In no country in the world are such fine examples of side wheel steamers to be found as in the United States, and in no country are there such splendid reaches of inland waters as theatres for their performances. The “Priscilla,” shown in Fig. 112, of the Fall River Line, plying on Long Island Sound, and the “Adirondack,” on the Hudson, are fine examples of this type. The “Priscilla,” which is said to be the largest river boat in the world, is 440 feet 6 inches long and 93 feet breadth over the guards. She is driven by double compound inclined engines, has feathering paddle wheels 35 feet in diameter and 14 feet face, and her speed is over 20 miles an hour. The “Adirondack,” whose engines and feathering paddle wheel are shown in Fig. 113, is 412 feet long and 90 feet breadth over guards. The engines and paddle wheels of the “Adirondack” are distinctly representative of the modern American side wheel steamer. [Illustration: FIG. 113.--ENGINES AND PADDLE WHEEL OF STEAMER “ADIRONDACK” ON THE HUDSON RIVER.] The largest and in many respects the highest type of marine architecture is to be found in the modern ocean greyhound for transatlantic trade. In recent years the rival companies have vied with each other in the effort to excel, and steamships of larger size, greater speed, and more perfect equipment have followed each other, until it would seem that the limit had been reached. In the accompanying table the largest and most recent steamers are placed in comparison with the “Great Eastern.” DIMENSIONS OF THE LARGEST OCEAN STEAMERS. ==============+======+=======+======+======+========+=========+======= NAME OF | DATE.|LENGTH | BEAM.|DEPTH.|DRAUGHT.|DISPLACE-|MAXIMUM SHIP. | | OVER | | | | MENT. |SPEED. | | ALL. | | | | | --------------+------+-------+------+------+--------|---------+------- | | FEET. | FEET.| FEET.| FEET. | TONS. | KNOTS. Great Eastern | 1858 | 692 | 83 | 57½ | 25½ | 27,000 | 12 Paris | 1888 | 560 | 63 | 42 | 26½ | 13,000 | 20 Teutonic | 1890 | 585 | 57½ | 42 | 26 | 12,000 | 20 Campania | 1893 | 625 | 65 | 41½ | 28 | 19,000 | 22 St. Paul | 1895 | 554 | 63 | 42 | 27 | 14,000 | 21 Kaiser Wilhelm| 1897 | 649 | 66 | 43 | 29 | 20,000 | 22.35 der Grosse | | | | | | | Oceanic | 1899 | 704 | 68 | 49 | 32½ | 28,500 | 20 Deutschland | 1900 | 686½ | 67⅓ | 44 | 29 | 22,000 | 23½ ==============+======+=======+======+======+========+=========+======= [Illustration: FIG. 114.--“KAISER WILHELM DER GROSSE.”] [Illustration: FIG. 115.--“OCEANIC” COMPARED WITH BROADWAY BUILDINGS.]