The first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean. The largest passenger liners of the XX century. Steamboat "Great East"

The first steamship, like its counterparts, is a variant of a reciprocating steam engine. In addition, this name is applied to similar devices equipped with a steam turbine. For the first time, the word in question was introduced into use by a Russian officer. The first version of a domestic ship of this type was built on the basis of the Elizabeth barge (1815). Previously, such vessels were called "pyroscaphes" (in the Western manner, which means a boat and fire in translation). By the way, in Russia, a similar unit was first built at the Charles Bendt plant in 1815. This passenger liner ran between St. Petersburg and Krondshtat.

Peculiarities

The first steamship was equipped with paddle wheels as propellers. There was a variation from John Fish, who experimented with the design of oars powered by a steam device. These devices were located on the sides in the frame compartment or aft. At the beginning of the twentieth century, an improved propeller came to replace the paddle wheels. Coal and oil products were used as energy carriers on the machines.

Now such ships are not being built, but some copies are still in working condition. First-line steamers, unlike steam locomotives, used steam condensation, which made it possible to reduce the pressure at the outlet of the cylinders, significantly increasing the efficiency. On the technique under consideration, efficient boilers with a liquid turbine can also be used, which are more practical and reliable than fire-tube counterparts mounted on steam locomotives. Until the mid-70s of the last century, the maximum power indicator of steamships exceeded that of diesel engines.

The first screw steamer was absolutely undemanding to the grade and quality of fuel. The construction of machines of this type lasted several decades longer than the production of steam locomotives. River modifications left mass production much earlier than their marine "competitors". There are only a few dozen operating river models in the world.

Who invented the first steamboat?

Steam energy was used to give the object movement even Heron of Alexandria in the first century BC. He created a primitive turbine without blades, which was operated on several useful devices. Many such aggregates were noted by chroniclers of the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries.

In 1680, a French engineer living in London provided the local Royal Society with a design for a steam boiler with a safety valve. After 10 years, he substantiated the dynamic thermal cycle of a steam engine, but he never built a finished machine.

In 1705, Leibniz presented a sketch of Thomas Savery's steam engine designed to raise water. Such a device inspired the scientist to new experiments. According to some reports, in 1707 a journey was made through Germany. According to one version, the boat was equipped with a steam engine, which is not confirmed by official facts. Subsequently, the ship was destroyed by embittered competitors.

Story

Who built the first steamboat? Thomas Savery demonstrated a steam pump for pumping water from mines as early as 1699. A few years later, an improved analogue was introduced by Thomas Nyukman. There is a version that in 1736 the British engineer Jonathan Hulse created a ship with a wheel at the stern, which was driven by a steam device. Evidence of successful testing of such a machine has not been preserved, however, given the design features and the amount of coal consumption, the operation can hardly be called successful.

Where was the first steamship tested?

In July 1783, the French marquis Geoffois Claude presented a ship of the Piroscaphe type. This is the first officially documented steam-powered ship, which was propelled by a single-cylinder horizontal steam engine. The car rotated a pair of paddle wheels, which were placed along the sides. The tests were carried out on the Seine River in France. The ship traveled approximately 360 kilometers in 15 minutes (approximate speed - 0.8 knots).

Then the engine failed, after which the Frenchman stopped the experiments. The name "Piroskaf" has long been used in many countries as the designation of a vessel with a steam power plant. This term in France has not lost its relevance to this day.

American projects

The first steamboat in America was introduced by the inventor James Ramsey in 1787. The test of the boat was carried out on the ship moved with the help of jet propulsion mechanisms operating from steam energy. In the same year, the engineer's compatriot tested the Perseverance steamship on the Delaware River. This machine was driven by a pair of rows of oars, which were powered by a steam plant. The unit was created together with Henry Foygot, as Britain blocked the possibility of exporting new technologies to its former colonies.

The name of the first steamboat in America is "Perseverance". Following this, Fitch and Foygot built an 18-meter vessel in the summer of 1790. The steam ship was equipped with a unique oar propulsion system and operated between Burlington, Philadelphia and New Jersey. The first passenger steamer of this brand was capable of carrying up to 30 passengers. In one summer, the ship covered about 3 thousand miles. One of the designers stated that the boat has mastered 500 miles without any problems. The nominal speed of the craft was about 8 miles per hour. The design under consideration turned out to be quite successful, however, further modernization and improvement of technologies made it possible to significantly refine the ship.

