146 Book of Steamships 



She was the first big ship to have three 

 funnels and with her four masts, well 

 equipped with canvas and her clipper 

 stem she looked every inch a flier. But 

 she could not reach the sea speed con- 

 tracted for and so she came back to her 

 builders, who for a time were rather con- 

 cerned as to her future. 



Very few steamship companies needed 

 so large a ship, nor were they anxious to 

 possess so fast a vessel, even if she could 

 not beat all rivals. But very fortunately 

 for the builders the Anchor Line was on 

 the lookout for a new boat and the hand- 

 some City of Rome attracted their attention. 

 Certain alterations were made to fit her 

 for the new service and for about twenty 

 years the rejected of one line was the 

 favourite vessel of another. 



She set the fashion for the three-fun- 

 nelled liner and was the model upon which 

 the more famous City of Paris and City of 

 New York were built ; these were the Blue 

 Riband holders of the 'nineties and both 



