HMS Atlas (1860)
Encyclopedia
HMS Atlas was a 91-gun second rate ship which was never completed and spent her entire service in reserve
or as a hospital ship
. She was launched in 1860 and lent to the Metropolitan Asylums Board
for use as a hospital ship in 1881 and sold to them in 1885. Atlas served until 1904, when she was sold for breaking.
, Kent
. Laid down in 1858, Atlas was one of the ships under construction at Chatham that were inspected by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty
on 23 August 1859. Built on No. 6 Slip, Atlas was launched on 21 July 1860. The christening was performed by Mrs Schomberg, wife of Captain Schomberg
. On 24 July, Atlas was taken to Sheerness to be fitted with her 800 hp steam engine
s. By April 1861, Atlas was undergoing trials under steam.
Atlas was initially earmarked for the Channel Fleet
. Atlas was placed in reserve, in 1861 at Sheerness. She was reduced to 54 guns in 1870. In 1874, Atlas was transferred to Chatham Dockyard. She was totally disarmed in 1879.
In June 1881, the Lords of the Admiralty
agreed to lend Atlas and to the Metropolitan Asylums Board
along with a steam pinnace
, due to an outbreak of smallpox
. Atlas was to be converted into a hospital ship for 250 patients. A third hospital ship was the Castaliâ. The Metropolitan Asylums Board was to insure Atlas and Endymion for £
11,000 and £8,000 respectively. There was opposition to the proposed use of Atlas from the Thames Conservancy
and other public and private bodies. Agreement had been made to lease a berth at Deptford
, Kent but when the managers of a company with premises nearby learned of the proposed use of Atlas as an isolation hospital, they put pressure on the owners of the berth with the result that the owners then decided not to allow Atlas to be berthed there.
She was initially stationed at Greenwich
, Kent, in a berth which had been previously used for another hospital ship. This drew an objection from the shipbuilders Messrs Rennie because some of their employees refused to work near the riverside where Atlas was moored. It was also necessary to move Atlas and Endymion every time Rennie's launched a ship. Atlas was acquired by the board on 4 June, and Endymion on 5 July. 'Atlas housed 120 patients. In 1882, the Thames Conservancy wrote to the Metropolitan Asylums Board urging them to move Atlas and Endymion from Greenwich. The Thames Conservancy also called upon the board to pay a large claim for expenses incurred by Messrs Rennie's. At a meeting of the board, it was suggested that if moved, Atlas should be used for convalescent patients. The board decided to await the report from a Royal Commission into infectious diseases hospitals before deciding whether or not to move the ships.
In August 1882, Atlas was moved to nearby Deptford Creek. In February 1885, a meeting of the Metropolitan Asylums Board was informed that the Admiralty had stated that it the board wished to continue using Atlas and Endymion, they would have to purchase them at a cost of £8,400 and £6,500 respectively. The board replied that they would purchase the ships, but asked for the cost to be reduced. In June, it was reported that the board were authorised to purchase both ships. Following a fire on the training ship in 1875, engines and a generator were installed on board Atlas in 1886 to provide the ship with electric light. Oil lamps being deemed a fire hazard. Atlas served as a hospital ship until 1904, when the new Joyce Green Hospital opened at Dartford
, Kent. Atlas was sold by auction
in December, along with Endymion and Castaliâ for a total of £8,045. Atlas realised £3,725.
Reserve fleet
A reserve fleet is a collection of naval vessels of all types that are fully equipped for service but are not currently needed, and thus partially or fully decommissioned. A reserve fleet is informally said to be "in mothballs" or "mothballed"; an equivalent expression in unofficial modern U.S....
or as a hospital ship
Hospital ship
A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating medical treatment facility or hospital; most are operated by the military forces of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones....
. She was launched in 1860 and lent to the Metropolitan Asylums Board
Metropolitan Asylums Board
The Metropolitan Asylums Board was established under Poor Law legislation, to deal with London's sick poor. It was established by the Metropolitan Poor Act 1867 and was wound up in 1930, its functions being transferred to the London County Council. Despite its name, the MAB was not involved in...
for use as a hospital ship in 1881 and sold to them in 1885. Atlas served until 1904, when she was sold for breaking.
