Passenger ship crossed the Atlantic Ocean. On the transatlantic lines. Steamboat "Great East"

Transatlantic liners of the middle of the 20th century are huge high-speed comfortable ships, a whole era not only in shipbuilding, but also in the public life of many states. After all, until the 1950s there was no other way to get from Europe to America, except by sea.

The era has gone with the liners - they were replaced by fast and less expensive aircraft. But even today it is possible to board one of the greatest transatlantic ships in history - the Queen Mary liner. After the end of his career in 1967, this ship did not go for scrapping like other ships, but became a museum, hotel and business center in the city of Long Beach in California, USA.

On board we will visit now. But first, a little history of the ship.

One of the largest companies serving the transatlantic line was the British Cunard Line. After the end of the First World War, its three largest steamboats - Mauretania, Aquitania and Berengaria (the former German Imperator obtained by reparation) uninterruptedly and with great comfort delivered passengers from Southampton to New York and back. Three of these ships provided weekly departures from both ports. One-way flight lasted a little less than five days.

But by the beginning of the 1930s, these vessels became obsolete, and besides, competition in the Atlantic increased. The company was in a difficult financial situation. Then it was decided to build a new ship.

True, his concept was not immediately decided. Priorities could be speed, or comfort, or the economy of a new ship. The preliminary decision was not to chase speed, but to provide the highest level of comfort for first-class passengers. However, in the end, it was decided to proceed from the need to replace the three existing ships with two, but with the same frequency of departure from Southampton and New York, that is, to build two high-speed transatlantic liners, not forgetting, of course, about comfort.

The construction of the liner was started at the shipyard in Clydebank (UK) in 1930, but a year later it was frozen: the world was covered by a severe crisis. Only in 1933, after receiving financial assistance from the British government, the construction was continued. The liner, named Queen Mary, was launched by Queen Mary herself on September 26, 1934, and on May 27, 1936, she went on her first transatlantic flight from Southampton to New York.

In one of the first flights, Queen Mary set a record for the speed of crossing the Atlantic - the flight was completed in just four days. Transatlantic passengers of that time valued their time, and accordingly valued such records. For comparison: today a transatlantic flight along the same route on the new Queen Mary 2 airliner takes six to seven days. But today's passengers have nowhere to rush: they are on a cruise. And if they need to go to America on business, they will take advantage of a fast and much cheaper plane. In the same years when Queen Mary embarked on transatlantic routes, there was no way to cross the Atlantic by plane.

The British government subsidized the construction of Queen Mary for a reason, but in order to have high-speed transport for the transfer of troops across the Atlantic in case of war. And the case introduced itself. Between 1939 and 1946, Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth liner, which was just built to work with him, transported troops across the ocean, taking on board fifteen thousand people on some flights.

After returning to peace service, Queen Mary worked on transatlantic flights for another twenty years, until then, when competition with aviation made the operation of old transatlantic ships impossible. In September 1967, the liner completed its last, 1001st transatlantic flight, and on October 31 departed with its last cruise from Southampton to the eternal parking lot in California.

During this voyage, mainly with American tourists aboard Queen Mary, he crossed the Atlantic Ocean for the last time, circled Cape Horn, and visited the ports of South America and Mexico. Of course, not one I would like to use the time machine and visit this significant flight. But the cruise itself was not very successful, because Queen Mary was built to work in the North Atlantic, and there was no air conditioning system on it. Therefore, as we approach the equator, many passengers and crew members became exhausted from the heat. Secondly, because of the huge fuel consumption, the company ordered to fly on two turbines instead of four, which caused a decrease in speed and many stops.

December 9, 1967 Queen Mary arrived in the city of Long Beach, where you can visit it now. You can even live on board by booking one of the first-class cabins (the other cabins on Queen Mary have not survived).

Let's go down the deck of the ship. I must say right away that not all Queen Mary public spaces are open to visitors, and not all of them have been preserved. But what can be seen creates a good picture of the ship.

Let's start with the cutting.

Maneuvers, like on modern ships, are conveniently performed while on the wing of the bridge. Duplicate machine telegraphs were placed on the wings of the bridge.

Near the cabin were cabins of the highest command of the liner. The captain had a separate study, and a separate living cabin. The captain was served by a separate steward, who lived on the same deck.

The cabins of the senior assistant captain and the chief engineer of the ship were located nearby.

