deck and some even to the upper saloon deck. Contrary to the English practice, which is to reduce the number of masts as much as possible in these big liners, she has four masts, all steel poles, and carries 29 steel derricks. Her accommodation is for 520 first-class passengers in 263 staterooms, 377 second-class passengers in 137 staterooms, 614 third-class passengers in 160 staterooms, and 1430 fourth-class passengers in eight compartments, this vessel being the first in which four classes of passengers are carried. Besides the 2941 passengers she has a crew of 525. She has two four-cylinder, four-crank, quadruple-expansion engines of 20,000 horse-power, which give her a sea speed of 18¹⁄₂ knots. [Illustration: _Photo. G. West & Son._ THE “KRONPRINZESSIN CECILIE” (NORDDEUTSCHER LLOYD).] [Illustration: _Photo. G. West & Son._ THE “KAISER WILHELM II.” (NORDDEUTSCHER LLOYD).] With this steamer and four others only slightly less in size, the _Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse_, the _Kronprinz Wilhelm_, the _Kaiser Wilhelm II._, and the _Kronprinzessin Cecilie_, the company is able to carry out its ambition of maintaining a weekly express service between Bremen and New York. The other great German shipping organisation, the Hamburg-Amerika Linie, started with a fleet of sailing ships, but inaugurated its steam service in 1856 with the _Borussia_, built by Caird of Greenock, who in the next few years executed orders for a number of vessels for the line. This steamer was one of the best of her day. The progress of this line, which claims with good reason to be the greatest shipping organisation in the world, has been extraordinary. Long ago it was adopted as its motto “My field the World,” and well it has acted up to it. Its fleet had grown by 1897 to sixty-nine steam-ships with a total of 291,507 tons register, in addition to several smaller steamers for coastal and harbour work. Its extension in the last few years has been phenomenal. Among its largest and fastest boats are the _Cleveland_ and _Cincinnati_, _Koenig Wilhelm II._, _Amerika_, _Kaiserin Auguste Victoria_, _Patricia_, _President Grant_, _President Lincoln_, and _Deutschland_, the last being one of the fastest afloat. Some of its larger vessels have been built at Belfast, notably the _Amerika_, and the _Spreewald_ and others of her class at the Middleton yard, Hartlepool. In March 1909, the fleet comprised 164 ocean steamers of a total of 869,762 tons register, and 223 smaller steamers of 46,093 tons, or a total of 387 steamers and 915,855 tons. Both these companies, by their direct services and the numerous lines which they control, are in connection with every port of importance throughout the world. With regard to engineering developments, it must be remembered that high-pressure and multiple-expansion engines were known before 1879.