ery materially. Valiantly
engineers wrestled with one after another of these enigmas until they
conquered them and put shipbuilding on the upward path where it has been
ever since. In time steel ships replaced the cruder vessels of iron;
finer types of engines were worked out; the wireless and the many
electrical devices which herald approaching foes and announce the
presence of icebergs have been invented; until now the ocean liner is
practically safe from all perils except fogs, icebergs and submarines."

He stopped a moment with eyes fixed on the glowing logs that crackled on
the hearth.

"Meanwhile," he went on, "comfort aboard ship has progressed to luxury.
Better systems of ventilation, more roomy sleeping quarters, more
windows and improved lighting facilities have been installed. The
general arrangement of the ship has also been vastly improved since the
days when the high bulwark and long deckhouse were in use. Now iron
railings allow the sea to wash back and forth in time of storm, and in
consequence there is less danger of vessels being swamped by the waves.
Then there are watertight doors and bulkheads, double bottoms to the
hulls, and along with these more practical advances have come others of
a more healthful and artistic trend. The furniture is better; the
decoration of the cabins and saloons prettier and more harmonious; there
has been more hygienic sanitation. When the _Oceanic_ of the White Star
Line was built in 1870 she had a second deck, and this novel feature was
adopted broadcast and eventually ushered in the many-deck liners now in
use. The _Servia_, built in 1881, was the first steel ship and the
advantage of its greater elasticity was instantly seen. Builders were
wise enough to grasp the fact that with the increasing length of
vessels steel ships would be able to stand a greater strain. Little by
little the gain went on in every direction. Nevertheless, in spite of
the intelligence of the shipbuilders, it was long before trans-Atlantic
navigators had the courage to trust themselves entirely to their engines
and discard masts; although they shifted to steel ones instead of those
of iron or wood, they still persisted in carrying them."

He smiled as he spoke.

"When the twin-screw propeller made its appearance it brought with it
greater speed and there was a revival of the old racing spirit. Between
the various shipping lines of all nations the contest for size and
swiftness has raged ever