SS Servia

The Servia in 1899

The Servia was a 1881 put into service passenger ship in the British shipping company Cunard Line, which was used in regular service on the route Liverpool - Queenstown- New York. She was the largest ship in the world and also the first built of steel Cunard steamer at her commissioning in addition to the Great Eastern. It proved to be popular and fast ship, which, however, never received the Blue Riband. The Servia was in 1902 and broken up out of service.

The ship

The 7,392 -ton steamship Servia was built in Clydebank (Scotland ) at the shipyard of J. & G. Thomson, the predecessor of John Brown & Company. The launch took place on March 1, 1881. With 156.9 meters long and 15.9 meters wide was the Servia, the hitherto largest ships in the Cunard fleet and the largest ship by Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1858 from the stack overflowed Great Eastern ( 18,915 GRT). The Servia had four decks, two funnels and three masts with the rigging of a Bark. While the promenade deck was covered with ponderosa pine, teak was on the main deck used.

She was the first completely built of steel steamer of the Cunard Line. For Blue Steel Siemens was used. Her example should be tested whether the material was suitable for steamships. The Servia was also the world's first ship that was equipped from the start with electric light ( the City of Berlin, although the Inman Line decreed in 1879 on electricity, but this was not as been with her ​​launch in 1874 ). The smoking room was unusually large, 6.7 meters wide and nine meters in length. From the main staircase had direct access to the dining room and a music room on the upper deck, which joined the ladies' salon. The 22.5 meters long and 14.9 meters wide dining room had seats for 350 guests. The furniture of the room was covered with morocco leather.

The Servia was initially able to carry 480 cabin passengers and 750 steerage passengers in 188 cabins and was operated by a 200 -strong team. 1889 passenger capacity was changed so that from then on, the 400 passengers were First, 200 Second and 500 third class was added. The hull was divided by bulkheads into watertight compartments. The Scots could be closed from the bridge by means of a connecting rod. This was a technical innovation as watertight doors had on ships until then by hand down be cranked. For safety equipment to be members of twelve lifeboats. The ship could hold up to 6,500 tonnes of ballast ( freight and coal).

Were in accordance with the requirements of the British Admiralty on board the Servia ten cannons mounted, if the ship had to be used as an auxiliary cruiser. The Servia was powered by two three-cylinder compound steam engines, which contributed 10,300 hp and a top speed of 17.8 knots ( 32.9 km / h ) permitting. There were six steel double-ender and a lighter A boiler of the brand Fox, who had a total of 39 furnaces.

History

On November 26, 1881, Servia ran under the command of Captain Theodore Cook in Liverpool on her maiden voyage to New York, where she arrived on 8 December. Cook had already Gallia and Russia commanded (the latter ship was Cunard's first screw steamer ). He later commanded also the blue band record breakers Umbria. On the day after the expiry of the ship was caught in a storm that was so strong, that it could only start on the 28th place on November 27 Queenstown. Among the 171 passengers of the first class on the maiden voyage were Charles Adolphus Murray, 7th Earl of Dunmore, William E. Dodge, the vice - admiral of the Royal Navy Sir William Nathan Wrighte Hewett, Bishop of Marquette John Vertin and U.S. Banker Henry F. Gillig. On December 12, 1881, the ship was opened to visitors. It has been estimated that about 10,000 people watched the new steamer, including the future mayor of New York, Seth Low.

At a crossing in August 1883 Jane Addams and Henry James were on board the ship. On February 6, 1885, ship hit by a bad weather driving with visible storm damage in New York. On 13 June 1885, the Servia ran in Gedney Channel on a sandbar due. On 30 January 1886, it came under the command of Captain Horatio McKay with heavy snowfall in the North River with the oncoming steamer Noordland (Captain Nickels ) of the Red Star Line together, the damage to the starboard side was wearing it. The Servia was at Liberty Iceland moored where it was found that she was only slightly damaged.

On May 18, 1889, Servia ran again in Gedney Channel on reason; this time it was due to dense fog. On a trip to the east in July 1891, there was a significant engine failure, which is why the steamer from Chester to New York had to be towed back. Among the passengers on this ride were Prince George of Greece, Congressman John T. Professor William Graham Sumner Cutting and his wife Jeannie. Additional collision occurred on September 6, 1892, when the Servia collided under the command of Captain Dutton on the North Atlantic in fog and darkness to 03.00 clock in the morning with the sailing ship Undaunted (Captain Lewis). Because of the low rate of Servia, who had throttled the speed due to the fog, both ships were only slightly damaged and could continue their journey in each case without outside help.

On 7 June 1893, the Servia was involved in an accident folgenschwereren when she rammed a day after the departure from New York the American ship A. McCallum (Captain O'Brien ) that sank then. The first of the 25 men came aboard the A. McCallum killed. As of November 1899, the Servia was like many other Cunard ships temporarily used as a troop transport during the Boer War.

On September 17, 1901, Servia ran to her last trip to New York, where she arrived on 25 September. After that, she was decommissioned and scrapped in 1902 in Preston.

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