SS President

The President was put into operation in 1840 paddle steamer in the British shipping company British and American Steam Navigation Company, with 2366 BRT the hitherto largest passenger ship in the world. After three completed Atlantic crossings, the ship disappeared without a trace after the March 11, 1841 on the North Atlantic.

History

The wooden paddle steamer President in 1839 commissioned by the British shipping company founded in the year British and American Steam Navigation Company commissioned and built at the shipyard Curling & Young in London. This was the first shipping company that was offering a regular service on the North Atlantic. Their first ship, the 1,863 -ton British Queen, at its commissioning in July 1839 was the largest ever ship in the world and thus struck in 1838, commissioned in Great Western.

To ensure regular services from Liverpool via Queenstown to New York, the President on August 1, 1840, put into service. With 2,366 GRT, she was twice as large as the RMS Britannia the Cunard Line and dissolved the British Queen as the largest passenger ship in the world from. The ships alternated so that each one expired at each 10th of the month from Liverpool. Aboard the President was room for 154 passengers.

In transatlantic service, the President proved as was the British Queen built too light and equipped with insufficient engine power. The shipping company was disappointed by the performance of the ship. The ship needed 16 days in each direction on its maiden voyage. On the second crossing (2 November 1840) they ran into stormy weather and laid in the first three days back just 300 miles. The coal stock was so far exhausted, that the President could not make it to Liverpool and had to return to New York. On November 28, they finally ran ten days late in Liverpool. Then she was pulled for two months out of the traffic and transformed into Plymouth. In February 1841, the ship undertook his third journey and arrived in New York to three weeks.

After a total of only three completed Atlantic crossings, the President disappeared without a trace in March 1841 on the North Atlantic. On Thursday, March 11, 1841, she had filed with 28 passengers and 81 crew members on board in New York. The command had Lieut. Richard Roberts, a reserve officer in the Royal Navy. Roberts had been the captain of the Sirius as they had crossed in April 1838 as the first steamship the Atlantic.

Because of the many charge and the additional carbon, the President was their departure deep in water. Shortly after the departure of the steamer ran into a heavy storm. The president was last seen on March 13 by the crew of the Orpheus between Nantucket Shoals and Georges Bank. The captain of the Orpheus reported that the ship struggling against high waves and strong winds. Thereafter the President was never seen again. We have not found neither wreckage nor bodies.

Because of their late arrival at the previous crossing the lateness of the President initially did not provide great unrest. Only after some time did the owner cares. Junius Smith, the founder of the British and American Steam Navigation Company hoped, yet months later that the President would reach their destination safely. Even Queen Victoria ordered that they should be informed immediately if the ship einliefe. Most likely, the ship sank in a storm in the Georges Banks, but also rumors about an iceberg collision were widespread.

Among the passengers on this trip were:

• George Grimston Cookman (* 1800), an influential minister of the Wesleyan Methodist Church and chaplain of the Senate of the United States
• Lord Fitzroy George Charles Gordon - Lennox (* 1820), British nobleman, son of Charles Gordon - Lennox, 5th Duke of Richmond and younger brother of Charles Henry Gordon - Lennox, 6th Duke of Richmond
• William Grattan Tyrone Power (* 1795), Irish stage actor, comedian and theater manager, among whose descendants Tyrone Guthrie, Tyrone Power, Taryn Power and Romina Power

The shipping company broke down and sold her only remaining ship, the British Queen, in the same year to the Belgian government. Three years after the disappearance of a cenotaph in the cemetery of Marmullane Church in his home town of Passage West ( County Cork) was built for Captain Roberts. On 22 May 2009 Roberts was among other honored with the title " Freedom of the City of Cork " Cork City, and thus made ​​an honorary citizen of the city of Cork.