Spanning the Atlantic - Cunard Line

 

Front Cover, Spanning the Atlantic by F. Lawrence Babcock, 1931.

Front Cover, Spanning the Atlantic by F. Lawrence Babcock, 1931. Early History of the Cunard Steam Ship Company Limited. Cover Composite Title by GG Archives. GGA Image ID # 2024733f7d

 

Synopsis

The uninterrupted progress of the Cunard Line, without retrogression and almost without mishap, stands beyond the possibility of envy as a matchless human achievement. F. Lawrence Babcock presents an early history of the Cunard Line with the social and cultural history of the passengers, officers, and crew.

 

Preface

In the general reader's interest, the author has attempted to eliminate all unnecessary technicalities and specifications from the text. Footnotes have also been avoided, with a view to subordinating details and minor controversial points to the purposes of a general narrative history of the Cunard Steamship Company.

A bibliographical list is given to compensate for these omissions, which will suggest further reference sources for such information.

The author wishes to express his gratitude for the kindness extended to him while preparing the manuscript.

Professor Archibald MacMechan of Halifax generously supplied the keys to some interesting biographical data.

Mr. E. Francis Hyde, who has crossed the ocean on Cunarders for more than sixty years, gave him the benefit of his recollections and provided him with valuable material.

Miss Alida M. Stephens, Assistant Librarian of Williams College, kindly extended him certain privileges in using books that he could not obtain elsewhere.

Finally, special acknowledgments are due to the many officials of the Cunard Line in the United States and Canada, who gave their patients cooperation and made information otherwise inaccessible available. T

he author assumes full responsibility for all of his statements and conclusions, in which he has preserved complete independence of judgment.

F. Lawrence Babcock.

 

Book Excerpt, Page 214

The uninterrupted progress of the Cunard Line, without retrogression and almost without mishap, stands beyond the possibility of envy as a matchless human achievement. When we consider that hardly a skyscraper is built without loss of life, and hardly a railroad, laid on solid earth, has not known disaster, we must acknowledge the feat of transporting across a dangerous ocean more people than inhabit some of our states with the loss, in time of peace, of but four lives, especially as these four lives were only the toll of a predictable caprice of the waves.

 

Contents

  • Preface
  • I. Samuel Cunard, Merchant
  • II. The Development of the Steamship
  • III. The Foundation of the Line
  • IV. The Ocean Ferry
  • V. Early Cunarders and Boston
  • VI. Competition by Sail and Steam
  • VII. The Struggle with the Collins Line
  • VIII. The Great Migration
  • IX. The End of the Paddle Wheelers
  • X. Ocean Travel in the Seventies
  • XI. The Mauve Decade
  • XII. Twentieth Century Liners
  • XIII. Cunarders in the World War
  • XIV. Reconstruction and the Tourist Trade
  • XV. The Tenth Decade
  • Bibliography
  • Index

 

List of Illustrations

  • Samuel Cunard
  • Ships of Columbus
  • Halifax Harbour in 1840
  • John Fitch's Paddle Steamboat
  • The Clermont
  • The Docks at Liverpool
  • The Britannia
  • Charles Dickens's Cabin on the Britannia
  • Old-Time Travel, The First Day and The Second Day
  • The Britannia in the Ice
  • Fashion in Captains' Dress
  • The Clipper-Ship Westward Ho
  • An Early Cunard Advertisement
  • The Broadway Site of the Present Cunard Building
  • The Jersey City Docks
  • Old-Time Travel, Shuffle-Board and A Gale
  • The Great Eastern
  • The Persia
  • The Russia
  • The Bothnia's Menu
  • The Servia
  • A Deck Scene in the Eighties (1880s)
  • The Mauretania
  • The Aquitania at Southampton
  • The Mauretania in Camouflage
  • The Berengaria at Cherbourg
  • "Number 534" as She Will Look against the Lower New York Skyline—Scale Drawing of the Britannia in the Foreground

 

Images from Spanning the Atlantic

 

Docks at Liverpool, Spanning the Atlantic, 1931.

Docks at Liverpool, Spanning the Atlantic, 1931. GGA Image ID # 20247f786d

 

The SS Britannia of the Cunard Line. Spanning the Atlantic, 1931.

