The British Empire in the Nineteenth Century (Volume 3); Its Progress and Expansion at Home and Abroad, Comprising a Description and History of the British Colonies and Dependencies - Softcover

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1897. Excerpt: ... 5 days 18 hours and 5 days 64 hours. Their length just exceeded 580 feet; their tonnage was nearly 10,000, and the horsepower of the engines was 18,000. The Cunard Company, resolved not to be beaten by any rivals, American or British, then gave instructions to the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, on the left bank of the Clyde below Glasgow, which resulted in the production of those magnificent and for some years unrivalled specimens of commercial marine architecture, the Campania and Lucania. These fleetest of all the "Atlantic greyhounds", these wonders of human achievement, ready for launching within a year of the time when the keels were laid, have each crossed the Atlantic (Queenstown to New York, or vice versa) in about 5 days 13 hours. These superb vessels represent the highest development of marine architecture and engineering skill down to the date of their existence, and may be regarded, when we consider their marvellous adaptations of means to ends, as among the most distinctive products of the Victorian age, most characteristic of the time and race that display their wonders to the world. Strength and speed are combined in a rare union which enables them, under contract with the Admiralty, to become cruisers armed with longrange cannon that would make them formidable to most men-of-war. For safety either from the violence of waves and winds, or of hostile shot and shell, they are fitted with steering-gear in triple independent form. Their coal-capacity is so great that, on cruisingservice, they could for some time burn five hundred tons a day. These luxurious floating hotels have dining-rooms fit for royal banquets, and drawing-rooms, private sitting-rooms, and boudoirs which furnish the comforts and splendours of home to the ric...