SS Kristianiafjord (1912)

The Kristianiafjord (I) was put into service a 1913 passenger ship in the Norwegian shipping company Den Norske Amerikalinje, the upside as transatlantic liners between Norway and the USA. In June 1917 the ship ran aground at Cape Race on the coast of Newfoundland and sank without loss of life a few days later.

The ship

The Kristianiafjord was the first ship, which was founded in 1910 Norwegian shipping company Den Norske Amerikalinje A / S ( NAL), which was known as the Norwegian America Line in the English language. She had an identical sister ship, the Bergensfjord, which was put into service shortly after her. Both vessels were designed as passenger and cargo ships and built by the shipyard Cammell Laird & Company in the English port city of Birkenhead. The Kristianiafjord ( hull number 784 ) was launched on 23 November 1912, the Bergensfjord ( hull number 787) on April 8, 1913 by stack.

The 10,699 -ton, built of steel steamship Kristianiafjord was 156.08 meters long, 18.65 meters wide and had a maximum draft of 8.96 meters. It was powered by two eight-cylinder quadruple expansion steam engines, which were also prepared at Cammell Laird and Company and in 1469 contributed PSi. The ship had two propellers, two masts and two funnels. The top speed was 15 knots. The coal was burned in a lighter - eight steam boilers with a total of 32 furnaces. The hull was divided by bulkheads into eight watertight compartments. The ship was equipped with electric light, wireless radio and a double bottom.

The luxurious passenger accommodations of Kristianiafjord could accommodate 1200 travelers, including 100 in the first, 250 in second and 850 in third class. In May 1913, the Kristianiafjord was handed over to their owners and on June 4, 1913, she ran under the command of Captain SC Hiortdahl in Oslo on her maiden voyage via Kristiansand, Stavanger and Bergen to New York. This was the usual route their shipping company. The ships of the NAL -deposited without going directly from Norway to New York to drive without continental European ports. This method was new and shortened the travel time of up to four weeks to one week. She was a fundamental factor for the success of the shipping company.

On 15 June 1917 the Kristianiafjord ran with 1144 people on board due to a navigational error at Mistaken Point, seven miles west of Cape Race on the coast of Newfoundland, on reason. All passengers and crew members were able to leave the ship safely. The steamer was stranded on the shore, until he was almost two weeks later, destroyed on 28 June 1917 in a storm.