Description
Atlas was 245 feet (74.68 m) long. She was to have been propelled by a screw propeller. Had she been completed, her complement would have been 860 men.History
A sister ship to , Atlas was to have been a 91-gun second rate ship of the line. She was built at Chatham DockyardChatham Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard, located on the River Medway and of which two-thirds is in Gillingham and one third in Chatham, Kent, England, came into existence at the time when, following the Reformation, relations with the Catholic countries of Europe had worsened, leading to a requirement for additional...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. Laid down in 1858, Atlas was one of the ships under construction at Chatham that were inspected by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
on 23 August 1859. Built on No. 6 Slip, Atlas was launched on 21 July 1860. The christening was performed by Mrs Schomberg, wife of Captain Schomberg
Alexander Schomberg
Captain Sir Alexander Schomberg was an 18th century Royal Navy officer.-Life:His father, Meyer Löw Schomberg , was a German-Jewish doctor and settled in England c. 1720 and set up a flourishing practice in Fenchurch Street, London...
. On 24 July, Atlas was taken to Sheerness to be fitted with her 800 hp steam engine
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
s. By April 1861, Atlas was undergoing trials under steam.
Atlas was initially earmarked for the Channel Fleet
Channel Fleet
The Channel Fleet was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1690 to 1909.-History:The Channel Fleet dates back at least to 1690 when its role was to defend England against the French threat under the leadership of Edward Russell, 1st Earl of...
. Atlas was placed in reserve, in 1861 at Sheerness. She was reduced to 54 guns in 1870. In 1874, Atlas was transferred to Chatham Dockyard. She was totally disarmed in 1879.
In June 1881, the Lords of the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
agreed to lend Atlas and to the Metropolitan Asylums Board
Metropolitan Asylums Board
The Metropolitan Asylums Board was established under Poor Law legislation, to deal with London's sick poor. It was established by the Metropolitan Poor Act 1867 and was wound up in 1930, its functions being transferred to the London County Council. Despite its name, the MAB was not involved in...
along with a steam pinnace
Pinnace (ship's boat)
As a ship's boat the pinnace is a light boat, propelled by sails or oars, formerly used as a "tender" for guiding merchant and war vessels. In modern parlance, pinnace has come to mean a boat associated with some kind of larger vessel, that doesn't fit under the launch or lifeboat definitions...
, due to an outbreak of smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
. Atlas was to be converted into a hospital ship for 250 patients. A third hospital ship was the Castaliâ. The Metropolitan Asylums Board was to insure Atlas and Endymion for £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
11,000 and £8,000 respectively. There was opposition to the proposed use of Atlas from the Thames Conservancy
Thames Conservancy
The Thames Conservancy was a historical body responsible for the management of the River Thames in England. It was founded in 1857, initially replacing the jurisdiction of the City of London up to Staines and later taking responsibility for the whole river from Cricklade in Wiltshire to the sea at...
and other public and private bodies. Agreement had been made to lease a berth at Deptford
Deptford
Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...
, Kent but when the managers of a company with premises nearby learned of the proposed use of Atlas as an isolation hospital, they put pressure on the owners of the berth with the result that the owners then decided not to allow Atlas to be berthed there.
She was initially stationed at Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
, Kent, in a berth which had been previously used for another hospital ship. This drew an objection from the shipbuilders Messrs Rennie because some of their employees refused to work near the riverside where Atlas was moored. It was also necessary to move Atlas and Endymion every time Rennie's launched a ship. Atlas was acquired by the board on 4 June, and Endymion on 5 July. 'Atlas housed 120 patients. In 1882, the Thames Conservancy wrote to the Metropolitan Asylums Board urging them to move Atlas and Endymion from Greenwich. The Thames Conservancy also called upon the board to pay a large claim for expenses incurred by Messrs Rennie's. At a meeting of the board, it was suggested that if moved, Atlas should be used for convalescent patients. The board decided to await the report from a Royal Commission into infectious diseases hospitals before deciding whether or not to move the ships.
In August 1882, Atlas was moved to nearby Deptford Creek. In February 1885, a meeting of the Metropolitan Asylums Board was informed that the Admiralty had stated that it the board wished to continue using Atlas and Endymion, they would have to purchase them at a cost of £8,400 and £6,500 respectively. The board replied that they would purchase the ships, but asked for the cost to be reduced. In June, it was reported that the board were authorised to purchase both ships. Following a fire on the training ship in 1875, engines and a generator were installed on board Atlas in 1886 to provide the ship with electric light. Oil lamps being deemed a fire hazard. Atlas served as a hospital ship until 1904, when the new Joyce Green Hospital opened at Dartford
Dartford
Dartford is the principal town in the borough of Dartford. It is situated in the northwest corner of Kent, England, east south-east of central London....
, Kent. Atlas was sold by auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
in December, along with Endymion and Castaliâ for a total of £8,045. Atlas realised £3,725.