CUNARD STEAMSHIP COMPANY, LIMITED. This British steamship company takes its name from Samuel Cunard (q.v.) who, in 1839, secured the American mail carrying contract from the British Admiralty. The original Cunard fleet, or as it was then called, the British and North American Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, consisted of four wooden paddle wheel steamers, each 2o7ft. long, all built on the Clyde. The maiden voyage began on July 4, 184o, when the "Britannia" sailed from Liverpool for Boston and made what was justly considered a very fast passage in 14 days 8 hours.
After having built 13 wooden steamers, the company turned to iron. The "Persia," an iron paddle-steamer built in 1856, was the fastest vessel afloat, for she did 14 knots.
During the Crimean War, 14 Cunard ships were placed at the disposal of the British Government. The year 1862 was notable for the launch of two ships—the "Scotia" and "China." The "Scotia," the last paddle-steamer built for the company's mail service, was the largest steamer in the world, the "Great Eastern" alone excepted. With a tonnage of 4,000, she had an average speed of 14.4 knots. She broke all Atlantic speed records, reduc ing the time from New York to Liverpool to 8 days 22 hours.
Towards the end of the '6os competition grew apace, and the company built 12 screw steamers in eight years.
Up to 1875 the company had constructed 122 steamers. The "Gallia," 4,800 tons, with a speed of 151 knots, was launched in 1879, and was followed two years later by the "Servia," the larg est and most powerful ship of her day. She had a length of 5 i 5f t., and a speed of nearly 17 knots. She was the first steel Cunarder and first also to have electric lighting. In the "Aurania" (1883) the beam was increased from one-tenth to one-eighth of the length, to secure greater stability. She was the first Cunard ship to be fitted with suites of rooms, then called "Bridal Chambers." Faster boats of competing lines for a time secured the blue riband of the Atlantic, but in 1893 the "Campania" (12,884 gross tons) and "Lucania" (12,952 tons) brought Atlantic records down. In 1901, the "Lucania" was fitted with wireless, the first Atlantic liner to be so equipped. In 1903 the "Cunard Bulletin," the first ocean newspaper, made its appearance. The "Caronia" (19,748 tons) and the "Carmania" (19,565 tons) were added in 1905. The ships had a speed of 18 knots, and the latter was the first Atlantic liner to have turbine engines.
The construction of the "Lusitania" (3o,396 tons) and the "Mauretania" (30,695 tons) was the outcome of a new agreement with the British Government, signed in 1903. The "Lusitania" made her first Atlantic sailing in Sept. 1907; her last, as the world will not forget, in 1915, when she was sunk by a German torpedo off the Old Head of Kinsale on May 7. The "Lusitania" was built by John Brown & Co., Ltd., Clydebank, and the "Maure tania" by Swan, Hunter and Wigham Richardson, Ltd., of Wall send. Their dimensions were: length 79oft., breadth 88f t., and depth 6oft. The "Mauretania" in 1928 held all Atlantic speed records, since in 1924 she made the crossing from Ambrose Chan nel Light Vessel to Cherbourg Breakwater, a distance of 3,198m., in 5 days 1 hour 49 minutes, an average speed of 26.25 knots.
In 1909, with the purchase of the "Phrygia," "Lycia" and "Thracia," the company strengthened its services to the Mediter ranean. Two years later 0910 it purchased the steamers of the Thomson line sailing to Canada. In 1912 the company acquired the Anchor line and thus became associated with the North Atlantic passenger trade from Glasgow. In 1916, the company purchased the Commonwealth & Dominion Line, Ltd., a corn pany owning 27 steamships engaged in the refrigerator and gen eral cargo trades between the United Kingdom and Australasia and between New York and Australasia. In the same year an agreement was made between the Anchor and Donaldson lines for a fusion of interests in the services between Glasgow and Canada. In 1916 also the company acquired the Canadian Northern railway's fleet sailing between Bristol and Canadian ports. A further development of the Indian trade became effective in 1919 when a large interest was acquired in Thos. & Jno. Brockle bank, Limited: During the World War the company lost 56 per cent. of the gross tonnage of 1914 ; as many as 22 steamers were lost through enemy action.
Immediately after the Armistice the company put in hand the biggest shipbuilding programme ever carried out by one firm. The construction of 13 new ships was commenced, 5 of approxi mately 20,000 tons each, and all of them oil-burners. The im portant amalgamation with the White Star Line (q.v.) took effect from January 1934. In that year an advance of £9,500,000 by the Treasury enabled work on the company's newest and largest liner to be completed ; and in September 1934 this vessel was launched on the Clyde, being named the "Queen Mary" by the Queen.