four years after the first turret deck ship, the first trunk deck ship appeared. ss "trunkby", completed in 1896, was built by robert ropner at his shipyard at stockton-on-tees. this vessel was of "three-island" construction with a forecastle, bridge house, and quarterdeck, extending to the full width of a low-freeboard hull. a distinctive feature was a long "trunk" along the centerline, with a breadth of about half the vessel's beam, which connected the three elements of the superstructure. this trunk was stepped inward from the sides of the hull. that trunk was not a deckhouse or superstructure, but was part of the hull, and contained cargo space.