A Giant Ship

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 76, 8 April 1885, Page 3

A Giant Ship

The Cunard Co. has just launched a monster -hip, the Umbria, of 8,000 tons, and uith steam power up to 12,000 I'orte. Not withstanding the croakers who pointed to tho Great Eastern failure, and who said that ehe would prove an equal failure, a trial trip has proved her the grandest vessel the world has ever seen, having steamed without difficulty or danger up to 24 miles an hour. The Company and the engineers have covered themselves with glory, and their magnificent succees will be followed up now by other companies, who will even excel the Umbria. It is as certain as that the sun shines that within a few years the distance between Australia and England will be covered in 20 days at the outside.' We can conceive of no more magnificent sight than that of the great 10,000-ton monsters of the future cleaving

their way over the ocean under sail find steam at the rate of 30 miles an hour. This tho Cunard Co. will certainly bring about within a few yoars. Speaking of that line, it may not be generally known that such a thing as a fatal accident has never been known aboard one of their ships. In case of sprains or bruises there is always an amplo supply of St. Jacob's Oil aboard, but beyond that the health and well-being of the passengers is left to the care of the officers and good diet.