Weweremostfortunateinthetypeofenginewehadfixedupon，foritprovedbotheconomicalandserviceableinallways；and，withbutslightmodifications，werepeateditinthemanysubsequentvesselswhichwebuiltfortheWhiteStarCompany。
Anotherfeatureofnoveltyinthesevesselsconsistedinplacingthefirst-classaccommodationamidships，withthethird-classaftandforward。Inallpreviousoceansteamers，thecabinpassengershadbeenberthednearthestern，wheretheheavingmotionofthevesselwasfargreaterthaninthecentre，andwherethatmostdisagreeablevibrationinseparablefromproximitytothepropellerwaseverpresent。Theunappetisingsmellsfromthegalleywerealsoavoided。Andlast，butnotleast，acommodioussmoking-saloonwasfittedupamidships，contrastingmostfavourablywiththescantyaccommodationprovidedinothervessels。Thesaloon，too，presentedthenoveltyofextendingthefullwidthofthevessel，andwaslightedfromeachside。
Electricbellswereforthefirsttimefittedonboardship。Thesaloonandentirerangeofcabinswerelightedbygas，madeonboard，thoughthishassincegivenplacetotheincandescentelectriclight。Afinepromenadedeckwasprovidedoverthesaloon，whichwasaccessiblefrombelowinallweathersbythegrandstaircase。
These，andotherarrangements，greatlypromotedthecomfortandconvenienceofthecabinpassengers；whilethoseinthesteeragefoundgreatimprovementsinconvenience，sanitation，andaccommodation。“Jack“hadhisforecastlewellventilatedandlighted，andaturtle-backoverhisheadwhenondeck，withwinchestohaulforhim，andasteam-enginetoworkthewheel；
whiletheengineersandfiremenberthedasneartheirworkaspossible，neverneedingtowetajacketormissameal。Inshort，forthefirsttimeperhaps，ocean-voyaging，evenintheNorthAtlantic，wasmadenotonlylesstediousanddreadfultoall，butwasrenderedenjoyableandevendelightfultomany。
BeforetheOceanic，thepioneerofthenewline，wasevenlaunched，rivalcompanieshadalreadyconsignedhertothedeepestplaceintheocean。HerfirstappearanceinLiverpoolwasthereforeregardedwithmuchinterest。Mr。Ismay，duringtheconstructionofthevessel，tookeverypainstosuggestimprovementsandarrangementswithaviewtothecomfortandconvenienceofthetravellingpublic。HeaccompaniedthevesselonherfirstvoyagetoNewYorkinMarch，1871，undercommandofCaptain，nowSirDigbyMurray，Brt。Althoughsevereweatherwasexperienced，theshipmadeasplendidvoyage，withaheavycargoofgoodsandpassengers。TheOceanicthusstartedtheTransatlantictrafficoftheCompany，withthehouse-flagoftheWhiteStarproudlyflyingonthemain。
ItmaybementionedthatthespeedoftheOceanicwasatleastaknotfasterperhourthanhadbeenheretoforeaccomplishedacrosstheAtlantic。Themotionofthevesselwaseasy，withoutanyindicationofweaknessorstraining，evenintheheaviestweather。Theonlyinducementtoslowwaswhengoingheadtoitwhichoftenmeantheadthroughit，toavoidtheinconvenienceofshippingaheavybodyof“greensea“ondeckforward。A
turtle-backwasthereforeprovidedtothrowitoff，whichprovedsosatisfactory，asithaddoneontheHolyheadandKingstownboats，thatallthesubsequentvesselsweresimilarlyconstructed。Thus，then，aswiththemachinery，sowasthehulloftheOceanic，atypeofthesucceedingvessels，whichafterintervalsofafewmonthstookuptheirstationsontheTransatlanticline。
Havingoftenobserved，whenatseainheavyweather，howthepitchingofthevesselcausedtheweightsonthesafety-valvestoactirregularly，thuslettingpuffsofsteamescapeateveryheave，andashighpressuresteamwastoovaluableacommoditytobesowasted，wedeterminedtotrydirect-actingspiralsprings，similartothoseusedinlocomotives，inconnectionwiththecompoundengine。ButasnosuchexperimentwaspossibleinanyvesselsrequiringtheBoardofTradecertificate，thealternativeofusingtheCamelasanexperimentalvesselwasadopted。Thespiralspringswereaccordinglyfittedupontheboilerofthatvessel，andwithsuchasatisfactoryresultthattheBoardofTradeallowedtheuseofthesamecontrivanceonalltheboilersoftheOceanicandeverysubsequentsteamer，andthecontrivancehasnowcomeintogeneraluse。
