The U.P.U. stamp illustrated, from the Republic of Dominica, is a 7 cent air stamp depicting the Eider, one of four sister-ships built for the Norddeutscher Lloyd in consecutive years by John Elder and Company, at Glasgow. The four were the Werra, 1882; Fulda, 1883; Eider, 1884; and Ema, 1835.
The Dominican stamp gives a very good idea of how impressive these ships appeared, with their straight stems, four masts square rigged on fore and main, fore-and-aft rigged on the other two masts, with two funnels. They were iron-hulled, with single screws.
These ships were built following the success of their immediate predecessor the Elbe, built by the same builders in 1881, which established a new record for the Atlantic crossing from Southampton to New York of eight days.
The four sisters were slightly larger than the Elbe, which has appeared on stamps issued by Uruguay in 1895 and 1897. The Eider's gross tonnage was 4,719; length 439 ft. and beam 47 ft. She began her maiden voyage to New York from Bremen, via Southampton, on March 17, 1884. Average speed of the ship was 16 knots, provided by compound engines of 7,000 h.p. She stranded on the Isle of Wight on January 31, 1892, and although refloated, was scrapped.
SG1199 Sea Breezes 4/75