The “Kronprinzessin Cecilie” (Norddeutscher Lloyd).
Photo. G. West & Son.
The “Kaiser Wilhelm II.” (Norddeutscher Lloyd).
With this steamer and four others only slightly less in size, the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, the Kronprinz Wilhelm, the Kaiser Wilhelm II., and the Kronprinzessin Cecilie, the company is able to carry out its ambition of maintaining a weekly express service between Bremen and New York.
The other great German shipping organisation, the Hamburg-Amerika Linie, started with a fleet of sailing ships, but inaugurated its steam service in 1856 with the Borussia, built by Caird of Greenock, who in the next few years executed orders for a number of vessels for the line. This steamer was one of the best of her day. The progress of this line, which claims with good reason to be the greatest shipping organisation in the world, has been extraordinary. Long ago it was adopted as its motto “My field the World,” and well it has acted up to it. Its fleet had grown by 1897 to sixty-nine steam-ships with a total of 291,507 tons register, in addition to several smaller steamers for coastal and harbour work.
Its extension in the last few years has been phenomenal. Among its largest and fastest boats are the Cleveland and Cincinnati, Koenig Wilhelm II., Amerika, Kaiserin Auguste Victoria, Patricia, President Grant, President Lincoln, and Deutschland, the last being one of the fastest afloat. Some of its larger vessels have been built at Belfast, notably the Amerika, and the Spreewald and others of her class at the Middleton yard, Hartlepool. In March 1909, the fleet comprised 164 ocean steamers of a total of 869,762 tons register, and 223 smaller steamers of 46,093 tons, or a total of 387 steamers and 915,855 tons. Both these companies, by their direct services and the numerous lines which they control, are in connection with every port of importance throughout the world.
With regard to engineering developments, it must be remembered that high-pressure and multiple-expansion engines were known before 1879.
The little Enterprise was engined by Wilson of London, in 1872, with a pressure of 150 lb.; the Sexta, engined by the Ouseburn Engine Works of Newcastle-on-Tyne in 1874, had boilers with a pressure of 120 lb. and triple-expansion engines working on three cranks; the Propontis, engined in the same year by Elder, of Glasgow, was also fitted with triple-expansion engines. Mr. Perkins’ tri-compounds came out in the ’seventies, the Isa (yacht) in 1879, with a pressure of 120 lb.; and there were a few others. With the exception of the Isa, all the others may well be designated experiments that failed, and it was owing to the success of this little yacht that the possibility of the ordinary boiler for still higher pressures suggested itself.[94]
[94] Paper on “Cargo Boat Machinery,” by Mr. J. F. Walliker, Institute of Marine Engineers.