The SS Great Britain in dry dock in Bristol
Career (England)
Launched:	1843
Notes:	Coordinates: 51°26′57″N 2°36′30″W / 51.44917, -2.60833Coordinates: 51°26′57″N 2°36′30″W / 51.44917, -2.60833
General characteristics
Length:	322 ft (98. Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit 15 m)
Beam:	50 ft 6 in (15. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International 39 m)
Propulsion:	screw-propelled
Speed:	Max. 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 12. 5 knots without assistance of sails
Capacity:	360, increased later to 730
Complement:	130 officers and crew (as completed)

SS Great Britain was the first ocean-going ship to have an iron hull and a screw propeller and, when launched in 1843, was the largest vessel afloat. A ship /ʃɪp/ is a large vessel that floats on water Ships are generally distinguished from Boats based on size Iron (ˈаɪɚn is a Chemical element with the symbol Fe (ferrum and Atomic number 26 A hull is the body of a Ship or Boat. It is a central concept in floating vessels as it provides the Buoyancy that keeps the vessel from sinking 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 originally carried 120 first-class passengers (26 of whom were in single cabins), 132 second-class passengers and 130 officers and crew but, when an extra deck was added, it increased the number of passengers to 730.

It is now an award-winning visitor attraction and museum in Bristol Harbour. Bristol Harbour is the Harbour in the city of Bristol, England

History

The SS Great Britain was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Thomas Guppy, Christopher Claxton and William Patterson for the Great Western Steamship Company and built in a specially adapted dry dock in Bristol, England. Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS (9 April 1806 &ndash 15 September 1859 (ˈɪzəmbɑrd ˈkɪŋdəm brʊˈnɛl was a British Engineer. William (or Bill) Patterson may refer to William Patterson (engineer (1795-1869 19th century engineer and boatbuilder A drydock is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland

The launching or, more accurately, the "floating out" took place on 19 July 1843. Events 711 - Muslim forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad defeat the Visigoths led by their king Roderic. Year 1843 ( MDCCCXLIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Conditions were generally favourable but diarists recorded that, after a dull start, the weather brightened later on with only a few intermittent showers. The atmosphere of the day can best be gauged from a report published the following day in the Bristol Mirror. The reporter recorded that "large crowds started to gather early in the day including many people who had travelled to Bristol to see the spectacle. There was a general atmosphere of anticipation as the Royal Emblem was unfurled. The processional route had been cleaned and Temple Street decorated with flags, banners flowers and ribbons. Boys of the City School and girls of Red Maids were stationed in a neat orderly formation down the entire length of the Exchange. The route was a mass of colour and everybody was out on the streets as it was a public holiday. The atmosphere of gaiety even allowed thoughts to drift away from the problems of political dissension in London. "

Prince Albert arrived at 10am at the Great Western Railway Terminus. The royal train, conducted by Brunel himself, had taken two hours and forty minutes from London. A Royal Train is a set of carriages dedicated for the use of the Head of state of a Monarchy or other members of that particular royal family There was a guard of honour, consisting of members of the police force, soldiers and dragoons and, as the Prince stepped from the train, the band of the Life Guards played works by Labitsky and a selection from the "Ballet of Alma". Two sections of the terminus platform were boarded off for the reception and it was noted by the Bristol Mirror that parts were covered with carpets from the Council House. The Prince Consort, dressed as a private gentleman, was accompanied by his equerry in waiting, personal secretary, the Marquis of Exeter, and Lords Warncliffe, Liverpool, Lincoln and Wellesley.

Brunel Launch of the SS Great Britain, the revolutionary ship of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, at Bristol in 1843

Introductions were made, followed by the "Address to His Royal Highness the Prince Albert", by the town clerk, D. Burgess. Honours were then bestowed on him by the Society of Merchant Venturers, and there were speeches from members of the Bristol clergy. The royal party then had breakfast and, after twenty minutes, reappeared to board horse-drawn carriages.

At 12 noon, the Prince arrived at the Great Western Steamship yard only to find the ship already "launched" and waiting for the royal inspection. Prince Albert boarded the ship, took refreshments in the elegantly decorated lounge and then commenced his tour of inspection. He was then received in the ship's banqueting room where all the local dignitaries and their ladies were gathered.

After the banquet and the toasts, His Royal Highness left for the naming ceremony. It had already been decided that the actual christening would be performed by Mrs Miles, mother of Bristol's MP and a local company director. When the appropriate time came, she stepped forward, grasped the champagne bottle and swung it towards the bows. Unfortunately the steam packet Avon had started to tow the ship into the harbour and the bottle fell about ten feet short of its target and dropped unbroken into the water. A second bottle was rapidly obtained and the Prince himself hurled this against the iron hull of the Great Britain. In her haste, the Avon had also started her work before the shore warps had been released. The tow rope snapped and, due to the resultant delay, the Prince was obliged to return to the railway station and miss the end of the programme.

