▁ 4 , 0 0 0 ▁passengers . ▁Her ▁career ▁was ▁marked ▁by ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁fail ures ▁and ▁inc idents , ▁one ▁of ▁which ▁was ▁an ▁explos ion ▁on ▁board ▁during ▁her ▁ma iden ▁voyage . ▁ ▁Many ▁ships ▁owned ▁by ▁German ▁companies ▁like ▁Hamburg ▁America ▁Line ▁and ▁Nord deutsch er ▁Lloyd ▁were ▁sail ing ▁from ▁major ▁German ▁ports , ▁such ▁as ▁Hamburg ▁and ▁Bre men , ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁during ▁this ▁time . ▁The ▁year ▁ 1 8 5 8 ▁was ▁marked ▁by ▁a ▁major ▁accident : ▁the ▁s inking ▁of ▁. ▁The ▁ship , ▁built ▁in ▁Green ock ▁and ▁sail ing ▁between ▁Hamburg ▁and ▁New ▁York ▁twice ▁a ▁month , ▁suffered ▁an ▁accident al ▁fire ▁off ▁the ▁coast ▁of ▁New found land ▁and ▁s ank ▁with ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁all ▁but ▁ 8 9 ▁of ▁the ▁ 5 4 2 ▁passengers . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁British ▁market , ▁C un ard ▁Line ▁and ▁White ▁Star ▁Line ▁( the ▁latter ▁after ▁being ▁bought ▁by ▁Thomas ▁Is may ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 8 ), ▁competed ▁strongly ▁against ▁each ▁other ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 6 0 s . ▁The ▁struggle ▁was ▁symbol ised ▁by ▁the ▁att ain ment ▁of ▁the ▁Blue ▁Rib and , ▁which ▁the ▁two ▁companies ▁achieved ▁several ▁times ▁around ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁century . ▁The ▁lux ury ▁and ▁technology ▁of ▁ships ▁were ▁also ▁evol ving . ▁A ux ili ary ▁s ails ▁became ▁ob sole te ▁and ▁disappeared ▁completely ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁century