RMS Lucania

The RMS Lucania was a 1893 put into operation in ocean liner of the British Cunard Line, which was used in passenger and freight traffic on the route Liverpool - Queenstown- New York. She was until 1897 the largest ship in the world and a winner of the Blue Ribbon, an award for the fastest passenger ship on the North Atlantic route.

Background

The Lucania and her identical sister ship, the RMS Campania, were built at a time when the steamship prospered and the leading shipping companies sending ever larger, more luxurious and faster ships in the race to win the favor of the paying public. Only recently, had set up in terms of size and speed and brought the Blue Riband the Inman Line, with its two newest ships City of New York and City of Paris records. The White Star Line set then the Teutonic and the Majestic in service, which proved to be direct competition. Then, Cunard ordered also two new ships to remain competitive.

The construction of the two ships was co-financed by the British Admiralty. The agreement of Cunard with the British government stipulated that compensation both ships should be adapted to the needs of the Admiralty, if it should in the event of a war to be used of the ships. Cunard had to agree that the two ships could be withdrawn by the government as an auxiliary cruiser of the Royal Navy reserve in case of need.

According to the agreement, there should be two large and fast twin screw steamer with triple-expansion steam engines. The contract for the construction of vessels received the shipyard Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company in Govan near Glasgow, which was one of the then largest ship manufacturers. Construction began in 1891, only 43 days after the order by the Cunard Line.

The Lucania was running on 2 February 1893 by the stack and was baptized by Sir William Pearce, the chairman of Fairfield Shipbuilding and member of the British Parliament. On September 2, 1893 the ship ran into Liverpool under the command of Captain Alexander McKay on its maiden voyage to New York, where it arrived on the 9th of September. It was used during his entire period of service on the prestigious route Liverpool - Queenstown- New York. The Lucania and Campania were considered for years as the most important ships of the Cunard Line. In the following years it managed German shipping companies such as the North German Lloyd Hapag or, with their ships to overtake the previously dominant British shipping companies such as Cunard or White Star. Cunard responded with the new record breaking Mauretania and Lusitania.

The Lucania moved so that in the background and only served as an occasional substitute. On July 7, 1909 their last trip (the only one in 1909 ), after which it was launched in Liverpool in Huskisson Dock was. About 19.00 clock in the evening on August 14, 1909 a fire broke out on board, who was already out of control when the firefighters arrived at the dock. Until the early morning hours fighting water was pumped into the hull, so that the Lucania accepted list. Until noon on August 15, the fire was completely extinguished. The Lucania was almost completely destroyed by the fire. Although two months later yet another trip was planned, it was decided after an inspection that a repair would not be worthwhile. The Lucania was sold to the demolition yard of Thomas Ward in Swansea and scrapped there. The remains of the interiors were auctioned.

Records and innovations

She was with 12,952 GRT GRT only two greater than the Campania, but they could thus replace the largest ship in the world. She took the Campania also from the title of winner of the Blue Riband for the fastest Atlantic crossing. In both records, it was surpassed in 1897 by the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse of the North German Lloyd.

1903, the world's first newspaper was introduced on the ship Lucania, which was supplied with information from radio messages that received the ship at sea. The so-called Cunard Daily Bulletin sat down quickly on the Cunard steamers.

Machinery

On the Lucania two five-cylinder steam engines were installed with vertical triple-expansion. Each machine was equipped with two low-pressure cylinders. The Lucania and Campania were the two largest ships in the history of Cunard, which were equipped with steam engines of this type, and their machines were the largest at that time, which were mounted on a ship. This was the culmination of this type - a few years later, the ships were equipped with modernerern turbines. The machines were both housed in separate watertight compartments, so that in case of influx of water only a machine would fail and the ship using the other could run into the next port. The hull of the Lucania was divided into 16 cross- current watertight compartments. The ship was still able to remain afloat in two flooded compartments.

The machines were almost three decks high and allowed a power of 28,000 hp ( 31,000 PSI). The average travel speed of Lucania was 22 knots (40,7 km / h) and the maximum speed of 23.5 knots ( 43.5 km / h ). For a crossing 2900 tons of coal were burned. The 159.58 meters long and 19.81 meters wide ship had two chimneys, two masts and a twin screw.

Equipment

The cabins and salons on the Lucania and Campania were opulently furnished and reflect the style of the Victorian era resist. The luxury cabins on the upper deck and the living rooms of the First Class were paneled with oak, satinwood and mahogany and covered with thick carpets. Before portholes and windows hung silk curtains and the sofas were richly upholstered and color-matched to the rooms.

The predominant style was Art Nouveau, but there were also French Renaissance, to find, such as in the lobby of the First class and Elizabethan style, such as the smoking room of the First Class, in which there was also an open fireplace. One of the most impressive rooms was the dining room of the First Class, which was 30 meters long, 19 meters wide and 3.5 meters high. His style has been described as " slightly modified Italian style ". About the room stretched a three decks high light well, which ended in a skylight. The information carried by ionic columns coffered ceiling was decorated in white and gold. The mahogany paneling of the walls were adorned with ivory inlays and carvings. Next to it was the passengers a library.

The British naval historian and photographer Basil Greenhill (1920-2003) described the interior of Lucania and Campania in his work Advent of Steam: Merchant Steamship Before 1900 as perfection Victorian style, which could not be surpassed in later ships.

Literature / Sources

• Robert D. Ballard / Ken Marschall: Lost Liners - From the Titanic to the Andrea Doria - Glory and Fall of the large luxury liner. Wilhelm Heyne Verlag GmbH & Co., Munich 1997 (Original title: Lost Liners: From the Titanic to the Andrea Doria The ocean floor Reveals its greatest lost ships, translated by Helmut Gerstberger. . ), ISBN 3-453-12905-9.
• Mark D. Warren. The Cunard Royal Mail Twin -Screw Steamers Campania and Lucania. Patrick Stephens Limited ( 1991)
• Denis Griffiths. Power of the Great Liners. Patrick Stephens Limited. (1990)
• Cunard Steamship Co Ltd. The Cunard Passenger Log Book (Campania & Lucania ) ( 1894)