SHIPPING COMPANY'S CENTENARY.

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 101, 2 May 1925, Page 24

SHIPPING COMPANY'S CENTENARY.

The .'centenarian in human life is somewhat _of a rarity; eve a more so is the shipping company which has weathered the storms of a hundred years and is still going as strong as at any time in the coarse of its existence. "But such a company is the Aberdeen Line, managed by Messrs. George Thompson and Co., which this year celebrates its centenary. The name o£ the line indicates its port of origin. Tt was in 1825, states tho "Shipping World," that Mr. George Thompson, jun., the founder, then only 22 years of age, commenced In conjunction with' a few friends, an underwriting and shir<owning business. One of his early vessels was the Childe Harold, a sailing ship of 116 tons, built In 1828. Early in the 'forties the fleet had increased to ten or twelve sailing vessels, a large tonnage for that time, and although the chief part of their crade was done with Canada, regular royages were made to Australia. In 1854, owing to the expansion of business, an office was opened in London under the control of Mr. Stephen Thompson, the eldest son of the founder. At the time when the Aberdeen-China tea clippers were wresting from our American rivals the blue ribbon of the sea, Messrs. Thompson owned.-about 25 s.iiling vessels of the highest class, including the famous Thermopylae. This wonderful clipper was launched in the year .1868. So pronounced was the success of the Aberdeen Line in sailing ships that it was not until 1881 that the firm incorporated in their fleet a steam-driven vessel. In that year Messrs. Napiers of Glasgow, built for them the Aberdeen the first steamer fitted, with triple-expan-sion engines. This vessel was followed in 1884 by the Australasian, and then by the Damascus; and other vessels of the highest class were added as required The steamer Miltiades, added in 1903, accomplished on her maiden voyage the fastest passage so far made from London and Plymouth to Melbourne via. the Cape, and a year or two afterwards, when, required at a few days" notice to take the running of the regular mail boat via the Suez Canal, landed the Australian mails more than 24 hours before tune. In 1905 the firm was converted into a private limited liability company, and' Messrs. Isniay,; Imrie, and Co. (the White Star Line), and the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company, Ltd., became interested in it.' The present fleet corisiats of five steamers ranging from 11.500 to 15,880 tons.