Not the least important service rendered in this way was connected with the supply of oil fuel, of which the stocks in this country were seriously depleted--so seriously that at one time they were insufficient to supply the needs of the Navy for more than a few weeks ahead. In this predicament the Admiralty, realizing the danger, approached Sir Alfred Booth, Chairman of the Cunard Company, and asked him to put the matter before other leading ship-owners. He readily consented to do so, and all owners running ships in the North Atlantic, at once agreed to take the necessary steps to allow of oil being carried in the double bottoms of their ships, the Cunard Company themselves adapting for this purpose the double bottoms of the _Andania_, _Carmania_, _Carpathia_, _Pannonia_, _Saxonia_, _Valacia_, _Vandalia_, _Valeria_, and _Vinovia_, each of which brought on each voyage to this country, about 2,000 tons of oil. The Cunard Company alone, in a little over a year, thus brought over 100,000 tons of oil across the Atlantic. [Illustration: THE “LUSITANIA”] During all this time, of course, it must be remembered that the Cunard Company, as throughout the war, plied in a zone particularly exposed to hostile attack by enemy raiders and submarines; and as we have already shown, and shall show again, a very heavy toll of their vessels was taken by hostile torpedoes. How greatly the Cunard steamers were concentrated upon dangerous routes will be seen on reference to the map,[B] which indicates the most important services of Cunard Steamers during the war. Finally, let it be stated that from August, 1914 to November, 1918, without taking into account such outside steamers as were working under the Cunard Company’s direction, its own steamers steamed not less than 3,313,576 miles, with a consumption of 1,785,000 tons of coal. This distance is equivalent to the circum-navigation of the world no less than 132 times. [B] This map will be found in the inside front cover of the book. CHAPTER IV The Ordeal of the _Lusitania_ _Oh, have you ever seen a foundered horse, His great heart broken by a task too great For his endurance, but unbroken yet His spirit--striving to complete his course, Failing at last, eyes glazed and nostril wide, And have not ached with pity? Pity now A brave ship shattered by a coward blow That once had spurned the waters in her pride._ N. N. F. CORBETT.