The autumn of 1899 was the most eventful period in the history of the White Star Line. The Company, having sold all its sailing ships formerly employed between England and Australia, determined upon replacing them by a line of high-class steamships, and the first steamer of the new line—the Medic, 11,984 tons—sailed from Liverpool for Australian ports on the 3rd August. She was followed by the AFRIC, PERSIC, RUNIC and SUEVIC. All these five vessels are approximately of the same size, propelled by twin screws, and maintain a regular monthly service between Liverpool and Australia, via the Cape. The first return voyage of the MEDIC was taken advantage of by the Australian Government for the conveyance of the first contingent of Colonial troops and horses to the Cape. Intense public interest was excited by the arrival, in the Mersey from Belfast of the OCEANIC, the second, on Saturday, 27th August, 1899, but almost at the moment of their greatest triumph the White Star Line suffered the irreparable loss of the founder of the Company. Mr. T. H. Ismay passed away, after a severe illness lasting three months, on the 23rd November, 1899. The extent of the loss caused by his death to the community at large, was very feelingly expressed by the “Times,” in its issue of the following day. The second OCEANIC sailed on her maiden voyage from Liverpool to New York on the 6th September, 1899. The following description of her appeared in the “Liverpool Daily Post” of 31st August, 1899:— “Big as she is, the OCEANIC appeared nothing remarkable as she lay yesterday in the Canada Dock, while coal was being poured into her bunkers from eight grimy barges lying alongside. This was because the Liverpool docks are themselves gigantic. It was only when, from the bridge of the OCEANIC, 66 feet above the water-line, one looked down upon the whole length of the vessel and upon the expanse of docks and sheds, that her size was realised. On the opposite side of the dock was the CYMRIC, from the depths of which a horde of labourers were discharging cargo. Now the CYMRIC is the largest cargo steamer in the world, 2,500 tons larger than either the MAJESTIC or TEUTONIC. But from the OCEANIC’S bridge she looked positively like a coaster. One looked down upon her busy decks as one might look from the roof of a house into a street. Why the bulk of the OCEANIC is not the first thing that strikes the attention, is because her lines are graceful. She is huge, but she is not elephantine. Her masts, even at the point where they enter the top mast or spar deck, are nearly three feet in diameter, that is, they are as high and as thick as patriarchal oak; but from a near distance they look slim and tapering. The same may be said of the ship’s boats which are as big as barges. The fact is, that everything about this latest creation of shipping enterprise is proportioned so beautifully that the mere hugeness of