Character Sketch. 



247 



THE WHITE STAR LINE. 



It is sometimes said that the White Star line made 

 the fortune of Harland and Wolff. But, as Professor 

 Oldham points out, the fact is that it was the other 

 way about. Jlessrs. Ismay and Fletcher started the 

 Oceanic Steam Xaviyalion Company in 1869 because 

 they saw that Harland and Wolff hatl invented a type 

 of vessel which was both speedy and economical. 

 This firm have built over fifty White Star liners as well 

 as all the Bibby liners. 



The evolution of the White Star ships can be stated 

 in a couple of lines : — 



Length, Iteam. Hold. Shaft 



Feet. Feet. ■ Feet. Tonnage. Horse-power. 



1S70 Oceanic 400 41 33 17,000 — 



1910 Olympic 882 92 64 45,000 16,000 



The White Star monsters are built for safety and 

 comfort rather than for speed. The Maurelania, carry- 

 ing 6,000 tons less cargo, requires 75.000 shaft horse- 

 power in order to make twenty-si.x knots an hour, 

 against twenty-one knots of the Olympic. 



THE queen's island SHIPYARD. 



I am not going to try to describe the works, for, in 

 the first place, I have never seen them, and, in the 

 second place, judging from the elaborate descriptions 

 of those who have inspected them, I should utterly fail 

 to do anything but bewilder the reader with a confused 

 impression of immensity, lighted and worked by as 

 much electricity as would illuminate the streets of a 

 town of 300,000 inhabitants. A few nuggety facts, 

 however, stand out from the bewildering maze of 

 figures which dwell in the memory. To make the foun- 

 dation of the slips on which the Olympic and Titanic 

 were built required an expenditure of £250,000. They 

 have got a 200-ton flouting crane — the largest in the 

 world ; the travelling cantilever cranes are Brobding- 

 nagian monsters, whose reach of arm and lifting 

 capacity are quite uncanny. 



THE OUTPUT OF SHIPS. 



The firm has branches or sister establishments at 

 Liverpool and at Southampton. At the latter place 

 they employ from 2,500 to 3,000 men. Harland and 

 Wolff have on twelve occasions during the last twenty 

 years figured at the head of the shipbuilding returns. 

 The following record of their tonnage will be found 

 interesting : — 



I. II. p. 



Ponrd of rra'Ir 



GroM Kcnistcr. 



'l'on>. 



. . 81,316 61,324 



84,240 45,850 



82,634 60,150 



92,316 76,000 



110,463 100,400 



85,287 72,OJI 



>ii.2i* 9<^i.70o 



106,528 65,840 



115,861 100,130 



118,209 96,9i6 



In addition i" mercantile work, they have supplied 



the machinery for some of the largest vessels in the 



British Navy, as follows : — 



IIM.S. /l.iNitibal 15,000 I.H.r. 



1I.M..S. Queen iS.ooo „ 



U.n.a. JCiits EciwarU VIZ. ... 18,000 „ 



H.M.S. Minotaur ... ... ... 27,000 ,, 



H.M.S. Xep/utie 25,0008. H. P. 



At Belfast, Bootle, and Southampton Harland and 

 Wolff employ a standing army of between 17,000 and 

 20,000 workmen, whose weekly wage is £30,000, equal 

 to an annual wage bill of £1,500,000. The nominal 

 capital of the company is £600,000, held in si.\ hundred 

 shares of £1,000 each. The value of the works repre- 

 sents more than £2,000,000. 



LORD PIRRIE'S CAREER. 



After this digression concerning the famous shipyard, 

 in which he had at one time the major interest, and of 

 which he is still the chairman, it is time to return to 

 Lord Pirrie. His rise was very rapid. He entered the 

 yard when a lad of fifteen. He was head draughtsman 

 when the Oceanic was designed in 1869, when he was 

 twenty-two. Five years later, when he was only 

 twenty-seven, he became partner, and was soon master 

 of the concern. 



'■ ALICK CARLISLE." 



If I had space I should like to devote a special 

 chapter to Mr. Carlisle, the cousin and brother-in-law 

 of Lord Pirrie, who entered the business as an appren- 

 tice in 1870. Lord Pirrie left the organisation of the 

 business to his capable brother-in-law, who worked like 

 a demon. Up till his retirement he practically never 

 took a holiday. His instantaneity of decision enabled 

 him to get through the work of half a dozen ordinary 

 men. He designed everything ; looked after everything ; 

 and had all the detail of everything at his fingers' ends. 

 So herculean were his labours that no one was sur- 

 prised when it was announced that he had retired 

 from the active management of the great concern — 

 which has still the advantage of his consultative abili- 

 ties. Many wondered how the shipyard would get on 

 without him. But he had organised it on solid 

 foundations. The Carlisle tradition is not soon for- 

 gotten ; and Harland and Woltf continues to prosper 

 amazingly. Some time ago Lord Pirrie sold the major 

 interests in the company to .Messrs. J. Brown and 

 Co., of Clydeiiank. Shifheld, who at present own the 

 celebrated Clydebank works, and will enter into full 

 control of the famous Irish shipyard when Lord Pirrie 

 retires from the chairmanship. 



THE CHARACTER OF LORD PIRRIE. 



Of Lord Pirrie as a man I can say nothing at first 

 hand. I have never met Lord Pirrie, and when 1 began 

 to write this sketch he was ])rcparing fur an operation 

 which has, fortunately, been successful. If 1 had met 

 him it is doubtful whether I could have fathomed that 

 somewhat unfathomable character, of whom those who 

 knew him best say they knew him least, who has 

 carved his upward way to fame and fortune in com- 

 parative .solitude of soul. 



