NationMaster - Encyclopedia: SS Great Britain

ss Great Britain was the first ocean-going ship to have an iron hull and a screw propeller and, when launched in 1843, was the largest vessel afloat. She originally carried 120 first-class passengers (26 of whom were in single cabins), 132 second-class passengers and 130 officers and crew but, when an extra deck was added, it increased the number of passengers to 730. The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point, or a point alongside the ship at the mid-point of its length. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Italian Full rigged ship Amerigo Vespucci in New York Harbor, 1976 A ship is a large watercraft capable of deep water navigation. ... General Name, Symbol, Number iron, Fe, 26 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 8, 4, d Appearance lustrous metallic with a grayish tinge Standard atomic weight 55. ... A hull is the body or frame of a ship or boat. ... A propeller can be seen as a rotating fin in water or a wing in air. ... Year 1843 (MDCCCXLIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

It is now an award-winning visitor attraction and museum in Bristol Harbour. St Augustines Reach and Peros Bridge, during the 2004 Harbour Festival. ...

History

The ss Great Britain was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Thomas Guppy, Christopher Claxton and William Patterson for the Great Western Steamship Company and built in a specially adapted dry dock at Bristol. Brunel before the launching of the Great Eastern. ... William Patterson was a 19th century American politician. ... U.S. Navy submarine USS Greeneville in dry dock following collision with a fishing boat. ... View from Cumberland Basin of the Clifton Suspension Bridge and the Avon Gorge Bristol (IPA: ) is a city, unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, 115 miles (185 km) west of London. ...

The launching, or more accurately the 'floating out', took place on 19th July 1843. Conditions were generally favourable but diarists recorded that after a dull start, the weather brightened later on with only a few intermittent showers. The atmosphere of the day can best be gauged by referring to the report published the following day in the Bristol Mirror. The reporter recorded that "large crowds started to gather early in the day including many people who had travelled to Bristol to see the spectacle. There was a general atmosphere of anticipation as the Royal Emblem was unfurled. The processional route had been cleaned and Temple Street decorated with flags, banners flowers and ribbons. Boys of the City School and girls of Red Maids were stationed in a neat orderly formation down the entire length of the Exchange. The route was a mass of colour and everybody was out on the streets as it was a public holiday. The atmosphere of gaiety even allowed thoughts to drift away from the problems of political dissension in London."

Prince Albert arrived at 10am at the Great Western Railway Terminus. The Royal Train, conducted by Brunel himself, had taken two hours and forty minutes from London. There was an impressive guard of honour, consisting of members of the police force, soldiers and dragoons, and as the Prince stepped from the train, the band of the Life Guards played works by Labitsky and a selection from the "Ballet of Alma". Two sections of the Terminus platform were boarded off for the reception and it was noted by the Bristol Mirror that parts were covered with carpets from the Council House. The Prince Consort, dressed as a private gentleman, was accompanied by his Equerry in Waiting, Personal Secretary, the Marquis of Exeter, and Lords Warncliffe, Liverpool, Lincoln and Wellesley.

Introductions were made, followed by the "Address to His Royal Highness the Prince Albert", by the Town Clerk, D.Burgess. The reply given by His Royal Highness was short and spoken in low tones. Honours were then bestowed on him by the Society of Merchant Venturers, and there were various speeches from members of the Bristol Clergy. The Royal Party then had breakfast, and after twenty minutes reappeared to board horse-drawn carriages.

At 12 noon, the Prince arrived at the Great Western Steamship yard only to find the ship already 'launched' and waiting for the Royal Inspection. Prince Albert boarded the ship, took refreshments in the elegantly decorated lounge and then commenced his tour of inspection. He was then received in the ship's Banqueting Room where all the local dignitaries and their ladies were gathered.

After the banquet and the toasts, His Royal Highness left for the official naming ceremony. It had already been decided that the actual christening would be performed by Mrs Miles, mother of Bristol's MP, and a local company director, and when the appropriate time came, she stepped forward, grasped the champagne bottle and swung it towards the towering bows. Unfortunately the steam packet 'Avon' had started to tow the ship into the harbour and the bottle fell about ten feet short of its target and dropped unbroken into the water. A second bottle was rapidly procured and the Prince himself hurled this against the iron hull of the "Great Britain". In her haste, the 'Avon' had also started her work before the shore warps had been released. The tow rope snapped and due to the resultant delay, the Prince was obliged to return to the station and miss the end of the programme.

