▁Orient ▁Ste am ship ▁Co ., ▁and ▁was ▁fitted ▁with ▁re fr iger ation ▁equipment . ▁She ▁p lied ▁the ▁S uez ▁Canal ▁route ▁from ▁England ▁to ▁Australia ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 0 s , ▁up ▁until ▁the ▁years ▁leading ▁to ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁when ▁she ▁was ▁converted ▁to ▁an ▁armed ▁merchant ▁cru iser . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 7 , ▁Nord deutsch er ▁Lloyd ▁launched ▁. ▁She ▁was ▁followed ▁three ▁years ▁later ▁by ▁three ▁sister ▁ships . ▁The ▁ship ▁was ▁both ▁lux ur ious ▁and ▁fast , ▁man aging ▁to ▁ste al ▁the ▁Blue ▁Rib and ▁from ▁the ▁British . ▁She ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁the ▁four teen ▁ocean ▁lin ers ▁with ▁four ▁fun n els ▁that ▁have ▁emer ged ▁in ▁mar itime ▁history . ▁The ▁ship ▁needed ▁only ▁two ▁fun n els , ▁but ▁more ▁fun n els ▁gave ▁passengers ▁a ▁feeling ▁of ▁safety ▁and ▁power . ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 0 , ▁the ▁Hamburg ▁America ▁Line ▁competed ▁with ▁its ▁own ▁four - f unnel ▁l iner , ▁SS ▁Deutschland . ▁She ▁quickly ▁obtained ▁the ▁Blue ▁Rib and ▁for ▁her ▁company . ▁This ▁race ▁for ▁speed , ▁however , ▁was ▁a ▁det r iment ▁to ▁passengers ' ▁comfort ▁and ▁generated ▁strong ▁v ibration , ▁which ▁made ▁her ▁owner ▁lose ▁any ▁interest ▁in ▁her ▁after ▁she ▁lost ▁the ▁Blue ▁Rib and ▁to ▁another ▁ship ▁of ▁Nord deutsch er ▁Lloyd . ▁She ▁was ▁only ▁used ▁for ▁ten ▁years ▁for ▁trans at l antic ▁crossing ▁before ▁being ▁converted