But Harland and Wolff, of Belfast, who had been building 12,000 ton boats, metaphorically without “turning a hair,” were determined not to be beaten, and produced their new _Oceanic_ (1899), 704 feet by 68 feet, _i.e._ nearly as long as the Haymarket, and about as broad as one portion of Piccadilly. In her, it was thought, finality had been reached; but last year Belfast witnessed the launch of a still bigger vessel, the _Cedric_, 21,000 tons gross register, 700 feet long, and 75 feet wide--the largest steamer afloat! Even she is destined to take second place, as ere long two ships belonging to the Cunard Line will dispossess the _Cedric_ of her premier position. These wonderful creations will be 750 feet by 76 feet, with an estimated sea-speed of 25 knots. Thus we clearly see how enormously the dimensions of steamers have increased; for instance, the _Britannia_ (1840) was 1,154 tons, and 207 feet long, and had accommodation for 115 cabin passengers, no “steerage” being carried. But the _Cedric_ is nearly 3½ times longer, and carries 3,000 people across the Atlantic, besides her crew of 350 hands. In the same ratio of progression, ships (they will not be called _steamers_, but _electrofers_) 2,500 feet long, with comfortable quarters for 75,000 human beings, will be the order of the day! I have not referred to the poor old _Great Eastern_--or _Leviathan_ as she was originally named--680 feet long, and of 16,000 tons register. She was before her time, and, like other big steamers of that day, far too heavy in her plating to be driven economically at even moderate speed. Great dimensions and swiftness have been rendered possible by improved engines, but chiefly by the employment of steel in their construction, which so materially reduces the _vis inertia_, that in the case of the _Pennsylvania_, built by Harland and Wolff for the Hamburg-American Line, although a mighty carrack of something like 585 feet, and 62 feet by 42 feet, her actual dead-weight is only 8,000 tons. Still more remarkable will be the reduction--about one-half--when aluminium with some form of alloy--copper, perhaps--comes into general use. Torpedo-boats have been built with this metal, and have run with great smoothness. It exists in every clay and shale formation, and is scattered throughout the world in immense profusion, our London clay consisting principally of silicate of alumina. Electricity is used in manufacturing this beautiful metal, that requires no paint to defend it from rusting; and, although it has hitherto been a costly article, the time is not far off--so it is said--when the price will come down to £19 a ton, or less. A recent and novel application of aluminium to building purposes is to be seen at Chicago, where a house sixteen stories high is fronted on both sides with it, instead of bricks or terra-cotta.