men of invention and industry-第64节

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lengthened　by　us　at　Belfast。



The　success　of　all　this　heavy　work；　executed　for　successful

owners；　put　a　sort　of　backbone　into　the　Belfast　shipbuilding

yard。　　While　other　concerns　were　slack；　we　were　either

lengthening　or　building　steamers　as　well　as　sailing…ships　for

firms　in　Liverpool；　London；　and　Belfast。　　Many　acres　of　ground

were　added　to　the　works。　　The　Harbour　Commissioners　had　now　made

a　fine　new　graving…dock；　and　connected　the　Queen's　Island　with

the　mainland。　　The　yard；　thus　improved　and　extended；　was　surveyed

by　the　Admiralty；　and　placed　on　the　first…class　list。　　We

afterwards　built　for　the　Government　the　gun　vessels　Lynx　and

Algerine；　as　well　as　the　store　and　torpedo　ship　Hecla；　of　3360

tons。



The　Suez　Canal　being　now　open；　our　friends　the　Messrs。　Bibby　gave

us　an　order　for　three　steamers　of　very　large　tonnage；　capable　of

being　adapted　for　trade　with　the　antipodes　if　necessary。　　In

these　new　vessels　there　was　no　retrograde　step　as　regards　length；

for　they　were　390　feet　keel　by　37　feet　beam；　square…rigged　on

three　of　the　masts；　with　the　yards　for　the　first　time　fitted　on

travellers；　as　to　enable　them　to　be　readily　sent　down；　thus

forming　a　unique　combination　of　big　fore…and…aft　sails；　with

handy　square　sails。　　These　ships　were　named　the　Istrian；　Iberian；

and　Illyrian；　and　in　1868　they　went　to　sea；　soon　after　to　be

followed　by　three　more　shipsthe　Bavarian；　Bohemian；　and

Bulgarianin　most　respects　the　same；　though　ten　feet　longer；

with　the　same　beam。　　They　were　first　placed　in　the　Mediterranean

trade；　but　were　afterwards　transferred　to　the　Liverpool　and

Boston　trade；　for　cattle　and　emigrants。　　These；　with　three

smaller　steamers　for　the　Spanish　cattle　trade；　and　two　larger

steamers　for　other　trades；　made　together　twenty　steam…vessels

constructed　for　the　Messrs。　John　Bibby；　Sons；　&　Co。；　and　it　was　a

matter　of　congratulation　that；　after　a　great　deal　of　heavy　and

constant　work；　not　one　of　them　had　exhibited　the　slightest

indication　of　weakness；all　continuing　in　first…rate　working

order。



The　speedy　and　economic　working　of　the　Belfast　steamers；　compared

with　those　of　the　ordinary　type；　having　now　become　well　known；　a

scheme　was　set　on　foot　in　1869　for　employing　similar　vessels；

though　of　larger　size；　for　passenger　and　goods　accommodation

between　England　and　America。　　Mr。　T。　H。　Ismay；of　Liverpool；　the

spirited　shipowner；　then　formed；　in　conjunction　with　the　late　Mr。

G。　H。　Fletcher；　the　Oceanic　Steam　Navigation　Company；　Limited；

and　we　were　commissioned　by　them　to　build　six　large　Transatlantic

steamers；　capable　of　carrying　a　heavy　cargo　of　goods；　as　well　as

a　full　complement　of　cabin　and　steerage　passengers；　between

Liverpool　and　New　York；　at　a　speed　equal；　if　not　superior；　to

that　of　the　Cunard　and　Inman　lines。　　The　vessels　were　to　be

longer　than　any　we　had　yet　constructed；　being　420　feet　keel　and

41　feet　beam；　with　32　feet　hold。



This　was　a　great　opportunity；　and　we　eagerly　embraced　it。　　The

works　were　now　up　to　the　mark　in　point　of　extent　and　appliances。　

The　men　in　our　employment　were　mostly　of　our　own　training：　the

foremen　had　been　promoted　from　the　ranks；　the　manager；　Mr。　W。　H。

Wilson；　and　the　head　draughtsman；　Mr。　W。　J。　Pirrie　（since　become

partners）；　having；　as　pupils；　worked　up　through　all　the

departments；　and　ultimately　won　their　honourable　and　responsible

positions　by　dint　of　merit　onlyby　character；　perseverance；　and

ability。　　We　were　therefore　in　a　position　to　take　up　an　important

contract　of　this　kind；　and　to　work　it　out　with　heart　and　soul。



As　everything　in　the　way　of　saving　of　fuel　was　of　first…rate

importance；　we　devoted　ourselves　to　that　branch　of　economic

working。　　It　was　necessary　that　buoyancy　or　space　should　be　left

for　cargo；　at　the　same　time　that　increased　speed　should　be

secured；　with　as　little　consumption　of　coal　as　possible。　　The

Messrs。　Elder　and　Co。；　of　Glasgow；　had　made　great　strides　in　this

direction　with　the　paddle　steam…engines　which　they　had

constructed　for　the　Pacific　Company　on　the　compound　principle。　

They　had　also　introduced　them　on　some　of　their　screw　steamers；

with　more　or　less　success。　　Others　were　trying　the　same　principle

in　various　forms；　by　the　use　of　high…pressure　cylinders；　and　so

on；　the　form　of　the　boilers　being　varied　according　to

circumstances；　for　the　proper　economy　of　fuel。　　The　first　thing

absolutely　wanted　was；　perfectly　reliable　information　as　to　the