ItwouldbetootedioustomentionindetailtheothershipsbuiltfortheWhiteStarline。TheAdriaticandCelticweremade17feet6incheslongerthantheOceanic，andalittlesharper，being437feet6incheskeel，41feetbeam，and32feethold。
ThesuccessoftheCompanyhadbeensogreatundertheablemanagementofIsmay，ImrieandCo。，andtheyhadsecuredsolargeashareofthepassengersandcargo，aswellasofthemailspassingbetweenLiverpoolandNewYork，thatitwasfoundnecessarytobuildtwostilllargerandfastervessels——theBritannicandGermamic:thesewere455feetinlength；45feetinbeam；andof5000indicatedhorse-power。TheBritannicwasinthefirstinstanceconstructedwiththepropellerfittedtoworkbelowthelineofkeelwhenindeepwater，bywhichmeansthe“racing“oftheengineswasavoided。Whenapproachingshallowwater，thepropellerwasraisedbysteam-powertotheordinarypositionwithoutanynecessityforstoppingtheenginesduringtheoperation。Althoughtherewasanincreaseofspeedbythismeansthroughtheuniformrevolutionsofthemachineryintheheaviestsea，yettherewasanobjectionableamountofvibrationatcertainpartsofthevessel，sothatwefounditnecessarytoreturntotheordinaryfixedpropeller，workinginthelineofdirectionofthevessel。Comfortatseaisofevenmoreimportancethanspeed；andalthoughwehadsucceededinfoursmallsteamersworkingonthenewprinciple，itwasfoundbettertocontinueinthelargershipstoresorttotheestablishedmodesofpropulsion。Itmayhappenthatatsomefutureperiodthenewmethodmayyetbeadoptedwithcompletesuccess。
Meanwhilecompetitionwentonwithothercompanies。MonopolycannotexistbetweenEnglandandAmerica。Ourplanswerefollowed；andsharperboatsandheavierpowerbecametheruleoftheday。Butincreaseofhorse-powerofenginesmeansincreaseofheatingsurfaceandlargelyincreasedboilers，whenwereachthevanishingpointofprofit，afterwhichthereisnothingleftbutspeedandexpense。Itmaybepossibletofillashipwithboilers，andtosaveafewhoursinthepassagefromLiverpooltoNewYorkbyatremendousexpenditureofcoal；butwhetherthatwillanswerthepurposeofanybodyofshareholdersmustbeleftforthefuturetodetermine。
“Bruteforce“maybestillfurtheremployed。Itisquitepossiblethatrecent“largestrides“towardsamorespeedytransitacrosstheAtlanticmayhavebeenmade“inthedark。“
ThelastshipswehaveconstructedforIsmay，ImrieandCo。havebeenofcomparativelymoderatedimensionsandpower——theArabicandCoptic，430feetlong；andtheIonicandBoric，440feetlong，allof2700indicatedhorse-power。Thesearelargecargosteamers，withamoderateamountofsaloonaccommodation，andalargespaceforemigrants。SomeofthesearenowengagedincrossingthePacific，whilstothersareengagedinthelinefromLondontoNewZealand；thelatterbeingspeciallyfittedupforcarryingfrozenmeat。
ToreturntotheoperationsoftheBelfastshipbuildingyard。A
seriousaccidentoccurredintheautumnof1867tothemailpaddle-steamertheWolf，belongingtotheMessrs。Burns，ofGlasgow。WhenpassingoutoftheLough，abouteightmilesfromBelfast，shewasrunintobyanothersteamer。Shewascutdownandsank，andthereshelayinaboutsevenfathomsofwater；thetopofherfunnelandmastsbeingonlyvisibleatlowtide。Shewasinadangerouspositionforallvesselsnavigatingtheentrancetotheport，anditwasnecessarythatsheshouldberemoved，eitherbydynamite，gunpowder，orsomeotherprocess。
Diversweresentdowntoexaminetheship，andtheinjurydonetoherbeingfoundtobeslight，theownersconferredwithusastothepossibilityofliftingherandbringingherintoport。
Thoughsuchaprocesshadneverbeforebeenaccomplished，yetknowingherstructurewell，andfindingthatwemightrelyuponsmoothwaterforaboutaweekortwoinsummer，wedeterminedtodowhatwecouldtoliftthesunkenvesseltothesurface。
