60 Book of Steamships 



American Royal Mail Steam Packet 

 Company," determined that their ships 

 should be of the best. It was necessary 

 to win the confidence of the public; to 

 win confidence meant the very best ships 

 obtainable. I need hardly say that their 

 hulls were of wood, and that they were 

 driven by paddle-wheels. 



Iron for shipbuilding had not been 

 introduced, whilst the screw propeller was 

 still in the experimental stage. The names 

 given to the new fleet were Britannia, 

 Acadia, Columbia, and Caledonia. Let 

 us look at the dimensions of these 

 midgets. Length 200 ft., beam 34^ ft., 

 depth 2zJ ft., tonnage 1,154 tons, and 

 indicated horse-power of 740. The 

 accommodation was described as being 

 for 115 cabin passengers. Second and 

 Third (or we may write steerage for 

 third-class) were not carried on Atlantic 

 steamships for many years. Either you 

 travelled first-class or you went by a 

 wind-jammer. 



