withconfidenceproposedmytheoryofthegreatercarryingpowerandaccommodation，bothforcargoandpassengers，thatwouldbegainedbyconstructingthenewvesselsofincreasedlength，withoutanyincreaseofbeam。Iconceivedthattheywouldshowimprovedqualitiesinasea-way，andthat，notwithstandingtheincreasedaccommodation，thesamespeedwiththesamepowerwouldbeobtained，byonlyaslightincreaseinthefirstcost。Theresultwas，thatIwasallowedtosettlethedimensions；andthefollowingwerethendecidedon:Length，310feet；beam，34feet；
depthofhold，24feet9inches；allofwhichwerefullycompensatedforbymakingtheupperdeckentirelyofiron。Inthisway，thehulloftheshipwasconvertedintoaboxgirderofimmenselyincreasedstrength，andwas，Ibelieve，thefirstoceansteamereversoconstructed。Therigtoowasunique。Thefourmastsweremadeinonecontinuouslength，withfore-and-aftsails，butnoyards，——therebyreducingthenumberofhandsnecessarytoworkthem。Andthesteamwinchesweresoarrangedastobeserviceableforalltheheavyhauls，aswellasfortherapidhandlingofthecargo。
Intheintroductionofsomanynovelties，IwaswellsupportedbyMr。F。Leyland，thejuniorpartnerofMessrs。Bibby’sfirm，andbytheintelligentandpracticalexperienceofCaptainBirch，theoverlooker，andCaptainGeorgeWakeham，theCommodoreofthecompany。Unsuccessfulattemptshadbeenmademanyyearsbeforetocondensethesteamfromtheenginesbypassingitintovariouslyformedchambers，tubes，&c。，tobetherecondensedbysurfaceskeptcoldbythecirculationofsea-waterroundthem，soastopreservethepurewaterandreturnittotheboilersfreeofsalt。Inthisway，“saltingup“wasavoided，andaconsiderablesavingoffuelandexpensesinrepairswaseffected。
Mr。SpencerhadpatentedanimprovementonHall’smethodofsurfacecondensation，byintroducingindiarubberringsateachendofthetubes。Thishadbeentriedasanexperimentonshore，andweadvisedthatitshouldbeadoptedinoneofMessrs。
Bibby’ssmalleststeamers，theFrankfort。Theresultswerefoundperfectlysatisfactory。Some20percent。offuelwassaved；
and，afterthepatentrighthadbeenbought，themethodwasadoptedinallthevesselsofthecompany。
WhenthesenewshipswerefirstseenatLiverpool，the“oldsalts“helduptheirhands。Theyweretoolong！theyweretoosharp！theywouldbreaktheirbacks！Theymight，indeed，getoutoftheMersey，buttheywouldnevergetback！Theships，however，sailed；andtheymaderapidandprosperousvoyagestoandfromtheMediterranean。Theyfulfilledallthepromiseswhichhadbeenmade。Theyprovedtheadvantagesofournewbuildofships；andtheownerswereperfectlysatisfiedwiththeirsuperiorstrength，speed，andaccommodation。TheBibbyswerewisemenintheirdayandgeneration。Theydidnotstop，butwentonorderingmoreships。AftertheGrecianandtheItalianhadmadetwoorthreevoyagestoAlexandria，theysentusanorderforthreemorevessels。Byouradvice，theyweremadetwentyfeetlongerthanthepreviousones，thoughofnogreaterbeam；inotherrespects，theywerealmostidentical。Thiswastoomuchfor“Jack。““What！“heexclaimed，“moreBibby’scoffins？“Yes，moreandmore；andinthecourseoftime，mostshipownersfollowedourexample。
Toayoungfirm，arepetitionoforderslikethesewasagreatadvantage，——notonlybecauseofthenoveldesignoftheships，butalsobecauseoftheirconstructivedetails。WedidourbesttofituptheEgyptian，Dalmatian，andArabian，asfirst-ratevessels。ThoseengagedintheMediterraneantradefindingthemtobeseriousrivals，partlybecauseofthegreatcargoswhichtheycarried，butprincipallyfromtheregularitywithwhichtheymadetheirvoyageswithsuchsurprisinglysmallconsumptionofcoal。Theywerenot，however，what“Jack“hadbeenaccustomedtoconsider“dryships。“TheshipbuiltDutchmanfashion，withherbluffends，isthedriestofallships，buttheleaststeady，becausesherisestoeverysea。Butthenewships，becauseoftheirlengthandsharpness，precludedthis；for，thoughtheyrosesufficientlytoanapproachingwaveforallpurposesofsafety，theyoftenwentthroughthecrestofit，and，thoughshippingalittlewater，itwasnotonlyeasierforthevessel，buttheshortestroad。
