5. Lusitania became the dominant liner of the Liverpool to New York route
Over the course of its career, several modifications were made to the ship, both in the area of passenger accommodations and in the ship’s operation. Chiefly they were made to address the issue of vibration at high speed. Additional stiffening was installed, engines were modified, and in 1909 the propellers were replaced with those of a slightly different design. Each modification eased the severity but did not entirely eliminate the problem. But the ship remained popular with passengers, and over the course of its eight-year career, it carried over 260,000 passengers across the Atlantic, about 160,000 on the west-bound leg. Immigration accounted for the greater number traveling westward.
The ship was distinctive in appearance due to its number of decks rising above the main deck, at least in comparison to its German competition. Compared to its sister Mauretania it was difficult to tell which was which from a distance. Lusitania participated in the Hudson-Fulton celebration of technology, held in New York in 1909, representing the state of the art in steamship development. During the celebration it was overflown several times by the Wright Flyer, piloted by Wilbur Wright. As Europe continued to arm itself and form alliances which all but guaranteed a war, Lusitania became one of the most famous ships in the world.