244 * "The Atlantic 



too, was a feature of construction that was not used in ordinary ves- 

 sels of the period. They were given inner sheathing or "ceiUng," and 

 the space between the planks making up this structure was caulked 

 with oakum; just as were the outer planks of the vessel. This served 

 to keep the interior dry and clean, and it also added to the strength 

 of the vessel's fabric. Repeatedly, packet ships survived groundings or 

 strandings that would have totally wrecked the ordinary ship of the 

 period. 



This kind of construction showed also in the service records. The 

 Virginian of the Swallowtail Liverpool service sailed regularly for 

 fifteen years. The Sully and the Francois I both operated for nineteen 

 years. The Liverpool continued on the Liverpool or London run for 

 thirty-seven years. 



In all the years of its history, the packet stayed true to type. Even 

 at the end it would have been recognizable to the observer as the 

 same kind of ship that it was in the beginning. It did, however, 

 undergo a great increase in size, as well as a few structural changes. 

 With the passage of time the length of the vessel increased in propor- 

 tion to the beam. Structures on deck were permitted and in some 

 cases packets were built with accommodations for passengers re- 

 moved from " 'tween decks" and put in the deckhouse. Some three- 

 deck packets were also built. What chiefly marked the later packets 

 from the earlier ones was the matter of size. The packets of the early 

 lines averaged about 350 tons. By the time the packet had settled into 

 a particular type of vessel, its size was increasing from 500 to 800 tons. 

 Toward the end of the period, when the Dramatic Line was operat- 

 ing under the management of Edward Knight Collins, he built the 

 Roscius, which had exceeded a thousand tons. 



The packets may have been sturdy and businesslike in their con- 

 struction; but from the start, they tried to balance this with com- 

 fort and elegance in the part of the vessel devoted to carrying cabin 

 passengers. 



The newspapers on both sides of the Atlantic referred to the cabin 

 quarters of the ships as "large" and "elegant." They noted the fine 

 mahogany tables in the gentlemen's dining saloon, the sofas and rich 

 draperies, the shaded lights, the fine silk curtains, etc. As each new 

 packet came into service, some additional effort had been made to 

 make the traveler more comfortable, or at least more impressed with 

 the money that had been spent on his surroundings. The same stand- 

 ard of luxury that was applied to living accommodations was applied 

 also to the food, wines and liquors supplied for the customers. Four 



