Previous to this, however, the firm of Houlder Bros. & Co. was converted into a Limited Company, the partners in the old firm becoming Managing Directors of the new Company, Mr. Edwin Savory Houlder acting as Chairman until his death in 1901. To return to our description of the fleet. To replace the DENTON GRANGE (unfortunately lost at Las Palmas) the Company contracted for the DRAYTON GRANGE, a fine four-masted, twin-screw steamer of 10,000 tons burthen, launched in December, 1901, and also for a sister ship, the OSWESTRY GRANGE, launched a few months later. Both of these steamers, and, in fact, the other large vessels of the fleet, did excellent service during the South African War. [Illustration: HORNBY GRANGE. Houlder Bros. & Co.] The fleet, at the present time, consists of fourteen steamers, three boats having been added since the launch of the OSWESTRY GRANGE, as the following list will show:— TONS BURTHEN. Hornby Grange 3,750 Ovingdean Grange 3,520 Urmston Grange 5,420 Langton Grange 9,200 *Drayton Grange 10,000 Elstree Grange 6,000 Royston Grange 6,400 Beacon Grange 6,400 Rippingham Grange 9,200 *Oswestry Grange 10,000 Thorpe Grange 6,350 Haversham Grange 11,200 *Everton Grange 11,000 Southern Cross 7,300 * Twin screw. giving a total of 105,740 tons. It is interesting to compare the smallest vessel, the OVINGDEAN GRANGE, with the largest and most recent, the EVERTON GRANGE, the difference being not only in the increased size but also in the great improvements in the propelling machinery, refrigerating machinery, passenger accommodation, appliances for handling cargo and other points too numerous to mention in detail:— LENGTH. BEAM. DEPTH. TONS. OVINGDEAN GRANGE 309 ft. 40 ft. 21 ft. 4 in. 3,520 EVERTON GRANGE 490 ft. 56 ft. 35 ft. 6 in. 11,000 Special provision has been made for the Company’s passenger service, the boats being provided with every requisite to make a long sea voyage as comfortable as possible. [Illustration: New Brighton Lighthouse River Mersey] [Illustration: ROSE S.S. 1363 Tons. Messrs. Alex. A. Laird & Co.] CHAPTER XII. LAIRD LINE. THE GLASGOW, DUBLIN, AND LONDONDERRY STEAM PACKET CO., LTD. This important company, which claims (on very strong evidence) to be the oldest steamship company in the world, was originated in 1814—two years after the launch of Bell’s COMET—by Mr. Lewis MacLellan and others. Its history is a most varied one, the several firms of Alex. A. Laird & Sons, Thos. Cameron & Co., and MacConnell & Laird, having become unified during its existence of nearly a century into the one large concern known throughout the kingdom as the “Laird Line.”