Minerva (ship, 1834)
The Minerva was the first run with a steam engine ship on Lake Zurich and the first with an iron bowl in Europe. It was also the first timetabled use of a steamboat on the European continent. The first trip took place on 19 July 1835. The name referred to the goddess Minerva.
Construction and commissioning
The contract for the construction of Minerva issued the two entrepreneurs Franz Carl Caspar, founder of the " Steamship Company for Lake Constance and the Rhine ," and Johann Jakob Lämmlin to a person skilled in the technical field, previously the company " Caspar and Lämmlin, entrepreneur of steam navigation on the Zurich and Lake Walen " had founded. Was built the ship from Maschinenfabrik William Fairbairn in Manchester. In November 1834, the steamer left under the name of the volcano, the English east coast and came across the North Sea and the Rhine to Mannheim, Basel and Kaiseraugst. There she was dismantled and transported with carts at Lake Zurich.
After their assembly took place on June 20, 1835 at the " wooden ski jump " on today's Utoquai Zurich in the launching; then the interior was completed and renamed the ship in the name of Minerva. The invited guests gathered on 19 July 1835 of cannon and the ringing of bells in the city of Zurich Bauschänzli maiden voyage of Minerva. At 11 clock put them to their first trip to Rapperswil from reaching their destination two hours later, where a " shiny lunch with music and dancing took place. 6 evening clock drove the same again from Rapperswil, landed about 8 clock happy at Bauschanze and was greeted with general rejoicing. " The " Zürcherische Friday Zeitung" reported on the maiden voyage: "The white and green flag [ the coat of arms of the canton of St. Gallen ] swelled up, the steam began with an actual, rushing noise, like the voice of a monster to work on; a word of command, the ship made a pan and then went quickly back arrow right through the lake area until it is gradually lost sight of. "
Already on July 20, 1835 adopted the " Minerva " their regular rides on the route Zurich -Rapperswil. Landing stages it was only in Zurich and Rapperswil: Who wanted joining or leaving during the journey, was driven in a boat to the ship or to the shore.
Critics said that the invention was not quite to be trusted, it was not a moment sure " whether the boiler bests and the whole glory -hunting in the air ." Just three days after the maiden voyage, there was an innocuous incident when some pieces of wood lying in the boiler caught fire - until 1855 the steamers were exclusively on Lake Zurich, and 1868 partially fueled with wood. The helmsman drove to calm the passengers immediately to the bank.
Although the commercial success was initially limited, the first voyage of the " Minerva " was the beginning of a new era in transportation. Just two years later took the next steamer on Lake Zurich on its operation. 1839 Minvera was transferred for further trips on Lake Walen and replaced by the steamer " Republicans ".
Specifications
The Minerva, later baptized Spliigen, had a length of 33.6 m and a width of 4.8 m. The ship offered about 500 people. It put her around 30 kilometers from Zurich to Rapperswil back in two hours, reaching a speed of 15 km / h Wood consumption was about five fathoms fir wood, or about 15 cubic meters. Equipped was the steamer with two high-pressure machine of 25 hp.