Model of the ship, with the sailing rig as installed from launch

The size of the new lock at the Floating Harbour caused problems when she was launched. Bristol Harbour is the Harbour in the city of Bristol, England She was being towed away from her builders to have her engines and interior fitted out on the River Thames but was fractionally too big to go through. The Thames ( is a major River flowing through southern England. The ship was moored in the Floating Harbour for a year or more before proceeding into Cumberland Basin in December 1844. After proceeding successfully through the first set of lock gates, she jammed on her passage through the second set which led to the River Avon. It was only the seamanship of Captain Claxton that enabled her to be pulled back and severe structural damage avoided. The following night, an army of workmen, under the supervision of Brunel, took advantage of the slightly higher tide, removed coping stones and lock gate platforms from the Junction Lock and allowed the tug 'Sampson' to tow her safely into the River Avon. ^[1]

At the time of her launch in 1843 she was by far the largest ship in the world, over 100 ft (30 m) longer than her rivals, and the first screw-propelled, ocean-going, wrought iron ship. 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 QtubIronPillarJPG|thumb|right| Iron pillar at Delhi India containing 98% wrought iron]] Wrought iron is commercially pure Iron. On 26 July 1845, the ship undertook her maiden voyage to New York, a journey completed in 14 days. Events 657 - Battle of Siffin. 811 - Battle of Pliska; Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus Year 1845 ( MDCCCXLV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous ^[2]

In November 1846, the ship went aground on the sands of Dundrum Bay, Ireland and there was doubt as to whether she could be re-floated. Dundrum (in Irish: Dún Droma, ie fort of the ridge is a Village in County Down, Northern Ireland, lying by Dundrum Bay Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Brunel himself advised that if anyone could rescue the ship, it was the naval engineer James Bremner. James Bremner ( 25 September 1784 - August 1856 was a notable Scottish Naval architect and harbour builder He was engaged and the Great Britain was re-floated on 27 August 1847 with the assistance of HMS Birkenhead. Events 479 BC - Greco-Persian Wars: Persian forces led by Mardonius are routed by Pausanias, the Spartan Year 1847 ( MDCCCXLVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Description and History The Birkenhead was built in 1845 at John Laird 's shipyard at Birkenhead as the Frigate HMS Vulcan ^[3] However, the cost of the salvage bankrupted the Great Western Steamship Company, and the SS Great Britain was sold and turned into an emigration ship.

Originally intended as an Atlantic steamer, she made most of her working voyages from the United Kingdom to Australia. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. In 1852, she made her first voyage to Melbourne, Australia, carrying 630 emigrants. Melbourne ( is the second most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 3 "Emigrant" redirects here For the Butterflies, see Catopsilia. She excited great interest in Melbourne, with 4,000 people paying a shilling each to see over her. During her time, she was considered the most reliable of the emigrant ships between Britain and Australia.

Between 1855 and 1858, she was used as a troopship, during the Crimean War and the Indian Mutiny. The Crimean War, also known in Russia as the Eastern War (Восточная война Vostochnaya Vojna) (March 1854–February 1856 was fought The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of Sepoys of British East India Company 's army on the 10th of May 1857 in the town of Meerut, In 1882, she was turned into a sailing ship to transport bulk coal but, after a fire on board in 1886, she was found on arrival at the Falkland Islands to be damaged beyond repair. Sailing ship is now used to refer to any large Wind -powered Vessel. She was sold to the Falkland Islands Company and used as a storage hulk (coal bunker) until the 1930s, when she was scuttled and abandoned. Falkland Islands Holdings plc (FIH is a company which plays a key role in the economy of the Falkland Islands. A hulk is a Ship that is afloat but incapable of going to sea In her role as coal bunker, she served to refuel the South Atlantic fleet that defeated Admiral Graf Maximilian von Spee's fleet, in the First World War Battle of the Falkland Islands. Maximilian Graf (Count von Spee ( 22 June 1861 - 8 December 1914) was a German Admiral, born in Copenhagen World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The Battle of the Falkland Islands was a British naval victory over the Imperial German Navy on 8 December 1914 during the First World War In the Second World War, some of her steel was scavenged to repair HMS Exeter, one of the Royal Navy ships that fought the Graf Spee and was badly damaged, in the Battle of the River Plate. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Design Exeter was ordered two years after her sister ''York'' and therefore her design incorporated improvements in the light of experience with the latter The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) Description Admiral Graf Spee was a Deutschland class cruiser. The Battle of the River Plate ( December 13, 1939) was the first major naval battle in World War II.