Now go down to the deck below. The deck below is called sports, here is its diagram:

The deck diagrams that I will provide here correspond to the Queen Mary post-war layout. The post-war layout differs little from the pre-war one, with few exceptions. In the post-war period, new names for passenger classes began to be applied: the first class became a cabin, the second a tourist, and the third remained the third.

Now that we are talking about classes: Queen Mary was designed back in the period when the system of division into three passenger classes was traditionally used on transatlantic ships (similar to the way that modern, transatlantic flights have a first, business and economic class). Accordingly, the cost of the ticket was different. This created great inconvenience even at the design stage, because the classes did not overlap, and all passenger rooms (lounges, restaurants, walking decks) had to be duplicated. Therefore, by the 1950s, the number of classes on new ships was reduced to two, and then completely abandoned the division into classes.

Queen Mary is a classic liner with a three-class layout. Moreover, a significant part of the passenger space was reserved for the first class. Passengers of the second and third class almost did not see the ship: access to the first class was closed to them. Therefore, if we talk about a time machine in order to make a transatlantic trip to Queen Mary: to get a full impression you will need not only to go back in time by a time machine, but also to buy a ticket to first class. But this raises the question of price: how many of us these days fly across the Atlantic first class? And then, far from everyone could afford to cross the Atlantic with the first class.

Let's go back to the sports deck. Some passengers really did sports here. In addition, part of the deck was allocated for walking dogs of first-class passengers. Dogs lived in a room next door, and special crew members were responsible for their keeping and walking.

Queen Mary had three pipes (at that time, many still considered the number of pipes an indicator of the reliability of the liner). But the Queen Elizabeth, built a few years later, had a very similar one, the number of pipes was reduced to two.

Queen Mary pipes at the end of the liner’s life were in poor condition, and in 1968 were replaced with aluminum copies.

Below the sports is a sun deck. She, like sports, is entirely reserved for first-class passengers.

Restaurant Verandah Grill was the best restaurant on the ship, and worked on an a la carte system. Every modern Cunard Line vessel also has a restaurant with the same name and the highest level of cooking and service.

At Queen Mary, it was a very prestigious venue for first-class passengers, decorated using theatrical motifs. Lunches and dinners were served here for an additional fee (in the 1930s it was one British pound, at that time not so little). Despite this, the restaurant was so popular that sometimes it was fully booked several months in advance.

After 1967, when Queen Mary came to Long Beach, they tried to use the Verandah Grill in various ways, including as a fast-food cafe, and accordingly remade its decoration. Today this room is used as a conference room.

The outdoor walking terrace looks the same as on modern cruise ships (although Queen Mary was built in the 30s of the last century).

In some places there are narrow passages between the terraces of different sides.

And here is what lifeboats looked like on ships of those years: unlike modern motobots, they were not closed from above.

In the bow of the sun deck there are public areas: a museum and a tea restaurant. However, when Queen Mary was an operating vessel, they did not exist: in this place there were command cabins and offices.

The deck below is called the promenade.

The central part of the deck, and perhaps the entire ship, is the lobby of the first class. The tall atriums, which were used to by modern cruise passengers, were not yet made. But the lobby of the ocean liners has always been spacious and tastefully decorated.

During the Queen Mary’s transatlantic career, a central storehouse was located in the central semicircular foyer room, where you could buy all kinds of goods the traveler needed. The lobby was surrounded by small rooms of the first class: a library, a drawing room, a children's playroom. There was even a special 35-seat cabin, designed to tell passengers about their travels to other passengers with the possibility of slide shows. Now almost all of these premises are turned into shops; they sell souvenirs and literature on historical vessels.

The bow of the deck is occupied by a survey bar for first-class passengers. During flights, this place was extremely popular. What could be better than talking and observing the sea under a glass of something hot? When public areas of the third class were expanded in the early 1960s, the observation bar began to be intended for passengers of this class.

The bar is open today.

A walk-off terrace enclosed by the North Atlantic winds surrounds the deck, almost entirely intended for first-class passengers. After the war, two small "winter gardens" were equipped on this terrace - for passengers of the first and second class, but they were not preserved.

A small part of this terrace closer to the stern is reserved for second-class passengers. At their disposal was also a large outdoor area at the stern.

