 The Great Western in New York Harbor |
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| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | SS Great Western |
| Namesake: | Great Western Railway |
| Operator: | Great Western Steamship Company |
| Builder: | William Patterson, Bristol |
| Laid down: | 26. The Great Western Railway ( GWR) was a British railway company and a notable example of Civil engineering, linking London with the West Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London 6. 1836 |
| Launched: | 19. 7. 1837 |
| Completed: | 31. 3. 1838 |
| Maiden voyage: | 8. 4. 1838 Bristol-New York |
| Out of service: | 12. Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous 1846 in Liverpool |
| Notes: | 1839-40: Rebuilt for more passengers. Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary Now 76. 8 m (251. 97 ft) long and 1700 gross register tons (GRT). Gross Register Tonnage (abbreviated variously as GRT, grt, gr Did 45 Atlantic round trips before being taken out of service |
| Career | |
| Operator: | Royal Mail Steam Packet Company |
| Acquired: | 24. The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company was a British shipping company founded in London in 1839 by Scot James Macqueen 4. 1847 |
| Notes: | Transatlantic mail service Southhampton - West Indies[1] |
| Career | |
| Operator: | British Government |
| Acquired: | 1855 |
| Fate: | Scrapped 10. Southampton ( IPA /ˌsaʊθˈhæmptən/ is the largest city in the county of Hampshire, on the south coast of England The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting 1856 |
| Notes: | Operated as troop transport in the Crimean War |
| General characteristics [2] | |
| Type: | Oak-hulled paddle-wheel steamship |
| Tonnage: | 1340 GRT, later 1700 GRT |
| Displacement: | 2300 ton |
| Length: | 71. The Crimean War, also known in Russia as the Eastern War (Восточная война Vostochnaya Vojna) (March 1854–February 1856 was fought 6 m (234. 91 ft), later 76. 8 m (251. 97 ft) long |
| Beam: | 17. 59 m (57. 71 ft) across wheels |
| Installed power: | 2-cylinder Maudslay steam engine 750 HP |
| Propulsion: | Two paddle-wheels |
| Speed: | 8. Henry Maudslay ( August 22, 1771 – February 14 1831) was a British Machine tool innovator Tool and die maker 5 knots |
| Capacity: | 128 passengers in 1st class + 20 servants |
| Crew: | 60 |
The steamship SS Great Western, launched in 1837 and named after the Great Western Railway Company, was the first steamship purposely built for the Atlantic crossing. The Great Western Railway ( GWR) was a British railway company and a notable example of Civil engineering, linking London with the West A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving a Propeller When it completed the crossing on 23 April 1838, it was the fastest ship ever to do so, also beating the SS Sirius (1837) which arrived a few hours earlier. Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Year 1838 ( MDCCCXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common External sources Facts about Sirius
Contents |
Origins
Isambard Kingdom Brunel's idea was that steam would replace sail power on the regularly-scheduled trans-Atlantic "packet boat" services, which had been operating under sail since 1818. Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS (9 April 1806 &ndash 15 September 1859 (ˈɪzəmbɑrd ˈkɪŋdəm brʊˈnɛl was a British Engineer.
Brunel tried to convince the directors of the Great Western Railway to build such a ship, but failed. The Great Western Railway ( GWR) was a British railway company and a notable example of Civil engineering, linking London with the West However, he did manage to convince a number of Bristol merchants, who formed the Great Western Steamship Company. The principle that Brunel understood, which many ship owners did not, was that the carrying capacity of a ship increases as the cube of its dimensions, whilst the water resistance only increases as the square of its dimensions. This meant that large ships were more fuel efficient, something very important for long voyages across the Atlantic. [3]
Design
The Great Western was an iron-strapped, wooden, side-wheel paddle steamer (with four masts to hoist the auxiliary sails), designed by the great railway engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel. A paddle steamer is a ship or boat driven by a Steam engine that uses one or more Paddle wheels to develop thrust for propulsion. Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS (9 April 1806 &ndash 15 September 1859 (ˈɪzəmbɑrd ˈkɪŋdəm brʊˈnɛl was a British Engineer. The hull was built of oak by traditional methods. It was the largest steamship of its time, measuring 236 ft (71. 93 m) in length, and designed to carry 148 passengers. It included a big passenger saloon (75 feet long by 34 feet (10 m) at its widest). The sails were not just intended to provide auxiliary propulsion, but were used in rough seas to keep the ship on an even keel and ensure that both paddle wheels remained in the water, driving the ship in a straight line.
The Great Western demonstrated that ships could not use steam engines and sails at the same time, because hot cinders from its smokestacks would set the sails on fire.
