Lucania

RMS Lucania (and her sister Campania) were partly financed by the British Admiralty. An agreement was reached was that the Cunard would receive funding from the Government in return for constructing vessels to admiralty specifications.

Furthermore, Cunard had to agree to the condition that the vessels go on the naval reserve list to serve as armed merchant cruisers if and when required by the government. The construction contracts were awarded to the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company (at the time, one of Britain's biggest producers of warships).

Plans were developed for a large, twin-screw steamer powered by triple expansion engines, and construction began in 1891, just 43 days after Cunard placed their order.

The sisters had the largest triple expansion engines ever fitted to a Cunard ship (ever) and were the largest in the world at the time (they still rank today amongst the largest of the type ever constructed). They represent the limits of development for this kind of technology, which was superseded a few years later by turbine technology. In height, the engines reached from the double-bottom floor of the engine room to the top of the superstructure - almost three stories.

Each engine had five cylinders. There were two low pressure cylinders on each engine, measuring 8'2" (2.48 m) in diameter, and they operated with a stoke of 5' 9" (1.75 m). Together, the engines could generate 31,000 ihp (23,000 kW), which produced an average speed of 22 knots (41 km/h), and a record speed of 23.5 knots. Normal operating speed for the engines was about 79 rpm.

The two engines were each placed in a separate watertight engine compartment; in case of a hull breach in that area (giving the added assurance that should one engine room flood during an emergency, the ship would have power to return to port with the adjacent engine).

In addition to this Lucania had 16 transverse watertight compartments, which meant that she could remain afloat with any two compartments flooded.

In 1901 Lucania became the first Cunard liner to be fitted with a Marconi wireless system (it was also added to her sister-ship Campania). Shortly after the installation, the two ships made history by exchanging the first wireless transmitted ice bulletin; and two years after that, Lucania made history again, this time by publishing an on-board newspaper based on information received by wireless telegraphy whilst at sea. The newspaper, named the Cunard Daily Bulletin was a popular addition to the onboard offering.

In 1907 with the introduction of the RMS Lusitania and RMS Mauretania, it was decided that the Lucania was no longer required. Her last voyage was on July 7th 1909, after which she was laid up at the Huskisson Dock in Liverpool. On August 14th, 1909, she was badly damaged by a fire, and partially sank at her berth. Five days later she was sold for scrap, and the contents of her interior auctioned.