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Big Four (White Star Line)
Encyclopedia
The Big Four were a quartet of 20,000 tons ocean liners built by Harland & Wolff shipyard for the White Star Line
in the early 20th century, completed in 1906:
(1902)
. After Thomas Ismay’s death the order of Oceanic’s sister-ship, Olympic
was cancelled. Instead, resources were transferred to the company’s new project; to build the grandest fleet of ships that had ever sailed the seas, the 'Big Four'.
, were designed to be more luxurious than their rivals. The first of the four vessels was named , and was ordered by Thomas Ismay before his death. The Celtic was launched on 4 April 1901 and made her maiden voyage on 26 July. She was shorter than the Oceanic but was still longer than the Great Eastern. After Celtic was completed, she was the biggest ship in the world at 21,035 gross tons. The project was followed by the , which was launched on 21 August 1902 and made her maiden voyage on 11 February 1903. At the time she was launched she was the biggest moving object ever built at 21,073 gross tons.
The project was followed by the , which was launched on November 21, 1903 and made her maiden voyage on June 29, 1904. She was the largest ship in the world at 23,876 gross tons until 1905, when the HAPAG's
24,581 gross ton surpassed her in tonnage. The popularity of White Star's Big Four was eventually overtaken by Cunard
's and , both of which were larger than the , at 24,541 gross tons the largest and also the fastest of the Big Four, but which was superseded in size before her launch by the Lusitania. Lastly the Red Star Line
's , at a more economical 17,000 tons, was a virtual sister ship to the Big Four in her layout and dimensions. Lapland was also built by the Harland & Wolff.
. On 30 September 1923 the Cedric collided with of the Cunard Line
in Queenstown (Cobh
) harbour during dense fog
. Neither vessel was seriously damaged. She was decommissioned in 1931 and was scrapped the following year.
, Japan
where she was scrapped.
White Star Line
The Oceanic Steam Navigation Company or White Star Line of Boston Packets, more commonly known as the White Star Line, was a prominent British shipping company, today most famous for its ill-fated vessel, the RMS Titanic, and the World War I loss of Titanics sister ship Britannic...
in the early 20th century, completed in 1906:
(1902)
Origin
In 1899, White Star Line commissioned , which exceed the in length, although not tonnageTonnage
Tonnage is a measure of the size or cargo carrying capacity of a ship. The term derives from the taxation paid on tuns or casks of wine, and was later used in reference to the weight of a ship's cargo; however, in modern maritime usage, "tonnage" specifically refers to a calculation of the volume...
. After Thomas Ismay’s death the order of Oceanic’s sister-ship, Olympic
Olympic (unfinished ship)
The Olympic was to have been an ocean liner built for the White Star Line in the early twentieth century.After the launch of Oceanic in 1899 and shortly before Thomas Ismay's death, the White Star Line had ordered a new ship from Harland and Wolff, naming her Olympic...
was cancelled. Instead, resources were transferred to the company’s new project; to build the grandest fleet of ships that had ever sailed the seas, the 'Big Four'.
History
In 1901, White Star Line ordered a series of four ships that were to be larger than the Great Eastern, terming these ships 'the Big Four'. The four ships were designed to have a tonnage in excess of 20,000 tons and rather than being built for speed and to compete for the Blue RibandBlue Riband
The Blue Riband is an unofficial accolade given to the passenger liner crossing the Atlantic Ocean in regular service with the record highest speed. The term was borrowed from horse racing and was not widely used until after 1910. Under the unwritten rules, the record is based on average speed...
, were designed to be more luxurious than their rivals. The first of the four vessels was named , and was ordered by Thomas Ismay before his death. The Celtic was launched on 4 April 1901 and made her maiden voyage on 26 July. She was shorter than the Oceanic but was still longer than the Great Eastern. After Celtic was completed, she was the biggest ship in the world at 21,035 gross tons. The project was followed by the , which was launched on 21 August 1902 and made her maiden voyage on 11 February 1903. At the time she was launched she was the biggest moving object ever built at 21,073 gross tons.
The project was followed by the , which was launched on November 21, 1903 and made her maiden voyage on June 29, 1904. She was the largest ship in the world at 23,876 gross tons until 1905, when the HAPAG's
Hamburg America Line
The Hamburg Amerikanische Packetfahrt Actien Gesellschaft was a transatlantic shipping enterprise established in Hamburg, Germany during...