From the closed promenade, one could get into the spacious first-class public spaces - each through its own lobby. Previously, first-class public spaces could be accessed not only from the walking terrace, but also from the internal terraces that ran along almost the entire deck. These terraces partially disappeared during the rebuilding process in Long Beach.

The large first-class lounge was the center of Queen Mary's social life. The center in every sense, including the direct one: this cabin was located exactly in the middle of the ship, so that the passengers gathered in it felt less pitching (after all, storms in the North Atlantic were not uncommon). The salon received musical motifs in the design; live music played here in the evenings, passengers danced.

Sunday flights were held in this salon during flights, and passengers of all three classes were invited to these services. The service was traditionally carried out by the captain of the liner.

In the 1970s there was an idea to turn this showroom into a central restaurant (despite the fact that the original Queen Mary restaurants were preserved below the three decks). In the process of reconstruction, the decor was partially lost, the room somewhat decreased in size. But the work was never completed. Today, the central salon is offered for rent for events; its original furniture was not preserved.

Passengers of each class had their own smoking room. They did not smoke in smoking rooms, but enjoyed cigars and socializing. Traditionally, smoking rooms on ocean liners were considered “male territory”: women at that time did not indulge in cigars, but, by the way, they also visited the salon.

The smoking parlor at Queen Mary impressed with its size. In the original furnishings, it was a lounge with soft chairs and small tables.

The smoking room is decorated with a painting by the English artist Edward Wadsworth (by the way, he painted it right here on the spot). During the first Queen Mary voyages, the picture caused a lot of controversy and even outrage among adherents of the traditional design of transatlantic liners - people never accept the new right away. But then they got used to the picture, and it has been in its place for eighty years.

On the same deck there is another cozy salon of smaller sizes. Of course, he was comfortable in his original furnishings: the modern "conference" furniture, which is now furnished with first-class rooms, creates some dissonance. But add mentally old-fashioned soft chairs and low tables here, and everything will fall into place.

On the site of the second-class smoking room, office space and a chapel are equipped.

But the appointment of the room shown in the next photo is not easy to guess. It was used by musicians who played in the main salon for rehearsals before the start of the performance.

Each classroom had its own children's room, in which children could be left under the supervision of educators. The first-class children's room has been preserved; the toys in it are recreated from old photographs of life aboard Queen Mary.

Already today, part of the walking deck on the starboard side has been converted into a catering center. There are fast food cafes and two restaurants.

Below is the main deck.

In its central part was a travel agency in which first-class passengers could book tickets for a return transatlantic flight, for a train, book a hotel, and even purchase tickets to theaters in London and New York.

Most of this deck is occupied by first-class cabins. The interiors of corridors and vestibules made of fine wood (and fifty different wood species were used to design the liner) were returned to the 1930s and 1950s. By the way, the Lenin and Soviet Union river passenger diesel-electric ships built in 1958-59 in the USSR had very similar interiors. Perhaps, when creating these ships, Soviet designers and designers studied the foreign experience in designing prestigious ocean liners.

The aft part of the deck is reserved for public spaces of the second (tourist) class. It has an outdoor walkout deck and lounge.

The saloon of the second class, like other premises of the vessel, is deprived of "salon" furniture. Now it is one of the conference rooms on board. It is combined with the former promenade deck, which is redone in the lobby of the conference room.

We get down to the next deck. The decks below have no names; instead, they are indicated by letters A to N. The lower decks are closed for access.

In the center of deck A there is an information desk for first-class passengers (and now this is the hotel’s “reception”). It was in this foyer that first-class passengers got on board the Queen Mary.

Almost the entire deck A is reserved for first-class cabins, with the exception of the aft, where the second-class cabins were once located.

My cabin is located on this deck. Of course, it would be nice to make a transatlantic trip in the first-class cabin of Queen Mary, but nowadays it is actually a hotel room. According to the layout, this is a large cabin of the first class, and with a new finish. Initially, all Queen Mary's first-class cabins were wood-paneled, and many cabins retained the original finishes.

At the stern of deck A, there is another open area for second-class passengers and another second-class cabin. At Queen Mary there was an upright class layout at the time. That is, the premises of all three classes were located on all or almost all passenger decks, but in different parts of the liner. At Queen Mary, first-class rooms occupied the entire central part of the ship, second-class rooms occupied the stern, and for passengers of the third class premises were allocated in the bow.

To facilitate maneuvers in the ports in the aft of Queen Mary and other ships of that time, an additional superstructure was built - the aft bridge. During maneuvers, one of the officers on duty stayed on this bridge, transmitting information on the position of the stern relative to other vessels, moorings and other facilities to the wheelhouse.

Deck B has first and second class cabins. Of interest here is the premises of the medical isolator in the aft.

It would seem that the lower we go, the less our chances of seeing some interesting public spaces. But, once on deck C, you can make sure that this is not so. Here are restaurants of all three classes.

As on modern cruise ships, passengers came to the restaurant by elevator, or went down to it along a wide gangway.

Three-decker first-class restaurant - the prototype of today's atriums on cruise ships. This restaurant accommodated all first-class passengers at the same time; accordingly, breakfast, lunch and dinner were held in one shift. But this only applied to a first class restaurant. Second-class passengers ate smaller meals in two shifts. And third-class passengers had their own small restaurant, where they ate as much as three shifts.

The first-class restaurant at Queen Mary is open today: every week there is a Sunday brunch with champagne.

The premises of restaurants of the second and third class are now used as office premises and warehouses. Many elements of their design are lost; access to them is closed.

Deck D, which is even lower, is interesting because it housed a first-class indoor swimming pool. Now the pool does not function due to the discrepancy with the modern requirements of the strength of ship structures, but you can visit its premises during an excursion called "Ghosts of Queen Mary" (there is one). Second-class passengers also had their own pool: it was located below deck. This room has partially become a museum cinema, partially - offices.

The aft deck D has been demolished and now houses the Queen Mary and Transatlantic Shipping Museum. From the museum you can go down to the engine room of the ship.

The huge liner propeller under water makes a great impression.

Decks E and below are closed to visitors; almost all the rooms there are dismantled.

A visit to the Queen Mary liner leaves a very strong impression. And not only thanks to the stylish British-style interiors of the middle of the last century, but also thanks to the feeling of the exceptional power of a huge liner, and thanks to the surprisingly positive energy of the ship that transported hundreds of thousands of people across the Atlantic.

The airliner similar to the created sensations, perhaps, will no longer be built. After all, this also requires a corresponding era. But it’s wonderful that this ship was preserved. There will be an opportunity - visit it.

The first steamboat, like its counterparts, is a variant of a reciprocating steam engine. In addition, this name applies to similar devices equipped with a steam turbine. For the first time, the considered word 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 “pyroscopes” (in the Western manner, which means boat and fire). By the way, in Russia such a unit was first built at the Charles Bendt plant in 1815. This passenger liner ran between St. Petersburg and Krondstat.

Features

The first steamer was equipped with propeller wheels as propulsors. There was a variation from John Fish, who was experimenting with the construction of oars driven by a steam device. These devices were located on the sides in the compartment of frames or behind the stern. At the beginning of the twentieth century, an advanced propeller came to replace the propeller wheels. Coal and oil products were used as energy carriers on machines.

Now such ships are not being built, however, some instances are still in working condition. Steamboats of the first line, unlike steam locomotives, used steam condensation, which allowed to reduce the pressure at the exit of the cylinders, significantly increasing the efficiency. Efficient boilers with a liquid turbine can also be used on this technique, which are more practical and reliable than fire-tube analogues mounted on steam locomotives. The maximum power indicator of steamers until the mid-70s of the last century exceeded that of diesel engines.

The first screw ship was absolutely not picky about the grade and quality of the 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 river models in the world.

Who invented the first ship?

Steam energy was used to give the object of motion 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 draft steam boiler with a safety valve. After 10 years, he substantiated the dynamic thermal cycle of a steam engine, but he did not build a finished machine.

In 1705, from Leibniz, a sketch of Thomas Saveri's steam engine, designed to raise water, was presented. A similar device inspired the scientist to new experiments. According to some reports, in 1707 a trip was made to 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.

History

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

Where was the first steamer tested?

In July 1783, the French Marquis Joffois Claude presented a vessel of the Piroscaf type. This is the first officially documented steam engine vessel to be propelled by a horizontal single cylinder steam engine. The car rotated a pair of paddle wheels, which were placed on the sides. Tests were conducted on the Seine river in France. The ship passed about 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 been used for many years in many countries as a designation for a ship 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 inventor James Ramsey in 1787. Testing of the boat was carried out on the ship. It was moved with the help of water-jet propulsion mechanisms that operate on steam energy. In the same year, a compatriot engineer tested the Perseverance (“Persistence”) steam ship on the Delaware River. This machine was driven by a pair of oars that worked from a steam installation. The unit was created together with Henry Voigot, 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 Voigot built an 18-meter ship in the summer of 1790. The steam vessel was equipped with a unique oar propulsion, operated between Burlington, Philadelphia and New Jersey. The first passenger ship of this brand was able to carry up to 30 passengers. In one summer, the ship covered about 3 thousand miles. One of the designers said that the boat mastered 500 miles without any problems. The rated speed of the craft was about 8 miles per hour. The design in question turned out to be quite successful, however, further modernization and improvement of technologies made it possible to substantially modify the ship.

Charlotte Dantes

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

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 refused further development.

The first steamboat in the world such as the "Charlotte Dantes" was made by designer Saymington in 1802. The ship was built of wood with a thickness of 170 millimeters. The strength of the steam engine was 10 horsepower. The ship was effectively used to transport barges in the Fort Clyde Canal. The owners of the lake were afraid that the steam jet emitted 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 vessel was abandoned by the owner in 1802, after which it became completely unusable, and then it was disassembled for spare parts.

Real models

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

Fulton joyfully appreciated such a trip in the sense that he was able to get ahead of all the schooners and other boats, although few believed that the ship was capable of at least one mile per hour. Despite sarcastic remarks, the designer put the improved design of the unit into operation, which he did not regret a bit. It is believed that he was the first to build a Charlotte Dantes-type fixture.

Nuances

An American ship with paddle wheels called the Savannah crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 1819. In this case, the ship most of the way was sailing. 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 ship was built. It was created by the English farmer Francis Smith. The vessel was a design with paddle wheels and screw counterparts. At the same time, a significant improvement in performance was planned, in comparison with competitors. In a certain period, such ships displaced sailboats and other wheeled analogues from service.

In the Navy, the introduction of steam power plants began during the development of the Demologos self-propelled battery, led by Fulton (1816). At first, this design did not find wide application due to the imperfection of the wheel type propeller, which was bulky and vulnerable to the enemy.

In addition, the difficulty was with the placement of the warhead of the equipment. There was no question of a normal on-board battery. For armament there were only small gaps of free space at the stern and bow of the vessel. With a decrease in the number of guns, the idea arose of increasing their power, which was realized in equipping ships with large-caliber guns. For this reason, it was necessary to make the ends heavier and more massive from the sides. These problems were partially solved with the advent of the propeller, which allows to expand the scope of the steam engine not only in the passenger, but also in the navy.

Modernization

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

In conclusion

The mid-19th century is famous for the comprehensive conversion of sailboats into steam-powered vessels. Improvement of ships was carried out in wheel 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 arrangement of heavy boilers and machines was moved to a part of the hull under the waterline, the need to receive ballast disappeared, and it was also possible to achieve a displacement of several tens of tons.

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

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

Royal william

Great eastern

Servia

Kaiser wilhelm der grosse

Titanic

Normandie

Queen mary

Voyager of the seas

Queen mary 2

Allure of the seas

The first steamboat to cross the Atlantic was the small American sailing pack boat Savannah with a steam engine installed on it. The historical voyage began on May 24, 1819 in Savannah, Georgia, and ended on June 20 of the same year in Liverpool.

The porridge was brewed by the 39-year-old captain Moses Rogers. He commanded one of Fulton's steamboats - and the experience gained inspired him so much that the captain convinced his employers, the Scarborough & Isaacs shipbuilding company to buy a sailboat and convert it into a steamboat. The Savannah package boat built in New York was selected.

It was a small vessel with a displacement of 320 tons and a length of just over 30 meters. A steam engine with a capacity of 90 horsepower was installed on it (plus or minus like that of Daewoo Lanos). The Savannah should have been driven by propeller wheels located on the sides of the hull with a diameter of almost 5 meters. 75 tons of coal and 100 cubic meters of firewood should be served as a fuel reserve. The purchase of the vessel, its refurbishment and decoration cost $ 50,000.

According to Rogers' design, the Savannah was supposed to carry wealthy passengers across the Atlantic. For them, the ship had 16 richly decorated double cabins and three common salons, decorated with carpets, mirrors, paintings, draperies and other things - "... like on the most expensive yachts." For the sailors, the ship did not seem to be so attractive - in New York it was nicknamed the “steam coffin”. The attempt to hire a crew ended in complete failure. The sailors had to be taken from Rogers, Connecticut's home state - there the captain was well known and trusted.

Steamboat Savannah is the first steamboat to cross the Atlantic.

The first transatlantic trials were conducted on March 22, 1819, and on 28 mattress the ship set off under its own power to the home port of Savannah. The Savannah reached its destination in 207 hours, of which 41 (with a half) hour the ship was driven by a steam engine. In Georgia, the packet boat was organized by a crowded and solemn meeting - despite the fact that he arrived at the port at four in the morning.

The ship began to prepare for a transatlantic voyage. Additional advertising to the enterprise was made by US President James Monroe, who was just nearby on a visit. The shipowners managed to persuade him to take a boat ride and even bite lunch there. The President expressed deep satisfaction with the awareness of the prospects for American shipbuilding; rejoiced at the wonderful future of American shipping; and expressed his desire to acquire the Savannah after the transatlantic flight for subsequent use as a cruiser - to combat piracy in the Caribbean.

And finally, a great day has come. On May 19, 1819, an announcement appeared in the Savannah Ripablican newspaper: “The Steamboat Savannah (Captain Rogers) will leave for Liverpool tomorrow, any day, on any occasion.” Apparently, the expected circumstances did not arise - the Savannah set sail (in clubs of smoke and steam) at five in the morning, on Monday, May 24, 1819. As soon as the shore with admiring onlookers disappeared from sight, the steam engine was drowned, the sails were lifted and the ship sailed to Liverpool, using the propulsion system, although less impressive, but more reliable.

In fact, most of this historic voyage took place under sails - the steam engine worked only 80 hours - out of 707. In addition, the steam engine regularly caused misunderstandings - the oncoming ships, seeing the sailing vessel floating in puffs of smoke, made a logical conclusion that " Savannah is on fire. And, of course, they rushed to the rescue - to help put out the fire.

June 18, the ship was already in sight of Cork, Ireland. On the same day, fuel ran out in the holds. I had to replenish its reserves in Kinsale - the triumphant appearance in Liverpool without clubs of steam and smoke was not taken into account.

On June 20, 1819, between five and six in the evening, a sensation occurred in Liverpool. The Savannah, full of puffs of smoke, entered the port. Of course, boats rushed to her from all sides to help extinguish the fire. The first ever steamboat crossed the Atlantic in 29 days and 11 hours.

“The Yankees' fantastic ingenuity took over the primacy of the seas from the British Empire,” wrote the British press, “and at the same time paved the way for communication between the Western and Eastern hemispheres.”

In Liverpool, the Savannah spent 25 days. All this time, visitors went aboard in an endless stream - everyone was interested to see the miracle of technology. Curiosity was fueled by the rumor that the unusual ship was hired by Jerome Bonaparte to kidnap Napoleon from St. Helena.

From Liverpool, the ship headed to St. Petersburg. On the way between England and Russia, the steam engine was used much more actively than in the Atlantic - almost a third of the distance from Liverpool to Kronstadt, the Savannah was under steam. Two stops were made along the road - in Elsinore (Denmark) and Stockholm (Sweden). The Swedes even tried to buy a ship, but the proposed amount of Americans did not work. Having captivated the crowned persons of Scandinavia and Russia (for which Rogers was awarded a considerable number of very valuable gifts) on October 10, 1819 the ship set sail from Kronstadt on the return trip. Having crossed the stormy Atlantic Ocean under sail, on November 30, at ten in the morning, the ship entered the Savannah. Traveling across the Atlantic and back took six months and eight days.

In January 1820, a fire broke out in Savannah, as a result of which Scarborough & Isaacs suffered significant losses. To cover them, the steamer Savannah was sold. After the change of ownership, the steam engine was dismantled and a packet boat - already sailing - cruised between New York and Savannah. On November 5, 1821, the ship ran aground near Long Island. Soon the waves finished the job and the earthly (more precisely, sea) path of the Savannah, the first steamboat that crossed the Atlantic, was completed.

Captain Moses Rogers briefly survived the ship, the fruit of his dreams. He died of yellow fever in Georgetown, South Carolina, ten days after the crash of the Savannah on November 15, 1821.

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

Steamboat “Clermont”

Clermont was the first officially patented steam-powered vessel in shipbuilding history. The American Robert Fulton, learning that the French engineer Jacques Perrier successfully tested the first ship with a steam engine 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 River. Onlookers were quite surprised that this creation of Fulton’s engineering in general was able to budge. But the "Clermont" not only went along the Hudson, but was also able to move against the current without the help of wind and sails. Fulton received a patent for his invention and over the years improved the ship and organized permanent river voyages on the Clermont along the Hudson River from New York to Albany. The speed of the first ship was 9 km / h.

Steamboat "Clermont"

The first Russian ship "Elizabeth"

The Elizabeth steamer, built for Russia by the Scottish mechanic Charles Bird, came into operation in 1815. The hull was wooden. A metal pipe with a diameter of about 30 cm and a height of 7.6 m with a tailwind served instead of a mast for setting sails. The ship with a capacity of 16 horsepower had 2 paddle wheels. The ship made its first voyage on November 3, 1815 from St. Petersburg to Kronstadt. To test the speed of the ship, the port commander ordered his best rowing boat to compete with him. Since the speed of “Elizabeth” reached 10.7 km / h, rowers, heavily leaning on oars, sometimes managed to overtake the ship. By the way, the Russian word "steamboat" was introduced into use by a 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 ships, by 1835 - about 52.

The first Russian ship "Elizabeth"

Steamboat Savannah

Steamboat Savannah was the first steamboat to cross the Atlantic Ocean in 1819. He flew from the American city of Savannah to English Liverpool in 29 days. It should be noted that almost all the way the ship went sailing, and only when the wind died down did they turn on the steam engine so that the ship could move in calm air. At the beginning of the era of shipbuilding, ships sailing on long voyages left sails. The sailors still did not fully trust the strength of the steam: there was a great risk that the steam engine would break in the middle of the ocean or there would not be enough fuel to the destination port.

Steamboat Savannah

Steamboat Sirius

They refused to use sails only 19 years after the transatlantic flight of the Savannah. The Sirius wheeled steamer sailed with 40 passengers from the English port of Cork on April 4, 1838 and reached New York after 18 days and 10 hours. "Sirius" first crossed the Atlantic Ocean, without raising sails, only with the help of a steam engine. This ship opened a permanent commercial shipping 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 reserve for the flight was not enough. "Sirius" with a sin in half reached New York. To keep the ship moving, ship tackles, masts, wooden flooring of bridges, handrails and even furniture had to be thrown into the furnace.

Steamboat Sirius

Steamboat "Archimedes"

One of the first screw steamboats 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, - a screw. Smith got the idea to use it to move the ship. The first steamboat called Archimedes was built in 1838. He moved with the help of a screw with a diameter of 2.1 m, for which two steam engines with a capacity of 45 horsepower each worked. The ship had a carrying capacity of 237 tons. Archimedes developed a top speed of about 18 km / h. “Archimedes” did not make long-haul flights. After successful trials on the Thames, the ship continued to work on domestic coasting lines.

First Stockton Cruise Ship Crossing the Atlantic

Steamboat Stockton

The Stockton was the first screw steamer to sail across the Atlantic from Great Britain to America. The story of his inventor, Swede John Erickson, is very dramatic. He decided to use the propeller to move the steam vessel at the same time as the Englishman Smith. Erickson decided to sell his invention to the British Navy, for which he built a screw ship with his own money. The military department did not appreciate the innovation of the Swede, Erickson was in prison for debt. The inventor was saved by the Americans, who were very interested in the maneuverable steam vessel, in which the propulsion mechanism was hidden below the waterline, and the pipe could fall. That was exactly what the Stockton steamer of 70 horsepower that Erickson built for the Americans, and named in honor of his new friend, naval officer. On his boat in 1838, Erickson permanently went to America, where he received the glory of a great engineer and became rich.

