M.C. Mordecai of Charleston,
who agreed to furnish steamships suitable for war purposes, and to
perform a monthly service.[GG] Several other propositions for steamship
service to various foreign countries were made to the postmaster-general
at this time, but none was accepted.[GH]
The pioneer Bremen-Havre line began its service on the first day of June
1847, with two steamers. These were the _Washington_ and the _Hermann_,
built in New York, strong and large, of 1640 tons and 1734 tons,
respectively, side-wheelers, bark-rigged.
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