Maiden voyage
The Great Western was built at the shipyard of Patterson & Mercer in Bristol. She was launched on 19 July 1837 and then sailed round to the Thames, where she was fitted with two side-lever steam engines from the firm of Maudslay, Sons & Field, producing 750 i. Events 711 - Muslim forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad defeat the Visigoths led by their king Roderic. Year 1837 ( MDCCCXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common The Thames ( is a major River flowing through southern England. Henry Maudslay ( August 22, 1771 – February 14 1831) was a British Machine tool innovator Tool and die maker h. p. (indicated horsepower) between them. On 31 March 1838, the engines were in place and the Great Western set off for Bristol, from where the maiden trip to New York was to begin. Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Year 1838 ( MDCCCXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common However, a fire broke out in the engine room. During the confusion Brunel fell 20 feet (6. 1 m), and was badly injured. The fire was extinguished, and the damages to the ship were minimal, but Brunel had to be put ashore at Canvey Island. Canvey Island (area 1845 km² pop 37479is a reclaimed island in the Thames estuary separated from the mainland of south Essex by a network of creeks As a result of the accident, more than 50 passengers canceled their bookings for the Bristol-New York voyage and when the Great Western finally set off from Bristol on April 8th, it was with only 7 passengers aboard. [2] The Great Western arrived in New York on 23 April 1838 setting the record for the fastest trans-Atlantic crossing. Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Year 1838 ( MDCCCXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common The Sirius, which arrived the day before, therefore only held the record for a few hours (see The Blue Riband of the Atlantic). External sources Facts about Sirius For use of the related term "Blue Ribbon" see Blue ribbon (disambiguation.
Service career
The Great Western served on the trans-Atlantic run until 1846, completing 45 crossings in eight years. [4] In 1847 she was sold to the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company and used on The West Indies run. Royal Mail is the national postal service of the United Kingdom. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting Later, after serving as a troopship in the Crimean War, she was broken up at Castles' Yard, Millbank on the Thames in 1856. The Crimean War, also known in Russia as the Eastern War (Восточная война Vostochnaya Vojna) (March 1854–February 1856 was fought Millbank is an area of central London in the City of Westminster. The Thames ( is a major River flowing through southern England.
The early history of transatlantic steamships
The rival British and American Steam Navigation Company expected to open the first steam-powered regularly-scheduled "packet" trans-Atlantic service with their SS British Queen. The steamship SS British Queen was a side-paddle steamship owned by the British and American Steam Navigation Company and purposely built for the Atlantic crossing But with their ship still at the shipyard, it became clear at the opening of the season that the Great Western, which had already been launched and was being fitted out with its machinery in London, was going to beat them to it. So they chartered the Sirius, which was an Irish Sea steam packet travelling between London and Cork. The Sirius had a displacement of 700 tons and was 178 feet (54 m) long with a breadth of 26 feet (7. 9 m), considerably less than the Great Western. Part of the passenger accommodation was removed to make room for extra coal bunkers. [3]
The Sirius set off from the Thames on 28 March 1838 heading for Cork, where she replenished her coal bunkers and left for New York on April 4 with 97 passengers. Events 37 - Roman Emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, entitled to him by the Senate. Year 1838 ( MDCCCXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Cork (Corcaigh is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland 's third most populous city after Dublin and Belfast [5] The Great Western was put some days behind because of the fire and did not leave until April 8. [3]
Though the Sirius narrowly beat the Great Western to New York, arriving on April 22, they had to burn the cabin furniture, spare yards and one mast to do it, inspiring the similar sequence in Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days (1872). New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Events 1500 - Portuguese Navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil. Jules Gabriel Verne ( February 8 1828 &ndash March 24 1905) was a French Author who pioneered the science-fiction Around the World in Eighty Days (Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours is a classic Adventure novel by the French writer Jules Verne, first The Great Western arrived the following day, with 200 tons of coal still aboard, and after only 15 days at sea. Great Western was subsequently awarded the Blue Riband for setting the record for trans-Atlantic travel speed at 8. For use of the related term "Blue Ribbon" see Blue ribbon (disambiguation. 66 knots (16. 04 km/h), beating Sirius which clocked in at 8. 03 knots (14. 87 km/h).
References
- ^ About Great Western from Merseyside Maritime Museum, Liverpool
- ^ a b MaritimeQuest.com about SS Great Western
- ^ a b c Rolt, L. T. C. , “Victorian Engineering”, 1970, Allen Lane The Penguin Press, ISBN 713901047
- ^ Kludas, Arnold. "Das blaue Band des Nordatlantiks", 1999, pg 36 (in German)
- ^ MaritimeQuest.com about SS Sirius
See also
External links
| Records | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Royal William |
World's largest passenger ship 1838 – 1839 |
Succeeded by British Queen |
| Preceded by Sirius |
Holder of the Blue Riband (Westbound) 1838 – 1841 |
Succeeded by Columbia |
| Holder of the Blue Riband (Eastbound) 1838 – 1840 |
Succeeded by Britannia |
|
| Preceded by Britannia |
Holder of the Blue Riband (Eastbound) 1842 – 1843 |
Succeeded by Columbia |
| Preceded by Columbia |
Holder of the Blue Riband (Westbound) 1843 – 1845 |
Succeeded by Cambria |
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