Steamboat Amazon

In 1951, newspapers called the Amazon ship the largest wooden steamer ever built in Britain. This luxury passenger transport could lift over 2000 tons and was equipped with a steam engine with a capacity of 80 horsepower. Although steamboats of metal have been leaving the shipyards for 10 years, the British built their giant of wood, because the conservative British Admiralty was biased towards innovation. On January 2, 1852, the Amazon with a team of 110 of the best British sailors sailed to the West Indies, taking on board 50 passengers (including the Lord of the Admiralty). At the beginning of the journey, the ship attacked a strong and prolonged storm, in order to continue to move on, the steam engine had to be launched at full power. The machine with overheated bearings worked without stopping for 36 hours. And on January 4, an officer on guard saw that flames burst from the engine room hatch. After 10 minutes, a fire swept the deck. It was not possible to put out the fire in a gale. The Amazon continued to move along the waves at a speed of 24 km / h, and it was not possible to launch lifeboats into the water. Passengers rushed about in panic on the deck. Only when the steam boiler worked up all the water did people manage to put people in the rescue boat. After a while, those who sailed in the lifeboats heard explosions - it exploded the powder stored in the holds of the Amazon, and the ship went down with the captain and part of the crew. Of the 162 people who went sailing, only 58 were saved. Of these, seven died on the shore, and 11 people lost their minds. The death of the Amazon was a brutal lesson for the Lords of the Admiralty, who did not want to acknowledge the danger of combining the wooden hull of a ship with a steam engine.

Steamboat "Amazon"

Steamboat "Great East"

The steamboat Great East is the forerunner of the Titanic. This steel giant, which descended into water in 1860, was 210 meters long and for forty years was considered the largest ship in the world. The Great East was equipped with paddle wheels and propellers. The ship was the last masterpiece of one of the famous engineers of the XIX century Isambard Kingdom Brunel. A huge ship was built to transport passengers from England to distant India and Australia, without calling at the ports for refueling. Brunel conceived his brainchild 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 stayed afloat, but was able to continue the voyage. The construction technology of such large vessels was not yet developed at that time, 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 months - winches broke, several workers were injured. A catastrophe also occurred when the engine started - a steam boiler exploded, boiling several people with boiling water. Engineer Brunel passed away after learning about this. Having received notoriety even before going on water, the Great East, designed for 4,000 people, went on its first flight on June 17, 1860 with only 43 passengers and 418 crew members on board. And in the future there were few people wishing to sail across the ocean on an “unlucky" ship. In 1888, the ship decided to disassemble for scrap.

Steamboat "Great East"

Steamboat "Great Britain"

The first screw steamboat with a metal hull "Great Britain" left the slipways on July 19, 1943. Its designer, Isombard Brunel, was the first to combine the latest achievements on one big ship. Brunel has set the task of turning long and dangerous transatlantic passenger traffic into fast and luxurious sea voyages. The huge steam engines of the UK steamboat consumed 70 tons of coal per hour, produced 686 horsepower and occupied three decks. Immediately after launching, the ship became the largest iron ship in the world with a propeller, marking the beginning of the era of steam liners. But on this metal giant, just in case, there were sails. On July 26, 1845, the United Kingdom steamboat sailed on its first voyage across the Atlantic with 60 passengers on board and 600 tons of cargo. The ship was moving at a speed of about 17 km / h and after 14 days and 21 hours stopped at the port of New York. After three years of successful flights, the United Kingdom failed. On September 22, 1846, the ship, crossing the Irish Sea, was dangerously close to the coast, and the tide that had begun brought the ship to land. The catastrophe did not happen - when the tide came, the passengers were lowered to the ground and transported in crews. A year later, "Great Britain" was rescued from captivity, breaking the canal, and the ship again went into the water.

A huge transatlantic steam ship "Titanic", which claimed the lives of more than a thousand passengers

Steamboat Titanic

The infamous Titanic was the largest passenger airliner in the world at the time of its construction. This steamboat city weighed 46,000 tons and was 880 feet long. In addition to cabins, the superliner had gymnasiums, swimming pools, oriental saunas and cafes. The Titanic, sailing off the English coast on April 12, could accommodate up to 3,000 passengers and about 800 crew members and moved at a maximum speed of 42 km / h. On the fateful night of April 14 to 15, collisions with an iceberg, the Titanic walked at precisely that speed - the captain tried to break the world record of ocean ships. During the shipwreck, there were 1,309 passengers and 898 crew members on board. Only 712 people were saved, 1495 were lost. There weren’t enough lifeboats for everyone; most of the passengers remained on the ship without hope of salvation. On April 15, at 2 hours and 20 minutes, the giant passenger ship, making its first voyage, sank. The survivors were picked up by the Karpatiya ship. But even not everyone who was saved was delivered to New York alive and healthy - some of the Titanic passengers died on the way, some lost their minds.