THE HIGHWAY OF THE WATERS 



flush from stem to stem, and was twenty feet wide on 

 each side of the hatchways; thus two spacious prome- 

 nades were provided, each over a furlong in length. 

 The capacity for coal and cargo was 18,000 tons. 



"The attempts to launch this vessel were most disas- 

 trous, and cost no less than £120,000, an expense which 

 ruined the company. The original company was wound 

 up, and the great ship sold for £160,000 to a new com- 

 pany, and was completed in the year 1859. The new 

 company very unwisely determined to put her on the 

 American station, for which she was in no way suited. 

 During her preliminary trip the pilot reported that she 

 made a speed of fully 14 knots at two- thirds of full 

 pressure, but the highest rate of speed which she at- 

 tained on this occasion was 15 knots, and on her first 

 journey across the Atlantic the average speed was 

 nearly 14 knots, the greatest distance run in a day hav- 

 ing been ;^^;^ nautical miles. The great value of the 

 system adopted in her construction was proved by an 

 accident which occurred during one of her Transatlan- 

 tic voyages. She ran against a pointed rock, but the 

 voyage was continued without hindrance. It was after- 

 wards found that holes of the combined length of over 

 100 feet had been torn in her outer bottom; but, thanks 

 to the inner water-tight skin, no water was admitted." 



Between the years i860 and 1870 great improvements 

 were made in marine engines, and screw-steamers very 

 generally replaced side-wheel boats for ocean traffic. 

 The improvements in the engines consisted largely in 

 the use of higher pressures, surface condensation, and 

 compounding of the cylinders, which resulted in a sav- 



[79I 



