172 Book of Steamships 



has been done in the cylinders, and adds 

 another 16,000 horse-power. It will be 

 seen that the total horse-power closely 

 approximates the tonnage, so that we may 

 say that each ton of the vessel has one 

 horse-power allotted to it for driving 

 purposes. The average speed is 22| knots, 

 which made them quite speedy boats, 

 without in any way competing with the 

 Cunard fliers. 



These two ships were intended to take 

 the place on the Southampton-New York 

 service of the Majestic and Teutonic, whose 

 heads might be said to be greying in 

 honourable service. As a matter of fact, 

 the Teutonic was withdrawn and went on 

 to the Canadian service, where she did 

 well until the War, but the splendid 

 Titanic, on her maiden trip in April, 1912, 

 crashed into an iceberg, and sank within 

 a few hours despite the care lavished on 

 her construction with its watertight com- 

 partments. The story has become an epic 

 of British bravery, men and women waiting 