The SS Britannia of the Cunard Line. Spanning the Atlantic, 1931. GGA Image ID # 202484777f

 

Charles Dicken's Cabin on the SS Britannia. Spanning the Atlantic, 1931.

Charles Dicken's Cabin on the SS Britannia. Spanning the Atlantic, 1931. GGA Image ID # 2024abbd65

 

Old-Time Travel - Difference between First Day Out and Second Day Out.

Old-Time Travel: Top: The First Day Out Showing Cabin Passengers Enjoying Their Meal with Beverages. Bottom: On the Second Day Out, One Solitary Passenger Has the Dining Room to Themselves, and All the Other Passengers Are Too Sick to Eat. Spanning the Atlantic, 1931. GGA Image ID # 2024bdfc40

 

The SS Britannia in the Ice.

The SS Britannia in the Ice. Spanning the Atlantic, 1931. GGA Image ID # 2024c55083

 

The Captain's Dress Uniform Evolving Over Time.

The Captain's Dress Uniform Evolving Over Time. Spanning the Atlantic, 1931. GGA Image ID # 2025448531

 

Old Time Travel: Passengers Play Shuffleboard on Deck, and Passengers Endure a Gale Storm in Their Cabin.

Old Time Travel: Passengers Play Shuffleboard on Deck, and Passengers Endure a Gale Storm in Their Cabin. Spanning the Atlantic, 1931. GGA Image ID # 20254bbdcc

 

The SS Great Eastern (1858).

The SS Great Eastern (1858). She Was at First Called Leviathan but Was Christened the Great Eastern. The Cost of Launching the Great Ship Exhausted the Owner's Funds, and She Lay Unfinished for a Year. She Was Sold to a Newly Formed Company Called Great Ship Company, and They Had Her Completed. Building Costs Amounted to about $5,000,000. Isambard Kingdom Brunei Had Designed the Vessel, but He Died before the Completion of Her Trials in September 1859. Passengers: 800 First, 2,000 Second and 1,200 Third. It Was Initially Intended for the Eastern Trade, but When Commissioned, It Was Put In Trans-Atlantic Service. The Maiden Voyage to New York Commenced June 17, 1860. Became a Cable-Laying Ship in 1864. She Was Scrapped in 1891. Spanning the Atlantic, 1931. Additional Text from Passenger Ships of the World: Past and Present, 1963. GGA Image ID # 2025fabe22

 

The SS Persia of the Cunard Line (1856).

The SS Persia of the Cunard Line (1856). First Cunard Line Paddle-Steamer Built of Iron. Displacement of 7,130 Tons. The Length from Her Figurehead to the Taffrail Was 390 Feet. Passengers: 200 Cabin and 50 Second Class. Maiden Voyage: Liverpool-New York, January 26, 1856. The SS Persia Won the Trans-Atlantic Speed Record in 1856. The Ship Became One of the Most Famous Trans-Atlantic Liners. She Sold Out of Cunard Line Service in 1868. She Was Broken up for Scrap on the Thames in 1872. Sister Ship: Scotia. Spanning the Atlantic, 1931. Additional Text from Passenger Ships of the World: Past and Present, 1963. GGA Image ID # 202605ab4b

 

The SS Russia of the Cunard Line (1867).

The SS Russia of the Cunard Line (1867). Passengers: 235 First Class: At a Later Date, It Increased to 430. Maiden Voyage: Liverpool-New York. June 15. 1807. Won the Blue Ribbon of the Atlantic by Crossing from New York to Queenstown in 8 Days and 25 Minutes. She Failed to Hold the Speed Record for Any Extended Period, for in November 1807, She Relinquished It to the New Victor, the Inman Liner City of Paris. Sold to Red Star Line in 1881. Renamed: Waesland (1881). Spanning the Atlantic, 1931. Additional Text from Passenger Ships of the World: Past and Present, 1963. GGA Image ID # 20260e7403

 

Front Cover of Cunard Line's SS Bothnia Breakfast Menu for Sunday, 6 June 1875.