Wecalculatedtheprobableweightofthevessel，andhadanumberofair-tanksexpresslybuiltforherfloatation。Theseweresecuredtotheshipwithchainsandhooks，thelatterbeinginsertedthroughthesidelightsinhersheerstrake。Earlyinthefollowingsummereverythingwasready。Theair-tankswerepreparedandraftedtogether。Powerfulscrewswereattachedtoeachchain，withhand-pumpsforemptyingthetanks，togetherwithasteamtenderfittedwithcookingappliances，berthsandstores，forallhandsengagedintheenterprise。Wesucceededinattachingthehooksandchainsbymeansofdivers；thechainsbeingreadycoiledondeck。Buttheweather，whichbeforeseemedtobesettled，nowgaveway。Nosoonerhadwegotthepairofbigtankssecuredtotheafterbody，thanafiercenorth-north-easterlygalesetin，andwehadtorunforit，leavingthetankspartlyfilled，inordertolessenthestrainoneverything。
Whenthegalehadsettled，wereturnedagain，andfoundthatnoharmhadbeendone。Theremainderofthehookswereproperlyattachedtotherestofthetanks，thechainswerescrewedtightlyup，andthetankswerepumpedclear。Thenthetiderose；
andbeforehighwaterwehadthegreatsatisfactionofgettingthebodyofthevesselunderweigh，andtowingheraboutacable’slengthfromheroldbed。Ateachtide’sworkshewasliftedhigherandhigher，andtowedintoshallowerwatertowardsBelfast；untilatlengthwehadher，aftereightdays，safelyintheharbour，readytoenterthegravingdock，——notmoreready，however，thanweallwereforourbeds，forwehadneitherundressednorshavedduringthatanxioustime。Indeed，ourfriendsscarcelyrecognisedusonourreturnhome。
Theresultoftheenterprisewasthis。Thecleancutmadeintothebowoftheshipbythecollisionwassoonrepaired。Thecropofoysterswithwhichshewasincrustedgaveplacetothescraperandthepaintbrush。TheWolfcameoutofthedocktothesatisfactionbothoftheownersandunderwriters；andshewassoon“readyfortheroad，“nothingtheworseforhertenmonths’
immersion。[2]
MeanwhilethebuildingofnewironshipswentonintheQueen’sIsland。WewereemployedbyanotherLiverpoolCompany——theBritishShipowners’Company，Limited——tosupplysomelargesteamers。TheBritishEmpire，of3361grosstonnage，wasthesameclassofvesselasthoseoftheWhiteStarline，butfuller，beingintendedforcargo。ThoughoriginallyintendedfortheEasterntrade，thisvesselwaseventuallyplacedontheLiverpoolandPhiladelphialine；andherworkingprovedsosatisfactorythatfivemorevesselswereorderedlikeher，whichwerecharteredtotheAmericanCompany。
TheLiverpoolagents，Messrs。Richardson，Spence，andCo。，havingpurchasedtheCunardsteamerRussia，sentherovertoustobelengthened70feet，andentirelyrefitted——anotherproofoftherapidchangewhichownersofmerchantshipsnowfounditnecessarytoadoptinviewoftherequirementsofmoderntraffic。
AnotherLiverpoolfirm，theMessrs。T。andJ。Brocklebank，ofworld-widereputefortheirfineEastIndiamen，havinggivenupbuildingforthemselvesattheiryardatWhitehaven，commissionedustobuildforthemtheAlexandria，andBaroda，whichwereshortlyfollowedbytheCandaharandTenasserim。Andcontinuingtohaveafaithinthefutureofbigironsailingships，theyfurtheremployedustobuildforthemtwoofyetgreatertonnage，theBelfastandtheMajestic。
Indeed，thereisafutureforsailingships，notwithstandingtherecentdevelopmentofsteampower。Sailingshipscanstillholdtheirown，especiallyinthetransportofheavymerchandiseforgreatdistances。Theycanbebuiltmorecheaplythansteamers；
theycanbeworkedmoreeconomically，becausetheyrequirenoexpenditureoncoal，noronwagesofengineers；besides，thespaceoccupiedinsteamersbymachineryisentirelyoccupiedbymerchandise，allofwhichpaysitsquotaoffreight。Anotherthingmaybementioned:thetelegraphenablesthefactofthesailingofavessel，withitscargoonboard，tobecommunicatedfromCalcuttaorSanFranciscotoLiverpool，andfromthatmomentthecargobecomesasmarketableasifitwereonthespot。Therearecases，indeed，wherethefreightbysailingshipisevengreaterthanbysteamer，asthechargeforwarehousingathomeissaved，andinthemeantimethecargowhileatseaisnegotiable。