[icclearly]

Britain in the 1890s KNEW that it was going to be replaced by the USA

I'm not so sure about that.

That period was the sweet spot of the Victorian era and jingoism. It's not much different than some of the crazy Freepers and other naive souls of today.

Their view was that "the sun never sets on the British Empire."

Except that it did! Just like so many before.

[Publius]

Actually, Rudyard Kipling suspected that the end might be near. He stated that most eloquently in his 1897 poem, "Recessional."