Front Cover of Cunard Line's SS Bothnia Breakfast Menu for Sunday, 6 June 1875. The British and North American Royal Mail Steam Packet Company Operated the Ship from 1874 to 1879 When Ownership was Transferred to the Cunard Line. Bothnia Sailed on Her Maiden Voyage from Liverpool to New York via Queenstown on 8 August 1874. On 15 April 1885, she Made Her First Voyage from Liverpool to Boston. She was Withdrawn from service in mid-1898 and sold and scrapped in Marseille in 1899. Spanning the Atlantic, 1931. GGA Image ID # 20268bd1fe

 

Poster from the Cunard Line Featuring the RMS Bothnia circa 1885, Promoting the Liverpool to New York and Boston Route.

Poster from the Cunard Line Featuring the RMS Bothnia circa 1885, Promoting the Liverpool to New York and Boston Route. Poster by D & C MacIver. GGA Image ID # 2026bf5427

 

The RMS Servia of the Cunard Line (1881).

The RMS Servia of the Cunard Line (1881). The RMS Servia Was Launched on 1 March 1881. Attained a Speed of 17.8 Knots during Her Trials. First Cunarder to Be Built of Steel. The Main Dining Saloon Measured 74 Feet by 49 Feet Wide, with a Height of 8.5 Feet, and Could Seat 350 Passengers. She Had 168 Staterooms. Passengers: 450 First and 600 Third. Officers and Crew Members Numbered 200. Maiden Voyage: Liverpool-New York, 26 November 1881. After Completing Her 171st Round Trip Voyage in October 1901, She Was Sold to Thos. W. Ward, Ltd., Well-Known Ship-Breakers. Towed to Preston and Dismantled for Scrap. Spanning the Atlantic, 1931. Additional Text from Passenger Ships of the World: Past and Present, 1963. GGA Image ID # 2026c636db

 

Passengers on Deck of a Cunard Steamer, Waiving at a Passing Ship, 1880s.

Passengers on Deck of a Cunard Steamer, Waiving at a Passing Ship, 1880s. Spanning the Atlantic, 1931. GGA Image ID # 2026f02ca1

 

The RMS Mauretania of the Cunard Line (1907).

The RMS Mauretania of the Cunard Line (1907). The RMS Mauretania Was Launched on September 20, 1906. Passengers: 563 First, 464 Second, 1,138 Third. Maiden Voyage: Liverpool-New York, November 16, 1907. She Held the Trans-Atlantic Speed Record and Her Sister Ship, Lusitania, for Many Years. In June 1909, She Made the Eastward Crossing in 4 Days, 17 Hours and 21 Minutes. She Was Rated at 68,000 Shaft Horsepower and Equipped with 23 Double and Two Single-Ended Boilers Working at 200 LB. Pressure. In September 1928, She Made the Cherbourg to Ambrose Light Crossing in 5 Days, 2 Hours, 34 Minutes, a Remarkable Feat for a Twenty-Two-Year-Old Liner, Specially as She Was Equipped with Her Original "Parson's" Steam Turbines. The Grand Old Ship Was Finally Broken up by Shipbreakers at Rosyth in 1935, Thus Ending the Career of One of the Most Famous and Successful Atlantic Liners. Spanning the Atlantic, 1931. Additional Text from Passenger Ships of the World: Past and Present, 1963. GGA Image ID # 202737e9da

 

The RMS Aquitania (1914) at Southamton.

The RMS Aquitania (1914) at Southamton. Passenger Capacity Was 597 First, 614 Second, and 2,052 Third. Laid Down in June 1911. Launched April 23, 1913. Maiden Voyage: Liverpool-New York, May 30, 1914. Converted to an Armed Merchant Cruiser in August 1914 and Served as a Hospital Ship, 1915-19. She Was Later Put in Service as a Troopship. Returned to Regular Passenger Service in June 1919, Ports Being Southampton, Cherbourg, and New York. From 1939 to 1948, It Was Used as a Troopship and Returned to Cunard Line Service in May 1948. Her Final Trans-Atlantic Voyage Was in November 1949. This Outstanding Luxury Liner Was Broken up for Scrap in the Gare Loch (Scotland) in 1950. She Had Crossed the Atlantic Approximately 600 Times. Spanning the Atlantic, 1931. Additional Text from Passenger Ships of the World: Past and Present, 1963. GGA Image ID # 202752b9b9

 

Illustration Showing the HMT Mauretania in Camouflage during World War I.

