FOUR FUNNEL LINERS: An Iconic Silhouette (1897 - 1950)

By the end of the 19th century the sea had long been Britain's domain. Yet in 1897 their maritime supremacy was challenged. North German Lloyd introduced the KAISER WILHELM DER GROSSE. Among her various qualities there was one that made quite an impression on the public -- she had four funnels! Thanks to her every other superliner over the next two decades would have them as well. The trend eventually fell out of favor in the years following WWI. Perhaps the sinking of the RMS TITANIC was the beginning of the end of the four funnel liner? They may have ceased to be a status symbol once they were associated with such a disaster. It's also true that conversion to oil-fired boilers meant there was less need for numerous large funnels to carry away the thick exhaust of coal furnaces. They were also a waste of increasingly valuable deck space. In many ways they are like the fins on a 1959 Cadillac -- universally admired but unlikely to return. A trend consigned to history.
FOUR FUNNEL LINERS: en.wikipedia.o...
1959 CADILLAC: en.wikipedia.o...