Following the example of the British Government, the United States Congress resolved to subsidise a line of American steamships between New York and Liverpool. The steamers were to be of the highest class, possessing great speed and superior passenger accommodation, and capable, besides, of being converted at a small expense into war steamers. The responsible task of establishing the line was undertaken by Mr. E. K. Collins, of New York, after whom the line was named. Mr. Collins had had considerable experience as a shipowner, being well-known as the head of the Collins Line of sailing packets between Liverpool and New York. Associated with Mr. Collins in his later enterprise were many influential American citizens, and their proposals were favourably received by the American Government, and ultimately an agreement was entered into, by which Mr. Collins and his colleagues undertook to provide five first-class steam vessels and to maintain a weekly mail service between New York and Liverpool, each vessel performing twenty voyages annually, for which service they were to receive $19,250 per voyage. It is evident that the United States Government were prepared to pay most liberally for the performance of the ocean mail service. At par the subsidy represented £4,010 8s. 4d. per voyage. Assured of this substantial income, Mr. Collins sought the assistance of the most competent shipbuilders and engineers of the United States, and on the completion of the contract, arrangements were entered into for the construction of four vessels, to be named the ARCTIC, BALTIC, ATLANTIC and PACIFIC, each to be about 3,000 tons register and of 800 horse-power. The principal dimensions of these celebrated steamers were—Length on main deck, 282 feet; depth from the main deck, 24 feet; depth under the spar deck, 32 feet; breadth of beam, 45 feet. They had rounded sterns, three masts with suitable spars; four decks, viz., lower, main, spar, and orlop deck, extending from the engine room forward and aft. They were built chiefly of live oak, planked with pitchpine, and were equal, if not superior, in strength to any wooden steamers afloat. The timbers, which were solid and bolted to each other, were further strengthened by a lattice work of iron bands. All the four steamers were beautiful models, and the ARCTIC, which was esteemed the finest of the fleet, was familiarly known as the “clipper of the seas.” She was built by Mr. W. H. Brown, of New York, under the superintendence of Mr. George Steers, who modelled the famous yacht America. Her equipment was complete, and of the highest order, while her cabin accommodation surpassed in comfort and elegance any merchant steamer Great Britain then possessed. The engines of the ARCTIC and her sister ships were of the “side-lever” type, the cylinder having a diameter of 95 inches, with a 9 feet stroke. The boilers of the ARCTIC and BALTIC were peculiar to the Collins Line, and were designed by Messrs.