actual　state　of　the　compound　engine　and　boiler　up　to　the　date　of

our　inquiry。　　To　ascertain　the　facts　by　experience；　we　dispatched

Mr。　Alexander　Wilson；　younger　brother　of　the　manager　who　had　been

formerly　a　pupil　of　Messrs。　Macnab　and　Co。；　of　Greenock；　and　was

thoroughly　able　for　the　workto　make　a　number　of　voyages　in

steam　vessels　fitted　with　the　best　examples　of　compound　engines。



The　result　of　this　careful　inquiry　was　the　design　of　the

machinery　and　boilers　of　the　Oceanic　and　five　sister…ships。　　They

were　constructed　on　the　vertical　overhead　〃tandem〃　type；　with

five…feet　stroke　（at　that　time　thought　excessive）；　oval

single…ended　transverse　boilers；　with　a　working　pressure　of　sixty

pounds。　　We　contracted　with　Messrs。　Maudslay；　Sons；　and　Field；　of

London；　for　three　of　these　sets；　and　with　Messrs。　George

Forrester　and　Co。；　of　Liverpool；　for　the　other　three；　and　as　we

found　we　could　build　the　six　vessels　in　the　same　time　as　the

machinery　was　being　constructed；　and；　as　all　this　machinery　had

to　be　conveyed　to　Belfast　to　be　there　fitted　on　board；　whilst　the

vessels　were　being　otherwise　finished；　we　built　a　little

screw…steamer；　the　Camel；　of　extra　strength；　with　very　big

hatchways；　to　receive　these　large　masses　of　iron；　and　this；　in

course　of　time；　was　found　to　work　with　great　advantage；　until

eventually　we　constructed　our　own　machinery。



We　were　most　fortunate　in　the　type　of　engine　we　had　fixed　upon；

for　it　proved　both　economical　and　serviceable　in　all　ways；　and；

with　but　slight　modifications；　we　repeated　it　in　the　many

subsequent　vessels　which　we　built　for　the　White　Star　Company。　

Another　feature　of　novelty　in　these　vessels　consisted　in　placing

the　first…class　accommodation　amidships；　with　the　third…class　aft

and　forward。　　In　all　previous　ocean　steamers；　the　cabin

passengers　had　been　berthed　near　the　stern；　where　the　heaving

motion　of　the　vessel　was　far　greater　than　in　the　centre；　and

where　that　most　disagreeable　vibration　inseparable　from　proximity

to　the　propeller　was　ever　present。　　The　unappetising　smells　from

the　galley　were　also　avoided。　　And　last；　but　not　least；　a

commodious　smoking…saloon　was　fitted　up　amidships；　contrasting

most　favourably　with　the　scanty　accommodation　provided　in　other

vessels。　　The　saloon；　too；　presented　the　novelty　of　extending　the

full　width　of　the　vessel；　and　was　lighted　from　each　side。　

Electric　bells　were　for　the　first　time　fitted　on　board　ship。　　The

saloon　and　entire　range　of　cabins　were　lighted　by　gas；　made　on

board；　though　this　has　since　given　place　to　the　incandescent

electric　light。　　A　fine　promenade　deck　was　provided　over　the

saloon；　which　was　accessible　from　below　in　all　weathers　by　the

grand　staircase。



These；　and　other　arrangements；　greatly　promoted　the　comfort　and

convenience　of　the　cabin　passengers；　while　those　in　the　steerage

found　great　improvements　in　convenience；　sanitation；　and

accommodation。　　〃Jack〃　had　his　forecastle　well　ventilated　and

lighted；　and　a　turtle…back　over　his　head　when　on　deck；　with

winches　to　haul　for　him；　and　a　steam…engine　to　work　the　wheel；

while　the　engineers　and　firemen　berthed　as　near　their　work　as

possible；　never　needing　to　wet　a　jacket　or　miss　a　meal。　　In

short；　for　the　first　time　perhaps；　ocean…voyaging；　even　in　the

North　Atlantic；　was　made　not　only　less　tedious　and　dreadful　to

all；　but　was　rendered　enjoyable　and　even　delightful　to　many。　

Before　the　Oceanic；　the　　pioneer　of　the　new　line；　was　even

launched；　rival　companies　had　already　　consigned　her　to　the

deepest　place　in　the　ocean。　　Her　first　appearance　in　Liverpool

was　therefore　regarded　with　much　interest。　　Mr。　Ismay；　during　the

construction　of　the　vessel；　took　every　pains　to　suggest

improvements　and　arrangements　with　a　view　to　the　comfort　and

convenience　of　the　travelling　public。　　He　accompanied　the　vessel

on　her　first　voyage　to　New　York　in　March；　1871；　under　command　of

Captain；　now　Sir　Digby　Murray；　Brt。　　Although　severe　weather　was

experienced；　the　ship　made　a　splendid　voyage；　with　a　heavy　cargo

of　goods　and　passengers。　　The　Oceanic　thus　started　the

Transatlantic　traffic　of　the　Company；　with　the　house…flag　of　the

White　Star　proudly　flying　on　the　main。



It　may　be　mentioned　that　the　speed　of　the　Oceanic　was　at　least　a

knot　faster　per　hour　than　had　been　heretofore　accomplished　across

the　Atlantic。　　The　motion　of　the　vessel　was　easy；　without　any

indication　of　weakness　or　straining；　even　in　the　heaviest

weather。　　The　only　inducement　to　slow　was　when　going　head