Illustration Showing the HMT Mauretania in Camouflage during World War I. She Served as a Troop Ship to Carry British Soldiers during the Gallipoli Campaign. She Avoided Becoming Prey for German U-Boats Because of Her High Speed and the Seamanship of Her Crew. As a Troopship, She Was Painted in Dark Greays with Black Funnels. When Combined Forces from the British Empire and France Began to Suffer Heavy Casualties, Mauretania Was Ordered to Serve as a Hospital Ship, along with the Aquitania and White Star's Britannic, to Treat the Wounded until 25 January 1916. The Vessel Was Painted White in Medical Service with Buff Funnels and Large Medical Cross Emblems Surrounding the Ship and Possibly Illuminated Signs on the Starboard and Port. Seven Months Later, Mauretania Again Became a Troop Ship Late in 1916 When Requisitioned by the Canadian Government to Carry Canadian Troops from Halifax to Liverpool. Her War Duty Was Not Yet over When the United States Declared War on Germany in 1917, and She Carried Thousands of American Troops. In March 1918, Mauretania Received Two Forms of Dazzle Camouflage, a Type of Abstract Color Scheme by Norman Wilkinson in 1917 to Confuse Enemy Ships. The First Camouflage Scheme, Applied Early in March 1918, Was Curvilinear and Largely Broad Areas of Olive with Blacks, Greys, and Blues. The Second Scheme Was the More Geometric Design Commonly Referred to as "Dazzle." This Design, Applied by July 1918, Was Primarily Several Dark Blues and Greys with Some Black. After Her War Service, She Was Repainted in a Drab Grey Scheme and Finally Full Cunard Livery by the Middle of 1919. Spanning the Atlantic, 1931. Additional Text Sourced from Wikipedia. GGA Image ID # 2027b5ae27

 

The RMS Berengaria (1912) of the Cunard Line at Cherbourg.

The RMS Berengaria (1912) of the Cunard Line at Cherbourg. Ex-imperator, the Hamburg-American Line Luxury Steamship That Was Ceded to Great Britain under the Treaty of Versailles after the First World War and Renamed Berengaria in 1921. Passengers: 970 First, 830 Second, 1,000 Third. First Voyage for Cunard Line, Liverpool- New York, February 21, 1920. Last Voyage New York-Cherbourg-Southampton in March 1938. She Was Sold to British Shipbreakers in November 1938 and Partly Dismantled for Scrap before World War II. The Remains Were Towed to the Firth of Forth in 1946 and Altogether Scrapped. Ex-imperator (1921). Spanning the Atlantic, 1931. Additional Text from Passenger Ships of the World: Past and Present, 1963. GGA Image ID # 2028394f97

 

Early Drawing of Hull Number 534 that would become the RMS Queen Mary, As She Will Look Against the Lower New York Skyline.

Early Drawing of Hull Number 534 that would become the RMS Queen Mary, As She Will Look Against the Lower New York Skyline. Scale Drawing of the Britannia In the Foreground. Spanning the Atlantic, 1931. GGA Image ID # 20283eecd2

 

Library of Congress Catalog Listing

  • Personal name: Babcock, F. Lawrence (Franklin Lawrence), 1905-1960.
  • Main title: Spanning the Atlantic [by] F. Lawrence Babcock.
  • Edition: [1st ed.]
  • Published/Created: New York, A.A. Knopf, 1931.
  • Description: 227, vii p. front. (port) plates, facsims. 23 cm.
  • LC classification: HE945.C9 B3
  • LC Subjects: Cunard Steamship Company, Ltd. Steam-navigation--History. Steam-navigation--Atlantic Ocean. Steamboats.
  • Notes: A history of the Cunard line and of transatlantic shipping.
  • Bibliography: p. 220-227.
  • LCCN: 31028320
  • Dewey class no.: 387.5
  • Other system no.: (OCoLC)513531
  • Type of material: Book

 

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