Collins Line

Collins Line

Trade name	New York and Liverpool United States Mail Steamship Company
Company type	Ocean-going transport
Founded	1818 (1818)
Founder	Israel Collins, Edward Knight Collins
Defunct	Template:End date and age
Fate	Bankruptcy following economic downturn and loss of government subsidy
Headquarters	New York
Area served	Routes: Transatlantic, Gulf of Mexico Ports of call: Liverpool, New Orleans, Veracruz
Key people	Bankers: Brown Bros. & Co.
Services	Shipping company
Ships owned	Arctic, Baltic, Pacific, Atlantic, and Adriatic
Competitors	Cunard Line
Govt contracts	Mail contract
Govt subsidies	$385,000 annually (occasionally more)

The Collins Line, officially known as the New York and Liverpool United States Mail Steamship Company, was an American shipping enterprise initiated by Israel Collins and later expanded under the leadership of his son, Edward Knight Collins. Edward’s direction transformed the firm into a formidable rival to the British Cunard Line in the transatlantic maritime sector.

Early days

Established in New York City in 1818 by Israel Collins, the business started on a relatively small scale. Edward Collins joined the company in 1824 and soon showcased his commercial insight by leveraging a cotton shortage in England during 1825, organizing a schooner charter that provided a competitive edge. This event marked a significant step forward in the company's development. By 1827, they had inaugurated a lucrative packet service connecting New York and Veracruz. Following Israel’s passing in 1831, Edward assumed control of a packet line operating between New York and New Orleans, further broadening their operational reach.

Transatlantic freight trade

The firm ventured into transatlantic commerce in 1835 with the purchase of the Shakspeare, which transported the largest cargo arriving in New York at that time, demonstrating their serious commitment to this market. The fleet expanded with increasingly larger vessels such as Garrick, Sheridan, Siddons, and notably the 1,030-ton Roscius launched in 1838, which exceeded competitors in size. During this era, Collins Line mainly shipped cotton to support England’s textile manufacturing. Their principal competitor was the New York-based Black Ball Line. The company’s strategy to build larger ships was central to maintaining its competitive position within transatlantic shipping.

Transatlantic mail and passenger service

In 1838, the British-owned Great Western Steamship Company’s vessel completed a transatlantic crossing in just 15 days, heralding a new phase for oceanic trade. Two years later, after securing British admiralty subsidies, the British & North American Royal Mail Steam Packet Company (Cunard Line) launched steam packet operations between Liverpool and Halifax. By 1844, Cunard maintained six ships on this route.

To counter British maritime dominance, the US Congress established a government-subsidized transatlantic mail route in 1845. After receiving bids from American shipping firms including one led by Collins, the Ocean Steam Navigation Company was awarded a contract for service between New York and Bremen in 1846.

In 1849, a decade-long federal mail contract connecting New York and Liverpool was offered to directly rival Cunard. The New York and Liverpool United States Steamship Company (Collins Line) secured this contract with a proposal for weekly operations utilizing five advanced vessels. Due to budgetary limitations, this plan was scaled back to bi-weekly departures using four ships designed by George Steers: Atlantic, , , and . These ships were nearly double Cunard’s tonnage at approximately 3,000 tons, achieved speeds up to 12 knots, and incorporated innovations such as steam heating, running water, ventilation systems, private bathing rooms, hair salons, and separate gentlemen’s and ladies’ lounges.

Service commenced with the Atlantic on April 27, 1850, reducing Cunard’s crossing duration by half a day to ten days and sixteen hours. Collins Line vessels consistently outperformed Cunard times; notably, Baltic became the first mail steamer to complete the crossing in under ten days. However, these faster speeds resulted in significantly higher fuel consumption—87 tons of coal daily compared to Cunard’s 37—and increased maintenance costs due to engine-induced structural strain.

Within two years, financial challenges emerged for Collins Line. The annual federal subsidy of $385,000 failed to match Cunard’s growing operations supported by higher subsidies that rose from £55,000 ($275,000) to £173,340 ($866,700) by 1852. Additionally, Cunard offered twice as many voyages per year along with consistent weekly winter schedules from multiple US ports.

In January 1852, supported by Postmaster-General Nathan K. Hall and Secretary of the Navy William Alexander Graham, Collins requested Congress increase its subsidy to $858,000 annually to fund expanded winter sailings and cover operational expenses. Despite public acclaim for its luxury and speed benefits, Collins had yet to distribute dividends and its stock value had declined sharply. A compromise permitted Congress to terminate this enhanced subsidy after December 1854 with six months’ notice.

Disasters

On September 20, 1854, the Arctic set sail from Liverpool carrying 233 passengers, among them Collins' wife and two children. While navigating near Newfoundland in dense fog, the vessel collided with the French iron screw steamer SS Vesta, inflicting critical damage to its hull. Lacking watertight bulkheads, the Arctic sank approximately fifteen miles offshore, leading to an estimated 322 fatalities. Collins later learned that his family had perished in the disaster.

Despite this heartbreaking loss, Collins remained committed to his vision of dominating transatlantic shipping by commissioning a larger, swifter, and more opulent vessel—the Adriatic.

In 1856, prior to the completion of the Adriatic, the Pacific disappeared during a Liverpool-bound voyage with 186 individuals aboard, including Captain Asa Eldridge, a prominent company officer and seasoned mariner. The ship likely struck an iceberg while Eldridge attempted to outpace the Cunard Line’s Persia. A wreck discovered near Wales in 1993 was identified as the Pacific, although this identification remains subject to debate.

End of the company

The Adriatic, launched on April 7, 1856, measured 355 feet in length and weighed 3,670 tons, capable of reaching speeds up to 13 knots. Due to technical setbacks, her sea trials were delayed until 1857. In August of that year, amid an economic recession, Congress reduced Collins Line’s annual subsidy to $385,000 and limited it to twenty voyages. By February 1858, the company ceased operations; bankruptcy followed with remaining ships auctioned off on April 1. The Adriatic completed only a single voyage under Collins’ ownership before being sold. The Atlantic and Baltic made brief final journeys prior to the company's dissolution.

The remaining fleet was liquidated to satisfy creditors:

• The Adriatic was sold for use in British mail service and appeared on a United States postage stamp issued in the 1869 Pictorial series. Converted into a sailing vessel in 1871, it later functioned as a coal storage hulk until it was beached in Africa in 1885 due to severe leakage.

• The Atlantic was dismantled in September 1871.

• The Baltic underwent conversion to sail before being broken up in 1880.

With the demise of Collins Line, significant competition against Cunard on transatlantic routes vanished following the earlier withdrawal of the Great Western Steamship Company from the market.