"Charlotte Dantes"

In the autumn of 1788, Scottish inventors Symington and Miller designed and successfully tested a small wheeled steam-powered catamaran. The tests took place on Dalswinston Lough, a ten-kilometer zone from Dumfries. Now we know the name of the first steamboat.

A year later, they tested a catamaran of a similar design with a length of 18 meters. The steam engine used as an engine was able to produce a speed of 7 knots. After this project, Miller abandoned further development.

The world's first Charlotte Dantes-type steamship was built by Seinmington in 1802. The ship was built from wood 170 millimeters thick. The power of the steam mechanism was 10 horsepower. The ship was effectively operated to transport barges in the Fort Clyde Canal. The owners of the lake feared that the jet of steam discharged by the steamer could damage the coastline. In this regard, they banned the use of such ships in their waters. As a result, the innovative ship was abandoned by the owner in 1802, after which it fell into complete disrepair, and then it was dismantled for spare parts.

real models

The first steamship, which was used for its intended purpose, was built in 1807. The model was originally called the North River Steamboat and later the Claremont. It was set in motion by the presence of paddle wheels, was tested on flights along the Hudson from New York to Albany. The distance of movement of the instance is quite decent, given the speed of 5 knots or 9 kilometers per hour.

Fulton was delighted to appreciate such a trip in the sense that he was able to get ahead of all the schooners and other boats, although few people believed that the steamer was able to go even one mile per hour. Despite the sarcastic remarks, the designer put the improved design of the unit into operation, which he did not regret a bit. He is credited with being the first to build the Charlotte Dantès fixture type structure.

Nuances

An American propeller-wheeled ship called the Savannah crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 1819. At the same time, the ship sailed most of the way. Steam engines in this case served as additional engines. Already in 1838, the Sirius steamer from Britain crossed the Atlantic completely without the use of sails.

In 1838, the Archimedes screw steamer was built. It was created by the English farmer Francis Smith. The ship was a design with paddle wheels and screw counterparts. At the same time, there was a significant improvement in performance compared to competitors. At a certain period, such ships forced sailboats and other wheeled analogues out of service.

In the navy, the introduction of steam power plants began during the arrangement of the Demologos self-propelled battery, headed by Fulton (1816). This design at first did not find wide application due to the imperfection of the wheel-type propulsion unit, which was bulky and vulnerable to the enemy.

In addition, there was difficulty with the placement of the warhead of the equipment. There was no question of a normal onboard battery. For weapons, only small gaps of free space remained at the stern and bow of the ship. With a decrease in the number of guns, an idea arose to increase their power, which was realized in the equipment of ships with large-caliber guns. For this reason, the ends had to be made heavier and more massive from the sides. These problems were partially solved with the advent of the propeller, which made it possible to expand the scope of the steam engine not only in the passenger fleet, but also in the navy.

Modernization

Steam frigates - this is the name given to medium and large combat units on a steam course. It is more logical to classify such machines as classic steamships rather than frigates. Large ships could not be successfully equipped with such a mechanism. Attempts at such a design were undertaken by the British and French. As a result, combat power was incomparable with analogues. The first combat frigate with a steam power unit is the Homer, which was created in France (1841). It was equipped with two dozen guns.

In conclusion

The middle of the 19th century is famous for the complex conversion of sailboats into steam-powered ships. The improvement of the ships was carried out in wheeled or screw modifications. The wooden case was cut in half, after which a similar insert was made with a mechanical device, the power of which ranged from 400 to 800 horsepower.

Since the location of heavy boilers and machines was moved to the part of the hull under the waterline, the need to receive ballast disappeared, and it also became possible to achieve a displacement of several tens of tons.

The screw is located in a separate nest, located in the stern. This design did not always improve movement, creating additional resistance. So that the exhaust pipe does not interfere with the arrangement of the deck with sails, it was made of a telescopic (folding) type. Charles Parson in 1894 created an experimental ship "Turbinia", the tests of which proved that steam ships can be fast and used in passenger transportation and military equipment. This "flying Dutchman" showed a record speed for that time - 60 km / h.

