By the
addition of these two ships to their fleet the White Star Line,
although started only in 1870, reached a front rank position in the
New York passenger trade. The author gave in separate tables the logs
of several of these ships, some from published documents and some
kindly furnished by the owners. The Great Western had crossed the
Atlantic from Bristol to New York in 15 days as early as 1838. The
first Cunard steamer, the Britannic, was about the same speed, from 81/4
to 81/2 knots an hour. The average duration of the Cunard voyages in the
year 1856 was 12.67 days from Liverpool to New York, and 11.03 days
from New York to Liverpool. The Bothnia, in 1874, reduced the passage
to about nine days. The White Star Britannic, in 1876, averaged 7 days
18 hours 26 minutes outward from Queenstown to New York, and 9 days 6
hours 44 minutes homeward, and has averaged for the last ten years 8
days 9 hours 36 minutes outward, and 8 days 1 hour 48 minutes
homeward. The City of Berlin, of the Inman Line, also built in 1874, 8
days 10 hours 56 minutes, 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.
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