24,581 gross ton surpassed her in tonnage. The popularity of White Star's Big Four was eventually overtaken by Cunard
Cunard Line
Cunard Line is a British-American owned shipping company based at Carnival House in Southampton, England and operated by Carnival UK. It has been a leading operator of passenger ships on the North Atlantic for over a century...
's and , both of which were larger than the , at 24,541 gross tons the largest and also the fastest of the Big Four, but which was superseded in size before her launch by the Lusitania. Lastly the Red Star Line
Red Star Line
The Red Star Line was an ocean passenger line founded in 1871 as a joint venture between the International Navigation Company of Philadelphia, which also ran the American Line, and the Société Anonyme de Navigation Belgo-Américaine of Antwerp, Belgium...
's , at a more economical 17,000 tons, was a virtual sister ship to the Big Four in her layout and dimensions. Lapland was also built by the Harland & Wolff.
Features
The Big Four, with the tonnage of 21,035 - 24,541, the Baltic and the Adriatic were much larger than the first two. However, the Adriatic, which was the largest of the four, was also the only one not to have held the title of largest passenger ship in world. The four ships were propelled by two propellers driven by steam quadruple expansion and reached an average speed of 16 knots (31.4 km/h), although their maximum speeds varied. The silhouettes of the four vessels were similar, black hull with red keel and white superstructure. They were provided with four masts (two front and two rear) which supported the cables of wireless telegraphy. The two chimneys were tan brown topped with a black sleeve. The vessels had luxury on an unprecedented scale, with a dining room dominated by a glass roof, a lounge with a reading and writing room with many books and periodicals, also adorned with large picture windows, a covered promenade deck, a smoking room decorated stained glass and in the case of the Adriatic, an indoor pool and Turkish baths.Careers
Celtic
Celtic were the first of the Big Four, which entered service in 1901. This was the first ship to exceed the Great Eastern in tonnage. Her career was marked by several accidents. Transformed into an auxiliary cruiser during the First World War, she struck a mine in 1917, killing 17 people. In 1918, she was torpedoed by a German submarine, but was once again afloat. In 1925, she struck another vessel, but none of them had to suffer consequences. The incident was repeated with another vessel in 1927. Finally, in 1928, she struck rocks off Cobh and was considered unrecoverable. It took five years for the ship to be completely dismantled.Cedric
The Cedric was put into service in 1903. Her commercial career was divided into transatlantic crossings and cruises. After the sinking of the Titanic, the Cedric was called to New York to bring some of the survivors back to England. During the war, the Cedric was transformed into an auxiliary cruiser. On 29 January 1918 the Cedric collided with, and sank the Canadian Pacific ship Montreal off Morecambe Bay. The Montreal was taken in tow but sank the next day 14 miles (23 km) from the Mersey Bar lightvesselLightvessel
A lightvessel, or lightship, is a ship which acts as a lighthouse. They are used in waters that are too deep or otherwise unsuitable for lighthouse construction...
. On 30 September 1923 the Cedric collided with of the Cunard Line
Cunard Line
Cunard Line is a British-American owned shipping company based at Carnival House in Southampton, England and operated by Carnival UK. It has been a leading operator of passenger ships on the North Atlantic for over a century...
in Queenstown (Cobh
Cobh
Cobh is a seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. Cobh is on the south side of Great Island in Cork Harbour. Facing the town are Spike Island and Haulbowline Island...
) harbour during dense fog
Fog
Fog is a collection of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. While fog is a type of stratus cloud, the term "fog" is typically distinguished from the more generic term "cloud" in that fog is low-lying, and the moisture in the fog is often generated...
. Neither vessel was seriously damaged. She was decommissioned in 1931 and was scrapped the following year.
Baltic
Commissioned in 1904, the Baltic played repeatedly a rescue part at sea. In 1909, she received the SOS from the , after a collision with SS Florida of Lloyd Italiano. In 1912, the night of the sinking of the Titanic, the Baltic received the distress call from the ship, but failed to join. She was also involved in a rescue on 6 December 1929, when she assisted the sinking schooner Northern Light. On 17 February 1933, she sailed for OsakaOsaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
where she was scrapped.