inutes, and homeward 8 days 2 hours 37 minutes; and
for the nine years from 1875 to 1883 inclusive, averaged outward 8
days 19 hours 56 seconds, and inward 8 days 8 hours 34 seconds; or,
putting it into rounder figures, the Britannic had reduced the average
passage between the two points to 81/4 days, and the City of Berlin to
81/2 days. From the year 1874 on to 1879 no further advance was made in
Atlantic steaming, but in that year the Arizona was added to the Guion
Line, and it soon became evident that another important stride had
been made in the Atlantic passenger trade, which would lead to most
important results. The results, as we all know, have been sufficiently
startling. The Guion Line, which had started in 1866 with the
Manhattan, had now the fastest passenger ship on the Atlantic. In
spite of burning some fifty per cent. more coal than the Britannic,
the ship was an obvious commercial success. The spirited policy which
brought her into existence was appreciated by the public, and the
other lines had to move forward. Then followed a period of rivalry,
the Cunard Company building the Gallia and Servia, the Inman Company
the City of Rome, and the Guion Line the Alaska, all of which were
completed in 1881, and afterward the Oregon for the Guion
Line--1883--the Aurania the same year for the Cunard Company, and,
later still, the America for the National Line, and the Umbria and
Etruria for the Cunard Company in 1885.

[Illustration:

_Frames from outer edge of Tank to Upper Deck, 7 x 31/2 x 8/16 for 250
ft. Amidships, for 60 ft. before and abaft these Points 61/2 x 31/2 x 6/16
at end of Vessel 5 x 31/2 x 7/16, all spaced 24 in. apart and all
carried to Upper Deck, double from Bilge to Bilge in way of
Engines.--Frames in Tank on Lattice and Solid Floors, 5 x 31/2 x 8/16,
Intermediate Frames, 8 x 4 x 9/16--Rev: Frames, 41/2 x 31/2 x 8/16,
carried to Upper and Main Deck alternately double, 41/2 x 41/2 x 8/16 from
Bilge to Bilge in E and B space._

Fig. 2--SERVIA.]

Since the completion of the Etruria, for various reasons there has
been a pause in the tremendous strides made since 1879, and we may
briefly review the results. Taking the Britannic as a standard with
her ten years' average of 81/4 days across, and her quickest passage of
7 days 10 hours 53 seconds, we have now the following steamers of
higher speeds. Taking them in the order of their absolutely fastest
passage out or home, they stand thus:

TABLE