Natureseemstohavefurnisheduswiththefinestdesignforavesselintheformofthefish:itpresentssuchfinelines——issoclean，sotrue，andsorapidinitsmovements。Theship，however，mustfloat；andtohituponthehappymediumofvelocityandstabilityseemstometheartandmysteryofshipbuilding。
Inordertogivelargecarryingcapacity，wegaveflatnessofbottomandsquarenessofbilge。ThisbecameknowninLiverpoolasthe“Belfastbottom；“andithasbeengenerallyadopted。Thisformnotonlyservestogivestability，butalsoincreasesthecarryingpowerwithoutlesseningthespeed。
WhileSailorJackandourmanycommercialrivalsstoodaghastandwondered，ourfriendsgaveusyetanotherorderforastilllongership，withstillthesamebeamandpower。ThevesselwasnamedthePersian；shewas360feetlong，34feetbeam，24feet9
incheshold。Morecargowasthuscarried，athigherspeed。Itwasonlyafurtherdevelopmentofthefishformofstructure。
Venicewasanimportantporttocallat。Thechannelwasdifficulttonavigate，andtheVenetianclass270feetlongwassupposedtobetheextremelengththatcouldbehandledhere。
Butwhatwiththestraightstem，——bycuttingtheforefootaway，andbytheintroductionofpowerfulsteering-gear，workedamidships，——thecaptainwasabletonavigatethePersian，90feetlongerthantheVenetian，withmuchlessanxietyandinconvenience。
UntilthebuildingofthePersian，wehadtakengreatprideinthemodellingandfinishoftheoldstyleofcutwaterandfigurehead，withbowspritandjib-boom；butinurgingtheadvantagesofgreaterlengthofhull，weweremetbythefactofitsbeingsimplyimpossibleincertaindockstoswingvesselsofanygreaterlengththanthosealreadyconstructed。Nottobebeaten，weproposedtodoawaywithalltheseoverhangingencumbrances，andtoadoptaperpendicularstem。Inthiswaythehullmightbemadesomuchlonger；andthiswas，Ibelieve，thefirstoccasionofitsbeingadoptedinthiscountryinthecaseofanoceansteamer；thoughtheoncecelebratedCollinsLineofpaddlesteamershad，Ibelieve，suchstems。Theirondecks，ironbulwarks，andironrails，wereallfoundveryserviceableinourlatervessels，therebeingnoleaking，nocaulkingofdeck-planksorwaterways，noranyconsequentdamagingofcargo。Havingfounditimpossibletocombinesatisfactorilywoodwithiron，eachbeingsodifferentlyaffectedbytemperatureandmoisture，I
securedsomeofthesenoveltiesofconstructioninapatent，bywhichfillinginthespacesbetweenframes，&c。，withPortlandcement，insteadofchocksofwood，andcoveringtheironplateswithcementandtiles，cameintopractice，andthishassincecomeintoverygeneraluse。
TheTiber，alreadyreferredto，was235feetinlengthwhenfirstconstructedbyRead，ofGlasgow，andwasthenthoughttoolong；
butshewasnowplacedinourhandstobelengthened39feet，aswellastohaveanirondeckadded，bothofwhichgreatlyimprovedher。WealsolengthenedtheMessrs。Bibby’sCalpe——alsobuiltbyMessrs。ThomsonwhileIwasthere——bynolessthan93
feet。Theadvantageoflengtheningships，retainingthesamebeamandpower，havingbecomegenerallyrecognised，wewereintrustedbytheCunardCompanytolengthentheHecla，Olympus，Atlas，andMarathon，eachby63feet。TheRoyalConsortP。S。，whichhadbeenlengthenedfirstatLiverpool，wasagainlengthenedbyusatBelfast。
Thesuccessofallthisheavywork，executedforsuccessfulowners，putasortofbackboneintotheBelfastshipbuildingyard。Whileotherconcernswereslack，wewereeitherlengtheningorbuildingsteamersaswellassailing-shipsforfirmsinLiverpool，London，andBelfast。Manyacresofgroundwereaddedtotheworks。TheHarbourCommissionershadnowmadeafinenewgraving-dock，andconnectedtheQueen’sIslandwiththemainland。Theyard，thusimprovedandextended，wassurveyedbytheAdmiralty，andplacedonthefirst-classlist。WeafterwardsbuiltfortheGovernmentthegunvesselsLynxandAlgerine，aswellasthestoreandtorpedoshipHecla，of3360
tons。
