last vessels added to the Inman and International Line. In March 1893 the line was reorganised and became the American Line. This company launched the _St. Louis_ and _St. Paul_ built at Cramp’s yard at Philadelphia. The two American-built ships were each 554 feet in length and of 11,600 tons gross register. They held the record for the New York-Southampton service for some years. During the Spanish-American War they were used as auxiliary cruisers. [93] “The Atlantic Ferry.” [Illustration: THE “OLYMPIC” BUILDING, OCTOBER 18, 1909 (WHITE STAR LINE).] The increase in the size of steam-ships is not confined to the Atlantic alone, but is a feature of all the great lines whatever part of the world they may serve. The Peninsular and Oriental, the Pacific Steam Navigation Company, the Ellerman Lines, all the passenger lines trading to North America, the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, the Orient Line and the principal lines trading to the Far East, are all the possessors of steamers of 12,000 tons or over, though in the case of those that use the Suez Canal the size is limited by the fact that if they were made any larger they might have difficulty in getting through the canal at all. The heavy canal dues, which are already a serious item to the owners of all steamers using the canal, would be more onerous still if the vessels were of greater size, and as it is, some of the lines trading to Australia deliberately take the Cape route so as to avoid this expense. Lloyd’s Register’s Annual Summary issued in January 1910 contains the following on the production of large steamers since 1893: “The number of large steamers launched in the United Kingdom during 1909 has been less than during any of the previous four years. During the years 1893-6, on an average, ten vessels of 6000 tons and upwards were launched per annum in the United Kingdom; in the following four years, 1897-1900, the average rose to 32, at which figure it stood for the four years 1901-4, and at 30 for the four years 1905-8. During 1909 only 19 such vessels were launched. Of vessels of 10,000 tons and upwards only three were launched in the four years 1893-6; 24 were launched during the four years 1897-1900; 27 were launched during the four years 1901-4, and a similar number during the four years 1905-8. “During 1909 six vessels of 10,000 tons and above were launched, the names of which are as follows: Balmoral Castle 13,000 tons gross. Orvieto 12,130 „ „ Osterley 12,129 „ „ Otranto 12,124 „ „ Mantua 10,885 „ „ Ruahine 10,758 „ „ “At the present time there are under construction 37 vessels of 6000 tons and upwards, of which eight are of over 10,000 tons each. “The average tonnage of steamers launched in the United Kingdom during 1909 is 2092 tons: but if steamers of less than 500 tons be excluded the average of the remaining steamers reaches 3080 tons gross.