esting address J. H. Biles, architect, rd the Cunard Four Gampanieon the Atlantic in Ostober last Lapis axp Gestremes,—I have been requested to say something to help forward his emeert, but this will be only a talk.
uany people, a ship has peculiar charm. She walks the waters like a thing of life, Nive tures and hows like " beautiful woman, Are mast, i ith tears, and sin sympathy. Tt is vot difficult to tuiderstand why so much interest is taken ins Ships are prog:, like some wun beings, but today it appears as tive Canpunia can defy the ocean, This is one of the greatest Eriumphs of mind over matter, Tu 1855 it took fifteen to eighteen days to cross the Atlantic, They could, when cas favourable, de 200 to 250 miles per das, hut so much were they not able defy" the that on ocensions. they would steam fora whole day and make no headway. Tu this ship, she has only once less than 300 miles ina day; and on days has she done less than 400 ites por day. is practically a defianew oft favo of ths Tiw rate of progress may also be noted by observing that the lone we made by ship was 6 days, 13 hours, 17 minutes. Fifteen yeu this was better than the host that had then been, Till August 1886 the record was 7 day 6 hours, 45 minutes, West-hound, or 12 hours more than the worst of the zood ship Campratias the hest of this ship is 5 days, 7 he 5 minu'es—practically a gain of two in less than fifte West-bound, June, 1884, the best ast-hound passage 22 hours, or neatly wine hours the sorst of the Gunpanin, 4 from the 7a. 6h. 45m, and of 1884 to sve when the best was longer, se find in 1857" the record 21h. 4lm., West-hound, and not rill I ws it Jowered, when it was 81. 15h. We have to'look Inck the same perind to got the increase of two ays on the Exst-hound pa Hence it took about 27 years to reduce the time by two days from Hine days to seven, while tess than fourteen years to the last two day:
Chis improvement is not due alone to I Architeet who designs, or to the Marine E r who drives, or' the Cape tain who navigates with daring and re-sailor's skill; but the Metallurgist proved material, the Founder by his improved methods,' the For; by his increased power orator, all contri floating hotel's success.
rupture there are 7,000 tons of 00 of wood, 900 of other material hinery wei ready for work,.700 tus. The promenade deck of the ship may be likened to the pleasure park city. At any rate it is well wooned, times well watered. It has sheltered nooks, and sometimes running streams, and birds sometimes lodge in the Wranehes of it. It is the roof garden. Bur the serious and rely pushing busi-jess of the ship is done on the g foot. The one modern quality in which this Imsiness is Ineking is the advertising The engineer and his staff suceved the machinery turn round 69,000 mes between New York and Liverpool, All the passengers combined [oom not make it turn once. Up till ju, ea this voyage, each engine has turned 500,000 times, To do this they have to burn a ton of coal in every three minutes, or in every mile, which
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.