The size of the new lock at the Floating Harbour caused problems when she was launched. She was being towed away from her builders to have her engines and interior fitted out on the River Thames but unfortunately was fractionally too big to go through. The ship was moored in the Floating Harbour for a year or more before proceeding into Cumberland Basin in December 1844. After proceeding successfully through the first set of lock gates, she jammed on her passage through the second set which led to the River Avon. It was only the remarkable seamanship of Captain Claxton that enabled her to be pulled back and severe structural damage avoided. The following night, an army of workmen, under the supervision of Brunel, took advantage of the slightly higher tide, removed coping stones and lock gate platforms from the Junction Lock and allowed the tug 'Sampson' to tow her safely into the River Avon.^[1] St Augustines Reach and Peros Bridge, during the 2004 Harbour Festival. ... The Thames (pronounced //) is a river flowing through southern England, and one of the major waterways in England. ...

At the time of her launch in 1843 she was by far the largest ship in the world, over 100 feet longer than her rivals, and the first screw-propelled, ocean-going, wrought iron ship. On 26 July 1845, the ship undertook her maiden voyage to New York, a journey completed in 14 days.^[2] To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A wrought iron railing in Troy, New York. ... NY redirects here. ...

In November 1846, within a few short years of being launched, the ship went aground on the sands of Dundrum Bay, Ireland and there was serious doubt as to whether she could be refloated. Brunel himself advised that if anyone could rescue the ship then the man to do it was the naval engineer James Bremner of Wick. Bremner was engaged and the Great Britain was refloated in August 1847. However, the cost of the salvage bankrupted the Great Western Steamship Company, and the SS Great Britain was sold and turned into an emigration ship. 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Dundrum is the name of several towns in Ireland: Dundrum in County Down, Northern Ireland Dundrum in Dublin city, Republic of Ireland Dundrum in County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... James Bremner, the youngest of the nine children of Janet and James Bremner, was born on 25th September, 1784 in Stain, near Keiss, in the parish of Wick, Caithness, in Scotland. ... Location within the British Isles Noted point: Designer musician Douglas More hails from Wick! Wick (Inbhir Uige in Gaelic) is an estuary town in Caithness, in the Highland area of Scotland, on the main highway (the A99-A9 road) linking John O Groats with southern Britain. ... 1847 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

Originally intended as an Atlantic steamer, she made most of her working voyages from the United Kingdom to Australia. In 1852, she made her first voyage to Melbourne, Australia, carrying 630 emigrants. She excited great interest in Melbourne, with 4,000 people paying a shilling each to see over her. During her time, she was considered the most reliable of the emigrant ships between Britain and Australia. The Atlantic Ocean forms a component of the all-encompassing World Ocean and is directly linked to the Arctic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Southern Ocean. ... 1852 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Melbournes CBD has grown to straddle the Yarra River in three major precincts. ... A memorial statue in Hanko, Finland, commemorating the thousands of emigrants who left the country to start a new life in the United States Emigration is the act of nolan muir the phenomenon of leaving ones native country to settle abroad. ...

