the following year by the Runic. The White Star Line then set itself a goal: to transport goods on board these ships to the US and bring back cattle on the return trip, in the best possible conditions. It was indeed not uncommon on contemporary ships that the animals perished because of travel conditions and mistreatment, causing financial loss to the owner. The company therefore explicitly asked captains to ensure the good health of the animals. The two ships quickly brought success and, in 1891, the company put into service two new larger carriers, the Nomadic and the Tauric. Two new, larger ships were built the following year, the Naronic and the Bovic. When Naronic was launched on 26 May 1892, and completed on 11 July 1892, she was then the largest steam cargo ship in the world, with her 143 metres length and her 6,594 GRT. More than a thousand animals and several thousand tons of goods could travel on board, as well as about fifteen passengers (generally the people accompanying the animals). Her price of £121,685 made her a relatively expensive ship for the time. On 15 July 1892, Naronic began her maiden voyage between Liverpool and New York under the command of a Captain Thompson. Bovic was put into service a few weeks later, on August 26. Brief career and disappearance In November 1892, Captain Thompson was replaced by William Roberts, former commander of the Adriatic. The ship continued to operate between Liverpool and New York. This early career was only disturbed by one incident: on 27 November 1892, despite the good conditions for transporting the animals, Naronic arrived in Liverpool having lost 34 animals. On 11 February 1893, Naronic left the port of Liverpool with sixty crew members on board, including several officers and mechanics who have served on board since her entry into service. The ship also carried fourteen passengers, who had accompanied the cattle, back to the US as well as 2,876 tons of goods. As usual in this sense the ship did not transport cattle for the crossing, but had on board two horses, as well as several cages of live pigeons and chickens. The ship was carrying enough coal to make a round trip. After leaving Liverpool, she stopped briefly at Point Lynas, Anglesey, North Wales, to put her pilot ashore before heading west into heavy seas, never to be seen again.