December 1, 1930 The keel-laying ceremony took place at the John Brown shipyard in Clydebank "Queen Mary"- one of the most grandiose passenger ships. For this significant date, we have prepared an overview of the most interesting ships that have left their mark on the history of shipbuilding.

Royal William

Royal William became one of the first passenger ships to cross the Atlantic Ocean. She was launched on April 27, 1831 in Quebec. The ship sailed several times between Quebec and the Atlantic colonies until the route was closed due to a cholera epidemic in 1832. Later, Royal William was sold to the Spanish Navy, where he served for quite a long time.

Great Eastern

Great Eastern (Leviathan) was launched in 1858. The 211-meter steamer was considered the largest ship until 1899. She reached a speed of 14 knots, had a displacement of 32,000 tons, and her engines produced 8,000 hp. From 1864 the ship was converted into a transatlantic cable layer, and in 1888 it was sold for scrap for £16,000.

Servia

The world's first steel liner Servia made its maiden voyage in 1881. Due to some innovative technology (such as electric lighting), many historians call it the first "modern" liner. The 10,300-horsepower ship reached a speed of 17 knots. The designers focused specifically on passenger transportation, reducing the volume of the cargo compartment and offering customers incredibly comfortable conditions for staying on the ship. In 1902, the ship was withdrawn due to a breakdown.

Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse

The first four-tube liner, the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, was launched on 4 May 1897. It marked the beginning of the era of new, more modern and powerful passenger ships. The liner won Germany's first Blue Ribbon of the Atlantic for the fastest voyage from Europe to America. During the First World War, she was converted into a warship. Kaiser Wilhelm was sunk in 1914.

Titanic

The legendary liner Titanic was launched on April 10, 1912. He developed a maximum speed of 24 knots. The displacement of the 269-meter giant was 52 thousand tons. However, the fate of the liner was tragically cut short on the maiden voyage: the Titanic sank on April 14 after colliding with an iceberg.

normandie

The transatlantic liner Normandie began its maiden voyage on May 29, 1935. The ship, which displaced 71,000 tons, is still considered the most powerful turbo-electric ship ever built. Thanks to its innovative hull design, sophisticated interior and impressive technical specifications, many experts recognized it as the best liner. On February 9, 1942, the liner caught fire from a spark in one of the cabins. It was later sold for scrap.

Queen Mary

September 26, 1934 the legendary liner Queen Mary was launched. However, only 18 months later, the 160,000-horsepower car went on its first flight. The liner crossed the Atlantic in 3 days 23 hours 57 minutes at an average speed of 30.63 knots, and in one of the subsequent flights won the Blue Ribbon of the Atlantic. On March 1, 1940, an order was given to prepare the liner for military service. After the war, he returned to the transatlantic route, but was far from being as profitable. On December 10, 1967, the liner took its place in Long Beach and is now a museum.

Voyager of the Seas

The Voyager of the Seas cruise ship is often referred to as a "floating hotel" because of the amount of entertainment it can offer to its customers: cabins for every taste, shops, restaurants, sports fields, a climbing wall, an ice rink and much more. Its length is 311 meters, power - 75.6 MW, speed - 22 knots, and the maximum capacity - 3840 passengers.

Queen Mary 2

In 2003, the Queen Mary 2 became the largest liner in the world. The 17-deck machine is capable of speeds up to 30 knots and can accommodate 2,620 passengers. In tribute to modern standards, the ship is equipped with a huge number of shops, restaurants and entertainment centers.

Allure of the Seas

Allure of the Seas, which went on its first voyage three years ago - December 1, 2010, is still the largest cruise ship. It offers its 6,296 passengers the most incredible variety of services, including a theatre, carousels and an ice rink. The liner is equipped with folding (telescopic) tubes, allowing it to pass under low bridges. The average speed of the machine reaches 27 knots. The reliable security system has proven itself several times, successfully extinguishing small fires.

THE FIRST RUSSIAN STEAMSHIP

In 1815, the first steamship was built in Russia. This significant event for domestic shipping took place in St. Petersburg at the Berd plant. The Scot Charles Byrd arrived in Russia in 1786. At first, he worked as an assistant to Carl Gascoigne, also a visiting specialist in Petrozavodsk at the Alexander Cannon and Foundry. Later in 1792, together with his father-in-law, another Scot, Morgan organized a partnership. One of the enterprises of the partnership was a foundry and mechanical plant, later called the Byrd plant.

At that time, the monopoly on the production of steamships was given by Alexander I to Robert Fulton, who was the inventor of the steam engine. But since for 3 years Fulton did not build a single steamboat on the rivers of Russia, the privilege to build passed to Charles Byrd.

The Scot took the matter seriously, and already in 1815 in St. Petersburg, the first Russian steamship, called the Elizabeth, was built at the Byrd factory. The ship, called in the English manner "pyroscaphe" or "steamboat" became the ancestor of Russian steamships. As an engine on the "Elizabeth" they used Watt's balancing steam engine, the power of which was 4 horsepower, and the shaft speed was forty revolutions per minute. 6-bladed side wheels 120 cm wide and 240 cm in diameter were installed on the steamer. The length of the “Elizabeth” was 183 cm, the width was 457, and the ship’s draft was 61 cm. The steam boiler for one furnace worked on wood, a chimney came from it made of brick, which was later replaced with metal. Such a pipe could serve as the basis for a sail, its height was 7.62 m. The Elizabeth could reach speeds of up to 5.8 knots (almost 11 km / h).

The first time the steamer "Elizaveta" was tested on the pond of the Tauride Garden and showed good speed there. Subsequently, Charles Byrd continued to promote his invention. For example, he invited St. Petersburg officials for a boat trip. During the trip along the Neva, the guests were entertained and treated, but, in addition, the route included a visit to the plant.

The first regular flight of the steam boat "Elizaveta" from St. Petersburg to Kronstadt departed on November 3, 1815. The road there took 3 hours 15 minutes, back due to bad weather - just over 5 hours. There were thirteen passengers on board. In the future, "Elizabeth" began to regularly walk along the Neva and the Gulf of Finland, and with the light hand of P.I. Rikord, the English name "steamboat" was replaced by the Russian "steamboat". Rikord was one of the first to draw up a detailed description of the first Russian steamer, the Elizaveta. Thanks to the success of his invention, Charles Bird received several large government orders and created his own shipping company. New steamships carried both cargo and passengers.

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THE FIRST STEAMSHIPS

The beginning of the use of steam engines "on the water" was 1707, when the French physicist Denis Papin designed the first boat with a steam engine and paddle wheels. Presumably, after a successful test, it was broken by boaters who were afraid of competition. After 30 years, the Englishman Jonathan Hulls invented the steam tug. The experiment ended unsuccessfully: the engine turned out to be heavy and the tugboat sank.

In 1802, the Scotsman William Symington demonstrated the steamship Charlotte Dundas. The widespread use of steam engines on ships began in 1807 with the voyages of the Claremont passenger steamer, built by the American Robert Fulton. From the 1790s, Fulton took up the problem of using steam to propel ships. In 1809, Fulton patented the Clermont design and went down in history as the inventor of the steamboat. Newspapers reported that many boatmen turned a blind eye in horror as the "Fulton monster", belching fire and smoke, moved along the Hudson against the wind and current.

Already ten or fifteen years after the invention of R. Fulton, steamships seriously pressed sailing ships. In 1813, two factories for the production of steam engines began operating in Pittsburgh, USA. A year later, 20 steamboats were assigned to the port of New Orleans, and in 1835 there were already 1,200 steamboats operating on the Mississippi and its tributaries.

By 1815 in England on the river. Clyde (Glasgow) already operated 10 steamers and seven or eight on the river. Thames. In the same year, the first sea steamer "Argyle" was built, which completed the passage from Glasgow to London. In 1816, the steamer "Majestic" made the first trips to Brighton-Havre and Dover-Calais, after which regular sea steam lines began to open between Great Britain, Ireland, France and Holland.

In 1813, Fulton turned to the Russian government with a request to grant him the privilege to build the steamboat he invented and use it on the rivers of the Russian Empire. However, Fulton did not create steamships in Russia. In 1815 he died, and in 1816 the privilege granted to him was annulled.

The beginning of the 19th century in Russia is also marked by the construction of the first ships with steam engines. In 1815, the owner of a mechanical foundry in St. Petersburg, Karl Byrd, built the first paddle steamer "Elizaveta". A factory-made Watt steam engine with a capacity of 4 liters was installed on a wooden "tikhvinka". with. and a steam boiler that powered the side wheels. The car did 40 revolutions per minute. After successful tests on the Neva and the transition from St. Petersburg to Kronstadt, the steamer made voyages on the St. Petersburg-Kronstadt line. The steamer traveled this route in 5 hours and 20 minutes at an average speed of about 9.3 km/h.

The construction of steamships on other rivers of Russia also began. The first steamship in the Volga basin appeared on the Kama in June 1816. It was built by the Pozhvinsky iron foundry and ironworks of V. A. Vsevolozhsky. With a capacity of 24 liters. s., the ship made several experimental trips along the Kama. By the 20s of the 19th century, there was only one steamboat in the Black Sea basin - Vesuvius, not counting the primitive steamboat "Pchelka" with a capacity of 25 hp, built by Kyiv serfs, which two years later was carried through the rapids to Kherson, from where he made flights to Nikolaev.

THE BEGINNING OF DOMESTIC SHIPBUILDING

Despite all the unfavorable conditions that hinder the implementation and dissemination of Russian inventions, the works of Russian innovators back in the 18th century. in the field of construction of steam engines and metallurgy contributed to the introduction of steam and iron shipbuilding in Russia. Already in 1815, the first Russian steamship "Elizaveta", a car, made flights between St. Petersburg and Kronstadt; which has a capacity of 16 liters. with. was made in St. Petersburg at the Byrd factory. In 1817, the first Volga-Kama steamships and machines for them were built in the Urals. In 1817, the Izhora Admiralty Shipyard built the Skory steamship, 18 m long, with a 30-hp engine. with. and in 1825 the steamer "Provorny" with an 80 hp engine. with. Vesuvius (1820) and the 14-gun steamer Meteor (1825) were the first steamships on the Black Sea.

Based on the experience of building small steamships that served for port needs and transportation of goods, in 1832 the military steamship "Hercules" was built. It was equipped with the world's first improved steamship machine without a balancer, built by Russian innovative technicians. Such machines appeared in England only at the end of the thirties of the XIX century. In 1836, the first wheeled 28-gun steamship-frigate "Bogatyr" was built with a displacement of 1340 tons, with a machine with a capacity of 240 liters. with., manufactured at the Izhora plant.

February 11, 1809 American Robert Fulton patented his invention - the first steam-powered ship. Soon, steamships replaced sailing ships and were the main water transport until the middle of the 20th century. Here are the 10 most famous steamships

Steamboat Claremont

Claremont became the first officially patented steam-powered ship in the history of shipbuilding. The American Robert Fulton, having learned that the French engineer Jacques Perrier had successfully tested the first steam-powered ship on the Seine, decided to bring this idea to life. In 1907, Fulton surprised the New York public by launching a ship with a large pipe and huge paddle wheels on the Hudson. Onlookers were quite surprised that this creation of Fulton's engineering thought was able to budge at all. But the Claremont not only went down the Hudson, but was able to move against the current without the help of wind and sails. Fulton received a patent for his invention and within a few years he improved the ship and organized regular river trips on the Claremont along the Hudson River from New York to Albany. The speed of the first steamer was 9 km/h.

Steamboat "Clairmont"

The first Russian steamship "Elizaveta"

The steamer "Elizaveta", built for Russia by the Scottish mechanic Charles Byrd, entered service in 1815. The ship's hull was wooden. A metal pipe with a diameter of about 30 cm and a height of 7.6 m, with a fair wind, served instead of a mast for setting sails. The 16 horsepower steamer had 2 paddle wheels. The steamship made its first voyage on November 3, 1815 from St. Petersburg to Kronstadt. To test the speed of the steamer, the port commander ordered his best rowboat to compete with him. Since the speed of the "Elizabeth" reached 10.7 km / h, the rowers, strenuously leaning on the oars, sometimes managed to overtake the steamer. By the way, the Russian word "steamboat" was introduced by naval officer P.I. Rikord, a participant in this voyage. Subsequently, the ship was used to transport passengers and tow barges to Kronstadt. And by 1820, the Russian fleet already numbered about 15 steamships, by 1835 - about 52.

The first Russian steamship "Elizaveta"

Steamboat "Savannah"

The Savannah was the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean in 1819. He made a flight from the American city of Savannah to English Liverpool in 29 days. It should be noted that almost the entire journey the steamer sailed, and only when the wind died down, they turned on the steam engine so that the ship could move in calm. At the beginning of the era of steamship building, sails were left on ships making long voyages. The sailors did not yet fully trust the power of steam: there was a great risk that the steam engine would break down in the middle of the ocean or there would not be enough fuel to reach the destination port.

Steamboat "Savannah"

Steamboat "Sirius"

They risked abandoning the use of sails only 19 years after Savannah's transatlantic voyage. The Sirius paddle steamer left the English port of Cork on April 4, 1838 with 40 passengers and reached New York 18 days and 10 hours later. Sirius was the first to cross the Atlantic Ocean without hoisting sails, only with the help of a steam engine. This ship opened a permanent commercial steamship line across the Atlantic. "Sirius" moved at a speed of 15 km / h and consumed a monstrously large amount of fuel - 1 ton per hour. The ship was overloaded with coal - 450 tons. But even this stock was not enough for the flight. "Sirius" with a sin in half got to New York. In order for the ship to continue moving, ship gear, masts, wooden decking for bridges, handrails, and even furniture had to be thrown into the firebox.

Steamboat "Sirius"

Steamboat "Archimedes"

One of the first propeller-driven steamships was built by the English inventor Francis Smith. The Englishman decided to use the discovery of the ancient Greek scientist Archimedes, which had been known for a thousand years, but was used only to supply water for irrigation, - the screw. Smith had the idea to use it to propel the ship. The first steamship called the Archimedes was built in 1838. It was propelled by a propeller with a diameter of 2.1 m, which was powered by two steam engines with a capacity of 45 horsepower each. The ship had a carrying capacity of 237 tons. "Archimedes" developed a maximum speed of about 18 km / h. Archimedes did not make long-distance flights. After passing successful trials on the Thames, the ship continued to operate on domestic coastal lines.

The first screw steamer "Stockton" to cross the Atlantic

Steamboat "Stockton"

The Stockton became the first screw steamer to sail across the Atlantic Ocean from Great Britain to America. The history of its inventor, the Swede John Erickson, is very dramatic. He decided to use the propeller for the movement of a steam ship at the same time as the Englishman Smith. Erickson decided to sell his invention to the British Navy, for which he built a screw steamer with his own money. The military department did not appreciate the innovations of the Swede, Erickson ended up in prison for debts. The inventor was saved by the Americans, who were very interested in a maneuverable steam ship, in which the propulsion mechanism was hidden below the waterline, and the pipe could be lowered. That was the 70-horsepower steamship Stockton that Erickson built for the Americans and named after his new friend, a naval officer. On his ship in 1838, Erickson left for America forever, where he gained fame as a great engineer and became rich.

Steamship "Amazon"

In 1951, the Amazon was described by newspapers as the largest wooden steamship ever built in Britain. This luxury passenger transport could carry more than 2,000 tons and was equipped with an 80 horsepower steam engine. Although steamships made of metal had been leaving the shipyards for 10 years, the British built their giant from wood, because the conservative British Admiralty was prejudiced against innovations. On January 2, 1852, the Amazon, with a crew of 110 of the best British sailors, sailed for the West Indies, taking on board 50 passengers (including the Lord of the Admiralty). At the beginning of the journey, the ship was attacked by a strong and prolonged storm, in order to continue moving on, it was necessary to start the steam engine at full power. The machine with overheated bearings worked without stopping for 36 hours. And on January 4, the officer on duty saw flames escaping from the hatch of the engine room. Within 10 minutes, the fire engulfed the deck. It was not possible to put out the fire in a stormy wind. The Amazon continued to move through the waves at a speed of 24 km / h, and it was not possible to launch lifeboats. Passengers rushed about the deck in a panic. It was only when the steam boiler had exhausted all the water that people were put into lifeboats. After some time, those who sailed away in lifeboats heard explosions - it was the gunpowder stored in the holds of the Amazon that exploded, and the ship sank along with the captain and part of the crew. Of the 162 people who set sail, only 58 escaped. Of these, seven died on the shore, and 11 people went crazy from the experience. The sinking of the Amazon was a cruel lesson for the Lords of the Admiralty, who did not want to admit the danger of combining the ship's wooden hull with a steam engine.