Between 1855 and 1858, she was also used as a troop ship, during the Crimean War and the Indian Mutiny. In 1882, she was turned into a sailing ship, to transport bulk coal but, after a fire on board, in 1886, she was found on arrival at the Falkland Islands to be damaged beyond repair. She was sold to the Falkland Islands Company and used there as a storage hulk (coal bunker) until the 1930s, when she was scuttled and abandoned. In her role as coal bunker, she served to refuel the South Atlantic fleet that defeated Admiral Graf Maximilian von Spee's fleet, in the First World War Battle of the Falkland Islands. In the Second World War, some of her steel was scavenged to repair HMS Exeter, one of the Royal Navy ships that fought the Graf Spee and was badly damaged, in the Battle of the River Plate. Year 1855 (MDCCCLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... 1858 (MDCCCLVIII) is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Combatants Allies: Second French Empire United Kingdom Ottoman Empire Kingdom of Sardinia Russian Empire Bulgarian volunteers Casualties 90,000 French 35,000 Turkish 17,500 British 2,194 Sardinian killed, wounded and died of disease ~134,000 killed, wounded and died of disease The Crimean War (1854â€“1856) was fought... An engraving titled Sepoy Indian troops dividing the spoils after their mutiny against British rule gives a contemporary view of events from a British perspective. ... Year 1882 (MDCCCLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Traditional wooden cutter under sail. ... Coal Coal (IPA: ) is a fossil fuel formed in swamp ecosystems where plant remains were saved by water and mud from oxidization and biodegradation. ... Year 1886 (MDCCCLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Falkland Islands Holdings Plc (FIH) is a company which plays a key role in the economy of the Falkland Islands. ... A hulk is a ship that is afloat, but incapable of going to sea. ... Face The 1930s (years from 1930â€“1939) were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression, also known in Europe as the World Depression. ... Count (Graf) Maximilian Johannes Maria Hubert von Spee (22 June 1861 – 8 December 1914) was a German naval officer, born in Copenhagen, Denmark, who joined the Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial German Navy) in 1878. ... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... Combatants British Empire German Empire Commanders Doveton Sturdee Maximilian von Spee Strength 2 battlecruisers, 3 armoured cruisers, 2 light cruisers and 1 grounded pre-dreadnought 2 armoured cruisers, 3 light cruisers, 3 transports Casualties 10 killed, 19 wounded No ships lost 1,871 killed, 215 captured 2 armoured cruisers, 2... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... The fourth and best known of the Exeters, HMS Exeter (68), was a York class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy that served in World War II. She was laid down on 1 August 1928 at the Devonport Dockyard, Plymouth, Devon. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore the Senior Service). ... Admiral Graf Spee was a Deutschland class heavy cruiser which served with the Kriegsmarine of Germany during World War II. Originally classified as an armored ship (Panzerschiff), she was later reclassified as a heavy cruiser, and was referred to as a pocket battleship by the British. ... Combatants Nazi Germany United Kingdom New Zealand Commanders Hans Langsdorff Henry Harwood Strength 1 pocket battleship (Panzerschiffe) Admiral Graf Spee 1 heavy cruiser 2 light cruisers Casualties 1 pocket battleship scuttled 36 killed 1 heavy cruiser Exeter heavily damaged 72 killed The Battle of the River Plate (December 13, 1939...

Restoration

In April 1970, she was refloated on a pontoon, the "Mulus 3", and towed back (code name "Voyage 47") to Bristol, by the tug "Varius II", for conservation as a museum. She returned to her original birthplace, the dry dock in the Great Western Dockyard, in which she had been built, which had been disused since bomb damage during World War II, which is now a grade II* listed building.^[3] The salvage operation was made possible by several large donations, including one from Sir Jack Hayward, and the late Sir Paul Getty. The original intent was to restore her to her 1843 state. However, the philosophy of the project changed in recent years and the conservation of all surviving pre-1970 material became the aim. 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... For the car body style, see Ponton (automobile). ... View from Cumberland Basin of the Clifton Suspension Bridge and the Avon Gorge Bristol (IPA: ) is a city, unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, 115 miles (185 km) west of London. ... The Louvre Museum in Paris, one of the largest and most famous museums in the world. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Buckingham Palace, a Grade I listed building. ... Sir Jack Hayward OBE (born in Wolverhampton, in 1923), is an English property developer and philanthropist. ... Sir John Paul Getty KBE (September 7, 1932 â€“ April 17, 2003) was a wealthy American-born British philanthropist and book-collector. ...

By 1998, an extensive survey discovered that the hull was continuing to corrode in the humid atmosphere of the dock and the prognosis gave her 20 years before the ship corroded away. Therefore, extensive conservation work began which culminated in the installation of a glass waterline plate across the dry dock at the level of her water line, with two dehumidifiers, keeping the space beneath at 22% Relative Humidity, sufficiently dry to preserve the surviving material of the hull.^[4] This was completed and the ship was 're-launched' in July 2005 and visitor access to the dry dock has been restored. Humidity is the quantity of moisture in the air. ... A dehumidifier is a household appliance that reduces the level of humidity in a room. ...

In fiction

In Stephen Baxter's ring the Great Britain still exists in 3953AD and is carried aboard the GUT starship Great Northern throughout its unusual voyage. The ship is preserved under a layer of plastic that preserves and nourishes it.

Dimensions

Engine A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, â€² â€“ a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... The or meter (see spelling differences) is a measure of length. ... A long ton is the name used in the US for the unit called the ton in the avoirdupois or Imperial system of measurements, as used (alongside the metric system) in the United Kingdom and to some extent in other Commonwealth countries. ... The short ton is a unit of mass equal to 907. ... A tonne or metric ton (symbol t), sometimes referred to as a metric tonne, is a measurement of mass equal to 1,000 kilograms. ...