Speed and the Engineer 99 



Sirius and Great Western, the two first 

 steam-driven ships on the famous ferry. 



But as each ship came into service and 

 ten were built in as many years an in- 

 crease in speed was noticeable. From a 

 fortnight taken in crossing, the time came 

 down a day at a time usually, though some- 

 times merely a matter of an hour or two 

 until rather more than forty years after the 

 opening of the steam service the crossing 

 was accomplished in less than a week. 

 This represented an increase of 100 per 

 cent speed. There were many who be- 

 lieved that nothing more would be done, 

 for the increase of a mile an hour on a 

 liner means an enormous addition to the 

 coal bill and a great deal to the cost of the 

 ship. 



There came a point when speed on the 

 Atlantic seemed to halt because there was 

 the question of a vessel earning her keep, 

 also there were people who said that high 

 speed was dangerous. They certainly could 

 quote cases where liners had lost their 

 propellers when racing at speed, and in 



