The Compagnie Générale Transatlantique,
commonly known as the French Line, entered the lists of competition in 1862, and has developed into a first-class marine service. The early ships of this company were iron paddle-wheel steamers, which were built by Scott & Company, of Greenock, but, owing to the prohibitory duty imposed on foreign-built vessels, it was found to be more advantageous to have them built in France, the more so as the Government had introduced the system of giving large “construction bounties.” This French company has now a magnificent fleet, comprising upwards of sixty steamships. The Atlantic service employs six very fine express steamers, La Touraine, La Bourgogne,[25] La Bretagne, La Champagne, La Gascogne, La Normandie, all of them built in France except the last named, which was built at Barrow-in-Furness, in 1882. The Touraine was built at the company’s building yard, at St. Nazaire, in 1890. She is a steel twin-screw ship of 10,000 tons net, and 14,000 horse-power. Her length is 520 feet, breadth 56 feet, and depth 34½ feet. She has triple expansion engines, and is classed as a nineteen-knot boat. She has made the voyage from Havre to Sandy Hook (in July, 1892) in 6 days, 17 hours, 30 minutes, the fastest on record between these ports, the average speed being 19.63 knots, and the best day’s run, 501 knots. The company’s capital is said to be $8,000,000, and its credit is good. The line is largely subsidized by the French Government, and receives compensation from the United States for carrying the mails from New York to Havre, the amount thus received in 1896 being $32,806.86. Until the loss of the Bourgogne, the most serious disaster that had overtaken the line was the wreck of the Ville de Havre, in November, 1873, from collision with an iron sailing ship, the Lochearn, which involved the loss of 226 lives, eighty-seven being rescued. Besides the American business, which is very large, the company has extensive trade connections with the Mediterranean and the West Indies.