1885. The last fifteen years of the century saw the tonnage of the

world’s shipping doubled, and the main features of mechanical progress during that period were another step to “quadruple expansion” and the application of “forced draught,” which gives a greater steam-pressure without a corresponding increase in the size of the boilers. The first decade of the present century has been already devoted to the development of the “turbine” engine. I have to thank the Institute of Marine Engineers at Stratford, E., for much valuable assistance and for placing its _Transactions_ at my disposal; if I have not acknowledged every item derived therefrom I trust that this general acknowledgment will suffice. To Mr. J. Kennedy, author of “The History of Steam Navigation”; Mr. A. J. Maginnis, author of “The Atlantic Ferry”; and Captain James Williamson, author of “The Clyde Passenger Steamer,” I am greatly indebted for their kind permission to draw freely upon their books: and to the publishers of the two latter, Messrs. Whittaker and Co. and Messrs. MacLehose and Sons respectively, for the loan of illustrations. Special thanks are also due to Mr. E. A. Stevens of Hoboken, New Jersey, U.S.A., not only for information concerning the experiments made by Colonel Stevens with the screw propeller, but also for the loan of some unique photographs of early American boats. Mr. A. J. Dudgeon, M.I.N.A., M.I.C.E., son of the well-known Thames shipbuilder, has revised a large amount of my work, and was good enough to place at my disposal his valuable scrap-books, from the pictures in which my friend Mr. Ernest Coffin has drawn several charming line-illustrations and the initial letters to the chapters. For various assistance I have to thank other friends and correspondents: Mr. James A. Smith, M.I.N.A; Mr. Harry J. Palmer, formerly of _Shipping Illustrated_, New York, and now assistant to Captain Clark, Lloyd’s agent at New York; Mr. J. W. Little, of Messrs. Little and Johnson; and Mr. James Gallagher of Paris for his researches at the Academy of Sciences and elsewhere. For permission to reproduce many illustrations of models, &c., in the Science Museum at South Kensington, I am indebted to the Board of Education; while for particular information I am glad to acknowledge the especial courtesy of Messrs. Barclay, Curle and Co., Ltd., of Whiteinch, Messrs. R. and W. Green, Ltd., Messrs. Swan, Hunter, and Wigham Richardson, Ltd.; and, for revising the portion relating to Floating Docks and supplying illustrations thereof, to Messrs. Clark and Standfield. To many other famous shipbuilding firms who have supplied material or illustrations thanks must also be tendered: Messrs. Harland and Wolff of Belfast; Messrs. A. and J. Inglis of Glasgow; Messrs. Thornycroft and Co., Ltd.; the Carron Company; Messrs. Yarrow; Messrs. Eltringham and Co., Ltd.; Messrs. Smith’s Docks Co., Ltd.; Messrs. Palmer’s Shipbuilding and Iron Co., Ltd.; Messrs. Armstrong, Whitworth and Co., Ltd.; the Parson’s Marine Steam Turbine Co., Ltd.; the Thames Iron Works and Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.; the Vulcan Shipbuilding Co. of Stettin; Messrs. W. Denny and Brothers, Ltd., of Dumbarton; Messrs. Osbourne Graham and Co., Ltd.; Messrs. William Gray and Co., Ltd.; Sir Raylton Dixon and Co. of Middlesbrough; Messrs. W. Doxford and Sons of Sunderland; and the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, U.S.A. To many shipowning firms I and my publishers are alike indebted for information and the loan of illustrative material; the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co., Ltd.; The Cunard Company; the White Star Line; the American Line; the Pacific Steam Navigation Company; the Orient Line; Messrs. Shaw, Savill and Co., Ltd.; Lund’s Blue Anchor Line; the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company; Messrs. Elder, Dempster and Co., Ltd.; the General Steam Navigation Company; the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, Ltd.; the principal Railway Companies owning steam-ships; the Anchor Line; the Allan Line; Messrs. Brocklebank and Co.; the Bibby Line; Messrs. George Thompson and Son’s Aberdeen Line; the North German Lloyd, and the Hamburg-American Line. Certain illustrations appear by arrangement with the editors of the _Magazine of Commerce_, the _Shipping World_, the _Syren and Shipping_, the _Master, Mate, and Pilot_ (of New York), the _Engineer_, and the _Shipbuilder_. The photograph of the _Minas Geraes_ is reproduced by special permission of his Excellency the Chief of the Brazilian Naval Commission. R. A. FLETCHER _June 1910_ CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xiii I. PRIMITIVE EXPERIMENTS IN PROPULSION -- SOME EARLY EXPERIMENTS WITH STEAM 1 II. AMERICAN PIONEERS IN STEAM NAVIGATION 19 III. THE PROGRESS OF STEAM-SHIP BUILDING IN GREAT BRITAIN 56 IV. RAILWAY COMPANIES AND THEIR STEAM-SHIPS 102 V. OPENING OF THE TRANSATLANTIC SERVICE 122 VI. DEVELOPMENT OF THE TRANSATLANTIC SERVICE 149 VII. THE DEVELOPMENT OF STEAM AUXILIARY -- OCEAN ROUTES 164 VIII. EXPERIMENTAL IRON SHIPBUILDING -- _The Great Britain_ 193 IX. DEVELOPMENT OF IRON SHIPBUILDING -- _The Great Eastern_ 228 X. THE BUILDING OF STEEL SHIPS -- MODERN LINES -- TURBINES 279 XI. STEAM-POWER AND THE NAVY -- OTHER NAVIES 311 XII. MISCELLANEOUS: TUGS -- CARGO-BOATS -- FLOATING DOCKS, ETC. -- ECCENTRICITIES OF DESIGN 341 BIBLIOGRAPHY 391 INDEX 395 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE