RMS Etruria
RMS Etruria
Career
Nationality	British
Owner:	British & North American Royal Mail Packet Company (Cunard Line)
Ordered:	1883
Builder:	Messrs John Elder & Co. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Cunard Line is a British shipping company operator of the Ocean liners RMS ''Queen Elizabeth 2'' ( QE2) RMS ''Queen Mary 2'' ( Year 1883 ( MDCCCLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common , Glasgow
Launched:	March, 1885
Maiden voyage:	April 25, 1885
Fate:	Scrapped
General characteristics
Tonnage:	7,718 gross tons
Length:	158. Events in March American Red Cross Month Fire Prevention month ( The Philippines) Women's History Month ( United Year 1885 ( MDCCCLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1607 - Eighty Years' War: The Dutch fleet destroys the anchored Spanish fleet at Gibraltar. Year 1885 ( MDCCCLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common 2 m (519 ft)
Beam:	17. 43 m (57. 2 ft)
Propulsion:	9 double-ended boilers 6, three-crank compound engines turning single screw
Speed:	19 knots (35 km/h)
Complement:	1885-1892: 550 First Class, 800 Second Class 1892-1909: 500 First Class, 160 Second Class, 800 Third Class

RMS Etruria and her sister ship RMS Umbria were the last two Cunarders that were fitted with auxiliary Sails. Construction The “Umbria” had many distinguishing features that included two enormous Funnels which gave the outward impression of huge power Cunard Line is a British shipping company operator of the Ocean liners RMS ''Queen Elizabeth 2'' ( QE2) RMS ''Queen Mary 2'' ( RMS Etruria was built by John Elder & Co of Glasgow, Scotland in 1884. Glasgow (ˈglæzgoʊ is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Year 1884 ( MDCCCLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year The Etruria and her sister Umbria, by the standards of the time, were record breakers. They were the largest liners then in service, and they plied the Liverpool to New York Service. An ocean liner is a ship designed to transport people from one Seaport to another along regular long-distance Maritime routes according to a schedule Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous RMS Etruria was completed and launched in March 1885, twelve weeks later than her sister Umbria. Year 1885 ( MDCCCLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common

The Etruria had many distinguishing features that included two enormous funnels which gave the outward impression of huge power. A chimney is a system for venting hot Flue gases or Smoke from a Boiler, Stove, Furnace or Fireplace to the outside She also had three large steel masts which when fully rigged had an extensive spread of canvas. Another innovation on Etruria was that she was equipped with refrigeration machinery, but it was the single screw propulsion that would bring the most publicity later in her career. A propeller is essentially a type of fan which transmits power by converting Rotational motion into Thrust for propulsion of a vehicle such as an

The ship epitomized the luxuries of Victorian style. Culture The Victorian fascination with novelty resulted in a deep interest in the relationship between modernity and cultural continuities The public rooms in First Class were full of ornately carved furniture and heavy velvet curtains hung in all the rooms, and they were cluttered with bric-a-brac that period fashion dictated. The term bric-à-brac (origin French was first used in the Victorian era. These rooms, and the First Class cabins, were situated on the Promenade, Upper, Saloon and Main Decks. The promenade deck is a deck found on several types of Passenger ships and Riverboats It usually extends from bow to stern on both sides and includes areas There was also a Music Room, Smoke Room for gentleman, and separate dining rooms for First and Second Class passengers. By the standard of the day, Second Class accommodation was moderate, but spacious and comfortable. RMS Etruria's accommodation compromised of 550 First Class, and 800 Second Class passengers. However late in 1892 this changed to 500 First Class, 160 Second Class, and 800 Third Class (Steerage) passengers. Year 1892 ( MDCCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year

Service on the Atlantic

Front cover of a passenger list for a voyage of the RMS Etruria

RMS Etruria was to start her regular service to New York from Liverpool, but the clouds of crises were looming, and by the New Year of 1885 a crises involving Russia's threat to invade Afghanistan was coming to a head. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary Year 1885 ( MDCCCLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, This was to bring Etruria's North Atlantic service to a halt temporarily, before she had even made her maiden voyage. On the March 26, Etruria, and her sister RMS Umbria, found themselves charted to the Admiralty. Construction The “Umbria” had many distinguishing features that included two enormous Funnels which gave the outward impression of huge power The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. With the dispute reaching a settlement, Etruria was released from Admiralty service within a few days, although her sister was retained for six months.

On the April 25, 1885, Etruria finally made her maiden voyage under the command of Captain McMicken. Year 1885 ( MDCCCLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Maiden Voyage is the fifth Album led by Jazz musician Herbie Hancock, and was recorded by Rudy Van Gelder in 1965 for Blue Note She made the Atlantic crossing calling at Queenstown (Cobh). Cobh (pronounced /koːv/ "cove" An Cóbh is a sheltered seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. On her very next crossing, westbound (Liverpool to New York), she won the prestigious Blue Riband (see the table below) and proudly flew the pennant for Cunard. Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous For use of the related term "Blue Ribbon" see Blue ribbon (disambiguation. Cunard may refer to Nancy Cunard (1896–1965 English writer editor and publisher Samuel Cunard (1787–1865 British shipping

Later in the year the Etruria was involved in a collision. On September 20, 1885, she was outward bound from New York and in Lower New York Bay, at anchor due to dense fog. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous New York Bay is the collective term for the marine areas surrounding the entrance of the Hudson River into the Atlantic Ocean. An anchor is an object often made out of metal that is used to attach a ship to the bottom of a body of water at a specific point Fog is a cloud that is in contact with the ground Stratus clouds are usually the only clouds that touch the ground The 4,276 ton cargo ship Canada, owned by the National Steamship Company of Limerick collided with the Etruria, on her starboard side. Cargo (or freight) refers to goods or produce transported generally for Commercial gain by ship, aircraft, train, Limerick (pronounced /ˈlɪmrɪk/ Luimneach in Irish) is a city and the county seat of County Limerick in the Province of Munster Starboard is the nautical term that refers to the right side of a vessel as perceived by a person on board a vessel and facing the bow (front The Canada scraped alongside Etruria, ripping away a portion of her rigging, but fortunately there were no casualties. Rigging (from Anglo-Saxon wrigan or wringing, "to clothe" is on Sailboats and Sailing ships the collection of A casualty is a person who is the victim of an accident injury or trauma. Both ships continued on their voyages.

Winston Churchill

An extract of a letter written aboard RMS Etruria by Winston Churchill

In November 1895, 20 year old Winston Churchill, a lieutenant in the 4th Hussars, snatched a few weeks' leave from his regiment to visit Cuba, with the aim of observing the Cuban Revolutionary War against Spain. Year 1895 ( MDCCCXCV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874 Hussar (original Hungarian spelling huszár, plural huszárok, Husaria refers to a number of types of Light cavalry created in Hungary The Cuban Revolution refers to the revolution that led to the overthrow of the United States proxy ruler General Fulgencio Batista 's regime on January 1, Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.

Getting there involved travelling by way of New York via Liverpool and Queenstown on the Etruria. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary Cobh (pronounced /koːv/ "cove" An Cóbh is a sheltered seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. Thus, on November 9, Winston Churchill arrived in New York harbour aboard the Etruria, and first set foot in his mother's homeland and the city where she had been born and brought up. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874 New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Three days later he travelled on to Cuba. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la Churchill returned to Britain early in 1896 travelling again on the Etruria. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874

On January 6, 1900, Etruria left Liverpool, and one week later she arrived in New York. Year 1900 ( MCM) was an exceptional Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous On the 13th engineers were inspecting the ship, and on examination of the propeller shaft, they found cracks that were not there when the ship left Liverpool. A propeller is essentially a type of fan which transmits power by converting Rotational motion into Thrust for propulsion of a vehicle such as an Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary Her sister ship had suffered a failure of her propeller shaft at sea in 1893, and do avoid the same fate the Etruria was confined to her pier until a replacement shaft was shipped over from Britain. After this was done, and the new shaft had been fitted in New York, she departed on February 17 for the homeward bound service. In 1900 the Etruria remained on the North Atlantic service while her sister was requisitioned to carry troops to and from South Africa during the Boer War. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Two Boer Wars were fought between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics the Orange Free State and the South African Republic By July of 1900 both the sisters were back on the North Atlantic service.

A year to forget

In 1901 the Etruria, along with her sister ship, was fitted with a wireless, putting her right in the forefront of this new technology. Wireless communication is the transfer of information over a distance without the use of electrical conductors or " Wires quot On the February 22, 1902, Etruria left New York and was due to arrive in Queenstown on March 1. Year 1902 ( MCMII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Cobh (pronounced /koːv/ "cove" An Cóbh is a sheltered seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. On the February 26 she radioed the Umbria to pass on messages to one of her passengers. However, that evening her propeller shaft fractured leaving her drifting helplessly. A propeller is essentially a type of fan which transmits power by converting Rotational motion into Thrust for propulsion of a vehicle such as an She tried with no success to radio the Umbria again to report her predicament. In the days before the Titanic disaster, radio operators did not man their sets 24 hours a day. Construction The Titanic was a White Star Line ocean liner built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Ireland Radio is the transmission of signals by Modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible Light. Eventually she managed to attract the attention of the Leyland ship William Cliff, by firing distress rockets. A ship /ʃɪp/ is a large vessel that floats on water Ships are generally distinguished from Boats based on size A flare, also sometimes called a fusee, is a type of Pyrotechnic that produces a brilliant light or intense heat without an Explosion. The William Cliff stood alongside in an hour and stayed with her during the night whilst attempts were made to repair her. Etruria then made sail and the William Cliff took her in tow; the ships headed for Horta, in the Azores, which were 500 miles to the south-east of her stricken position. Horta ( pron 'ɔɾtɐ is a municipality in the western part of the Azores. The Azores ( Açores ɐˈsoɾɨʃ or) is a Portuguese Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, about 1500 km (950  mi) from

She arrived in the Azores on Sunday, March 9, and on the 15th her passengers and mail were transferred on to SS Elbe, which had been chartered for the task on the 10th. The Azores ( Açores ɐˈsoɾɨʃ or) is a Portuguese Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, about 1500 km (950  mi) from Disaster in the North Sea The night of 30 January 1895 was stormy It was summer 1902 before the Etruria was repaired and back in service, but in October, after a particularly rough Atlantic crossing, her propeller shaft again showed serious cracks and she was taken out of service and waited in New York for yet another new shaft to be sent over and installed. A propeller is essentially a type of fan which transmits power by converting Rotational motion into Thrust for propulsion of a vehicle such as an New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous It was the November 1 before she set sail for home again, 1902 had been a very bad year for the ship. Year 1902 ( MCMII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting A ship /ʃɪp/ is a large vessel that floats on water Ships are generally distinguished from Boats based on size

More bad luck

1903 did not start to well for the Etruria either. Year 1903 ( MCMIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting On the February 28 she was leaving New York and ran aground on sand and mud in the entrance to Gedney Channel. Fortunately, after she was refloated later the same day there was no damage found and she set of on her voyage to Liverpool. Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary

Later in the year, on the October 10, the Etruria was only four hours out of New York when at 2:30pm the ship was struck by a rogue wave. Rogue waves, also known as freak waves, monster waves or extreme waves, are relatively large and spontaneous Ocean surface waves that are a threat The wave was reported to be at least 50 feet high, and struck the ship on the port side. The wave carried away part of the fore bridge and smashed the guardrail stanchions. A number of First Class passengers were sitting in deck chairs close to the bridge, and they caught the full force of the water. A bridge is a Structure built to span a Gorge, Valley, Road, railroad track, River, Body of water One passenger, a Canadian, was fatally injured, and several other passengers were hurt.

January of 1907 saw the death of two of Etruria's sailors as they tried to secure the lashings of the starboard anchor in very rough weather, during a westbound crossing. Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year

The end of Etruria's Career

The two 23 year old sisters were now getting to the point where technical progress had well and truly overtaken them. The RMS Lusitania and Mauretania were off the drawing board, were slowly taking shape, and were due to enter service in late 1907. Construction and trials Owned by the Cunard Steamship Company built by John Brown and Company Lusitania was named for the ancient Roman province of Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year

On Wednesday the August 26, 1908, RMS Etruria was moving astern from her pier in Liverpool to anchor opposite the Princes' Landing Stage, where her passengers would embark. Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary Unfortunately a hopper crossing the Mersey came too close to the Etruria and was violently rammed by her. Hopper barge is a kind of non-mechanical ship or vessel that cannot move around by itself unlike some other types of Barges Designed to carry materials like rocks Etruria's rudder and propeller were thrust deep into the hopper, almost severing it in two. However, being impaled on the Etruria's propeller prevented the hopper from sinking. Both vessels drifted helplessly in the Mersey, and the hopper was violently crushed against the landing stage. This not only spelt the end for the hopper, but finished the career of the Etruria as well. Her propeller, rudder and steering gear was seriously damaged, and it put paid to any idea of her sailing to New York. A propeller is essentially a type of fan which transmits power by converting Rotational motion into Thrust for propulsion of a vehicle such as an A rudder is a device used to steer a Ship, Boat, Submarine, Hovercraft, or other conveyance that move through a fluid (generally air or Etruria's passengers were put up in hotels and then caught the Umbria later in the week. As for the Etruria, she was taken into dock, where temporary repairs were made.

She would not cross the Atlantic again, and after spending time laid up at Birkenhead, she was finally sold for the sum of £16,750 in October 1909. Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. On the October 10, 1910, the Mersey tug Black Cock took the Etruria in tow to her final destination of Preston, Lancashire, where she was broken up. TUGboat (ISSN 0896-3207 is a journal published three times per year by the TeX Users Group. Preston ( ˈprɛstən is a city and local government district in Lancashire, England, located on the River Ribble. Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea

The Blue Riband

External links

• Cunard Heritage site
• MaritimeQuest RMS Etruria Photo Gallery