Restoration

In April 1970, she was refloated on a pontoon, the Mulus 3, and towed back (code name "Voyage 47") to Bristol by the tug Varius II, for conservation as a museum ship. A pontoon is a flat-bottomed Boat or the floats used to support a structure on water Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London For ships that are not original see Ship replica. For preserved incomplete ships see Ships preserved in museums. "Voyage 47" was chosen as the code name because it was on her 47th voyage from Penarth, in 1886, during a tempest that S. S. Great Britain had sought for shelter in the Falklands. ^[4] She returned to her original birthplace, the dry dock in the Great Western Dockyard, in which she had been built, which had been disused since bomb damage during World War II, which is now a grade II* listed building. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including A listed building in the United Kingdom is a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural historical or cultural significance ^[5] The salvage operation was made possible by several large donations, including one from Sir Jack Hayward, and the late Sir Paul Getty. Sir Jack Arnold Hayward OBE (born June 14, 1923) is an English property developer and philanthropist Sir John Paul Getty, KBE ( September 7, 1932 &ndash April 17, 2003) was a wealthy American-born British The original intent was to restore her to her 1843 state. However, the philosophy of the project changed in recent years and the conservation of all surviving pre-1970 material became the aim.

By 1998, an extensive survey discovered that the hull was continuing to corrode in the humid atmosphere of the dock and estimates gave her 20 years before she corroded away. Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air In daily language the term "humidity" is normally taken to mean Relative humidity. Extensive conservation work began which culminated in the installation of a glass plate across the dry dock at the level of her water line, with two dehumidifiers, keeping the space beneath at 22% relative humidity, sufficiently dry to preserve the surviving material of the hull. A dehumidifier is a Household appliance that reduces the level of Humidity in air usually for health reasons as humid air can cause Mold and ^[6] This was completed, the ship was "re-launched" in July 2005, and visitor access to the dry dock was restored.

The engineers Fenton Holloway won the IStructE Award for Heritage Buildings in 2006 for the restoration of the SS Great Britain. The Institution of Structural Engineers ' Structural Awards have been awarded for the Structural design of buildings and infrastructure since 1968

In fiction

In Stephen Baxter's Ring the Great Britain still exists in 3953 AD and is carried aboard the GUT starship Great Northern throughout its unusual voyage. Stephen Baxter (born 13 November 1957 is a British Hard science fiction Author. The ship is preserved under a layer of plastic that preserves and nourishes it.

Dimensions

• Length: 322 ft (98. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit 15 m)
• Beam (width): 50 ft 6 in (15. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International 39 m)
• Height (main deck to keel): 32 ft 6 in (9. 91 m)
• Weight unladen: 1,930 long tons (2,161 short tons, 1,961 tonnes)
• Displacement: 3,018 long tons (3,380 short tons, 3,066 tonnes)

Engine

• Actual Rated Horse Power: 1,000 H. The short ton ( S/T) is a unit of mass equal to 2000 lb (around 907 This article is about the tonne or metric ton For other tons see Ton. P
• Total weight: 340 tons
• Cylinders: 4 x inverted 'V' 88 inches (220 cm) diameter
• Stroke: 72 inches (180 cm)
• RPM: Max. 20 RPM
• Main Crankshaft: 17 feet (5. 18 m) long and 28 inches (71 cm) diameter

Propellor

• Diameter: 15'6"
• Weight: 77 cwts (3,912 kg)
• RPM: 55 RPM

Other data

• Fuel capacity: 1,100 tons of coal
• Water capacity: 200 tons
• Cargo capacity: 1,200 tons
• Cost of construction: £117,295

Photographs

The mizzen mast, at Stanley. "Port Stanley" redirects here For the town in Canada see Port Stanley Ontario.	A wooden rudder from the ship, now in the Museum alongside the ship	The hull of the SS Great Britain in dry dock in Bristol	Banqueting room
Propeller	Inside the restored part of the ship	The stern of the ship

See also

• SS Great Eastern
• SS Great Western

References

Further reading

• Ewan Corlett (1975; revised 1990, Conway Maritime Press). The Iron Ship: The Story of Brunel's SS Great Britain. ISBN 0-85177-531-4. .  

External links

• Official website
• Panoramic pictures of the ship Look around the ss Great Britain
• Panoramic tour from the BBC
• YouTube video — stills from tour of ship.