Around the end of the nineteenth century, wooden sailing ships and steel-hulled steamships were in competition for business on the high seas. Sailing ships were at a disadvantage because they were smaller and slower than the steamships, and the routes they could follow were dependent on the wind. But steamships also had a disadvantage: they had to carry coal to produce the steam, and this took up space that could otherwise have been used for carrying cargo. In addition, they had to make stops along the way at coaling stations to replenish their bunkers. In time, steam engines would be powered by oil instead of coal, andlater, steam engins would be repaced by powerful diesel engines, this brought an end to the sailing ship and made it possible for major shipping companies to build huge luxury liners, such as the 305-metre long Normandie, which could carry 2000 passengers and travel at over 50 Kilometeres an hour.
2006-12-22
06:35:21
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