Steamer "Amazon"

Steamboat "Great East"

The ship "Great East" - the predecessor of the "Titanic". This steel giant, launched in 1860, was 210 meters long and for forty years was considered the most big ship in the world. The Great East was equipped with both paddle wheels and propellers. The ship was the last masterpiece of one of the famous engineers of the XIX century, Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The huge ship was built to carry passengers from England to distant India and Australia without entering ports for refueling. Brunel conceived his offspring as the safest ship in the world - the "Great East" had a double hull that protected it from flooding. When at one time the ship received a hole larger than the Titanic, it not only remained afloat, but was able to continue the voyage. The technology for building such large ships at that time had not yet been worked out, and the construction of the "Great East" was overshadowed by the many deaths of workers who worked at the dock. The floating colossus was launched for two whole months - winches broke, several workers were injured. The catastrophe also occurred when the engine was started - the steam boiler exploded, scalding several people with boiling water. Engineer Brunel died upon learning of this. Infamous before her launch, the 4,000-person "Great East" set off on its maiden voyage on June 17, 1860, with only 43 passengers and 418 crew members on board. And in the future, there were few who wanted to sail across the ocean on an "unlucky" ship. In 1888, it was decided to dismantle the ship for scrap.

Steamboat "Great East"

Steamboat "Great Britain"

The first screw steamer with a metal hull "Great Britain" left the stocks on July 19, 1943. Its designer, Izombard Brunel, was the first to combine the latest achievements on one large ship. Brunel set out to turn long and dangerous transatlantic passenger travel into fast and luxurious sea travel. The huge steam engines of the steamer "Great Britain" consumed 70 tons of coal per hour, produced 686 horsepower and occupied three decks. Immediately after its launch, the steamship became the largest propeller-driven iron ship in the world, ushering in the era of steam liners. But even on this metal giant, just in case, there were sails. On July 26, 1845, the steamship Great Britain set off on its maiden voyage across the Atlantic with 60 passengers on board and 600 tons of cargo. The steamer moved at a speed of about 17 km / h and after 14 days and 21 hours entered the port of New York. After three years of successful flights, "Great Britain" failed. On September 22, 1846, the steamer, crossing the Irish Sea, was dangerously close to the coast, and the rising tide brought the ship to land. The disaster did not happen - when the tide came, the passengers were lowered from the side to the ground and carried in carriages. A year later, "Great Britain" was rescued from captivity by breaking through the canal, and the ship was back on the water.

Huge transatlantic steam liner "Titanic" that claimed the lives of more than a thousand passengers

Steamer "Titanic"

The infamous Titanic was the largest passenger liner in the world at the time of its construction. This city-steamer weighed 46,000 tons and was 880 feet long. In addition to cabins, the superliner had gyms, swimming pools, oriental baths and cafes. The Titanic, which set sail from the English coast on April 12, could accommodate up to 3,000 passengers and about 800 crew members and traveled at a maximum speed of 42 km / h. On the fateful night of April 14-15, a collision with an iceberg, the Titanic was traveling at exactly that speed - the captain was trying to break the world record for ocean steamers. There were 1,309 passengers and 898 crew members on board at the time of the shipwreck. Only 712 people were saved, 1495 died. There were not enough lifeboats for everyone, most of the passengers remained on the ship with no hope of rescue. On April 15, at 2:20 a.m., a giant passenger ship on its maiden voyage sank. The survivors were picked up by the ship "Carpathia". But even on it, not all the rescued were delivered to New York safe and sound - some of the passengers of the Titanic died on the way, some lost their minds.