PROGRESS IjST MARINE CONSTRUCTION GRACIE. 695 



been put on service, with very satisfactory results even at compara- 

 tively low speeds. 



The rapid development of the large, luxurious and fast liner which 

 I have just traced has been due to the exceptionally favorable condi- 

 tions of the Atlantic route. Here there is a large and steady stream 

 of passenger traffic, a demand for expensive and luxurious accommo- 

 dation, and a comparatively short distance between terminals. Fuel 

 of the best quality can be readily obtained on both shores. Upon the 

 other great ocean highways of the world these advantages do not 

 exist. The Pacific lane from Vancouver to Nagasaki is 67 per cent 

 longer than that from Liverpool to New York, Vancouver to Mel- 

 bourne 148 per cent longer, London to Melbourne 315 per cent, and 

 Southampton to Cape Town 95 per cent. Neither Japanese, British 

 Columbian, Australian, nor South African coal is equal to Welsh coal 

 in calorific value, but on the Pacific oil fuel is easily obtained, and is 

 already beginning to be largely used. In no case does the volume of 

 passenger traffic approach that across the Atlantic. As a consequence 

 competition is less keen, there are fewer vessels, a less number of voy- 

 ages per vessel, and the vessels themselves are smaller and of less 

 speed. Nevertheless considerable progress has been made in size, 

 accommodation, comfort, speed, and economy, although the advance 

 in speed has not been so marked as that between Britain and America. 



No less interesting than vessels of the liner class are those 

 smaller passenger carriers known as cross-channel steamers. Be- 

 tween different ports in the United Kingdom and between British 

 and continental ports there has always been a large passenger traffic 

 and the competition between the various railway and other com- 

 panies has developed a large fleet of small vessels, whose speeds vie 

 with those of Atlantic liners and whose speed-length ratios, or ratios 

 of speed to square root of length, are generally in excess of liner 

 practice. 



The conditions of these cross-channel services differ materially 

 from those of the liners' routes. The distances are much shorter, 

 ranging from 21 to 120 miles only, and the number of times the 

 vessels enter harbor is much greater. 



The quantity of fuel which must be carried is therefore much less, 

 and economy of consumption is relatively of smaller influence. It 

 is of greater importance to keep down tonnage, to save dues, and to 

 reduce weight wherever possible in order to obtain high speeds upon 

 small dimensioiis. Very few of the vessels are classed, and the 

 scantlings in all cases are kept as low as possible. In many cases 

 harbor accommodation imposes severe restrictions upon length and 

 draft. 



Twenty years ago the majority of these vessels were paddle steam- 

 ers. These w^ere gradually replaced by twin-screw steamers, and 



