The Blue Riband of the Atlantic
It is not clear how the name Blue Riband (Blue Ribbon) of the Atlantic appeared. It was an honorary title awarded to the steamship making the fastest time between Great Britain and North America ¹. The name starts to be used in connection with the crossing of the Collins steamer Atlantic in May 1850. She sailed between New York and Liverpool in ten days sixteen hours, knocking twelve hours off the previous record held by the Cunarder Canada.
The battle between Cunard and Collins lines lasted for eight years during which time the record was broken numerous times. Cunard regained the record in 1856, with the Persia and retained it with the Scotia in 1862. The scene was therefore ripe for a new challenger.
The scene was set for a new challenger. The Inman Line had started sailing to New York in 1850, with the innovative City of Glasgow and established themselves as a leading carrier between these ports. They had specialised in carrying steerage passengers in good comfort, in iron steamers.
The British Admiralty had waived their ruling that no screw-propelled steamers could operate on the Cunard mail service. Thankful for this dispensation the Cunard company lost no time in placing an order foe a single-screw liner to work in conjunction with the Scotia The contract for the ship - to be named Russia - was given to J. & G. Thompson. In November 1867 the Russia took the eastbound Blue Riband in eight days and 28 minutes at an average speed of 14.22 knots. ²
When commissioned the Russia found herself in direct competition with the Inman liner, City of Paris, which had had made her North Atlantic debut on March 1866. She was a worthy rival to the Russia. Thus, in November 1867, after the Russia had made her second eastbound voyage, she was followed in the same month by the City of Paris. The crossing sat up a new westbound record by crossing from Queenstown to New York in eight days four hours one minute, at an average speed of 13.77 knots. ²
The City of Paris's claim to the record provoked endless arguments, reflecting the increasing intense public interest in the North Atlantic liner scene. The North Atlantic had once more become the setting for 'races' between ships, however much owners might publicly deplore the fact - perhaps tongue in cheek!
One between the Russia and the City of Paris, which created great excitement, took place in 1868. Both ships sailed from New York for Queenstown and Liverpool on the 10th of February. The City of Paris won with a distance covered in eight days of 2,548 to the Russia's 2,416 miles. The City of Paris took a longer course and still arrived in Queenstown 37 minutes before the Russia. ²
All argument as to the ship which held the Blue Riband was settled in 1869 with the appearance on the North Atlantic of a new Inman liner. The City of Brussels was the first North Atlantic liner, after the Great Eastern, to be fitted with steam steering gear. On her second homeward voyage in December 1869 she crossed from New York to Queenstown in less than eight days. This was the first time a ship had achieved this. At an average speed of 14.66 knots, she made the crossing in seven days 22 hours three minutes. ² By doing so the City of Brussels put the Blue Riband issue beyond doubt. The Cunard Line had no immediate answer to that - in fact 15 years were to pass before Cunard were able to take up the challenge again. ²
The Inman line was riding high. Not only had the City of Brussels secured the Blue Riband, but also the company's combined fleet had attained a commanding lead in the carriage of passengers to America. Published returns for 1870 of passengers from the United Kingdom landed in New York showed Inman ahead of all its rivals and nearly doubling Cunard's total. Inman was only beaten by Cunard in the category of 'Cabin Passengers'.
Inman's record held until May 1872 when the White Star Line's Adriatic crossed from Liverpool to New York at an average speed of 14.41 knots. ² Both Inman and Cunard were to return with record breakers, but that is another story!
¹ [Trans-Atlantic Passenger Ships, Eugene W.Smith]
² [The Blue Riband of the Atlantic, Tom Hughes]