TheSuezCanalbeingnowopen，ourfriendstheMessrs。Bibbygaveusanorderforthreesteamersofverylargetonnage，capableofbeingadaptedfortradewiththeantipodesifnecessary。Inthesenewvesselstherewasnoretrogradestepasregardslength，fortheywere390feetkeelby37feetbeam，square-riggedonthreeofthemasts，withtheyardsforthefirsttimefittedontravellers，astoenablethemtobereadilysentdown；thusformingauniquecombinationofbigfore-and-aftsails，withhandysquaresails。TheseshipswerenamedtheIstrian，Iberian，andIllyrian，andin1868theywenttosea；soonaftertobefollowedbythreemoreships——theBavarian，Bohemian，andBulgarian——inmostrespectsthesame，thoughtenfeetlonger，withthesamebeam。TheywerefirstplacedintheMediterraneantrade，butwereafterwardstransferredtotheLiverpoolandBostontrade，forcattleandemigrants。These，withthreesmallersteamersfortheSpanishcattletrade，andtwolargersteamersforothertrades，madetogethertwentysteam-vesselsconstructedfortheMessrs。JohnBibby，Sons，&Co。；anditwasamatterofcongratulationthat，afteragreatdealofheavyandconstantwork，notoneofthemhadexhibitedtheslightestindicationofweakness，——allcontinuinginfirst-rateworkingorder。
ThespeedyandeconomicworkingoftheBelfaststeamers，comparedwiththoseoftheordinarytype，havingnowbecomewellknown，aschemewassetonfootin1869foremployingsimilarvessels，thoughoflargersize，forpassengerandgoodsaccommodationbetweenEnglandandAmerica。Mr。T。H。Ismay，ofLiverpool，thespiritedshipowner，thenformed，inconjunctionwiththelateMr。
G。H。Fletcher，theOceanicSteamNavigationCompany，Limited；
andwewerecommissionedbythemtobuildsixlargeTransatlanticsteamers，capableofcarryingaheavycargoofgoods，aswellasafullcomplementofcabinandsteeragepassengers，betweenLiverpoolandNewYork，ataspeedequal，ifnotsuperior，tothatoftheCunardandInmanlines。Thevesselsweretobelongerthananywehadyetconstructed，being420feetkeeland41feetbeam，with32feethold。
Thiswasagreatopportunity，andweeagerlyembracedit。Theworkswerenowuptothemarkinpointofextentandappliances。
Themeninouremploymentweremostlyofourowntraining:theforemenhadbeenpromotedfromtheranks；themanager，Mr。W。H。
Wilson，andtheheaddraughtsman，Mr。W。J。Pirriesincebecomepartners，having，aspupils，workedupthroughallthedepartments，andultimatelywontheirhonourableandresponsiblepositionsbydintofmeritonly——bycharacter，perseverance，andability。Wewerethereforeinapositiontotakeupanimportantcontractofthiskind，andtoworkitoutwithheartandsoul。
Aseverythinginthewayofsavingoffuelwasoffirst-rateimportance，wedevotedourselvestothatbranchofeconomicworking。Itwasnecessarythatbuoyancyorspaceshouldbeleftforcargo，atthesametimethatincreasedspeedshouldbesecured，withaslittleconsumptionofcoalaspossible。TheMessrs。ElderandCo。，ofGlasgow，hadmadegreatstridesinthisdirectionwiththepaddlesteam-engineswhichtheyhadconstructedforthePacificCompanyonthecompoundprinciple。
Theyhadalsointroducedthemonsomeoftheirscrewsteamers，withmoreorlesssuccess。Othersweretryingthesameprincipleinvariousforms，bytheuseofhigh-pressurecylinders，andsoon；theformoftheboilersbeingvariedaccordingtocircumstances，forthepropereconomyoffuel。Thefirstthingabsolutelywantedwas，perfectlyreliableinformationastotheactualstateofthecompoundengineandboileruptothedateofourinquiry。Toascertainthefactsbyexperience，wedispatchedMr。AlexanderWilson，youngerbrotherofthemanagerwhohadbeenformerlyapupilofMessrs。MacnabandCo。，ofGreenock，andwasthoroughlyableforthework——tomakeanumberofvoyagesinsteamvesselsfittedwiththebestexamplesofcompoundengines。
TheresultofthiscarefulinquirywasthedesignofthemachineryandboilersoftheOceanicandfivesister-ships。Theywereconstructedontheverticaloverhead“tandem“type，withfive-feetstrokeatthattimethoughtexcessive，ovalsingle-endedtransverseboilers，withaworkingpressureofsixtypounds。WecontractedwithMessrs。Maudslay，Sons，andField，ofLondon，forthreeofthesesets，andwithMessrs。GeorgeForresterandCo。，ofLiverpool，fortheotherthree；andaswefoundwecouldbuildthesixvesselsinthesametimeasthemachinerywasbeingconstructed；and，asallthismachineryhadtobeconveyedtoBelfasttobetherefittedonboard，whilstthevesselswerebeingotherwisefinished，webuiltalittlescrew-steamer，theCamel，ofextrastrength，withverybighatchways，toreceivetheselargemassesofiron；andthis，incourseoftime，wasfoundtoworkwithgreatadvantage；untileventuallyweconstructedourownmachinery。