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SS Teutonic (1889)
Encyclopedia
The SS Teutonic was a steamship built for the White Star Line
in Belfast
and was the first armed merchant cruiser.
, the award for the fastest Atlantic crossing, was fierce amongst the top steamship lines, and White Star decided to order two ships from Harland and Wolff
that would be capable of an average Atlantic crossing speed of 20 knots (39.2 km/h). Construction of the Teutonic and the Majestic
began in 1887. When Teutonic was launched on January 19, 1889, she was the first White Star ship not to have square rigged sails. The ship was completed on the July 25, 1889 and participated in the Spithead Naval Review on August 1, commemorating Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee
. Seeing the ship, the Queens grandson Emperor Wilhelm II, returned to Germany intent of creating such ships within Germany. The show caused the emergence of the future Kaiser class ocean liner
s, German four funnel liner
s.
Teutonic was built under the British Auxiliary Armed Cruiser Agreement, and was Britain's first armed merchant cruiser, sporting eight 4.7" guns. These were removed after the military reviews, and on August 7, she left on her maiden voyage
to New York City
, replacing the SS Baltic
in White Star's lineup. In 1891, Majestic brought the Blue Riband to White Star, and in 1891, Teutonic took it from her sister with an average crossing speed of 20.25 knots (39.7 km/h). She later bested her own record with a speed of 20.5 knots (40.2 km/h). The following year the City of Paris took the honor away, and no White Star ship would ever regain it. Despite this, both Teutonic and her sister were extremely profitable liners, and the two ships made crossings completely filled to passenger capacity several times.
The Teutonic had rooms for 300 First Class passengers in spacious cabins situated on her uppermost three decks, and had many interesting features. Many of the cabins were inter-connecting for family travel. A New Class began appearing in ships after this time in shipbuilding, and Teutonic was amongst the first to see it. Second Class, also known as Cabin Class, was designed as being in between First Class and Third Class, meant for travelers of the middle class. Teutonic was built to carry 190 Second Class passengers in comfortable rooms on the second-highest deck, further aft towards the stern. Third Class, commonly known as steerage, was built for immigrants and lower class travelers. Teutonic was built to carry 1,000 Third Class passengers in two areas of accommodation aboard the ship. In the bow, there were large multi-berth rooms for single men. Meanwhile, there was accommodations for the remainder of the passengers in the Stern. There were small two- and four-berth rooms for married couples or passengers traveling with children, while single women were berthed, like men were in the bow, in large multi-berth dormitory like rooms.
After Queenstown, the ships would then continue on the long voyage to New York, almost 2,500 miles of open sea. Once passengers were disbursed at either the White Star Line pier in New York or the Immigration center at Castle Garden, and later on Ellis Island, the ship would be prepared for her return voyage.
In 1897, Teutonic reassumed her military role for a review commemorating Victoria's 60th anniversary. In 1898, she had a minor collision in New York Harbor
with the United States Lines
' Berlin, but neither ship suffered major damage.
During the Boer War
in 1900, she served as a troop transport. In 1901, Teutonic encountered a tsunami
, which washed two lookouts out of the crows nest, but survived. Fortunately the tsunami hit at night, there were no passengers up on deck.
In 1911, she was transferred to sister company Dominion Line
for Canadian service. By 1913, Teutonic's age meant that she no longer attracted the top-class passengers, and so was refitted to carry only second and third class travelers. In 1914, with the start of World War I
, Teutonic became a merchant cruiser once again, being commissioned into the 10th Cruiser Squadron. In 1916, she was refitted with 6" guns, and served as a convoy escort ship as well as being used for troop transport.
In October, 1918, the ship narrowly avoided the same fate as the Titanic, when it ran so close to an iceberg 172 miles east of Belle Isle
, off the Newfoundland coast that it was only prevented from crashing into it by reversing its engines and putting the helm hard aport. According to the October 29, 1918 issue of the Chicago Tribune
, "the liner passed within twenty feet of the iceberg. The fog was so thick that even at that small distance the berg could scarcely be distinguished. It was so close that there was danger that the propeller of the ship would strike it as the vessel went around. The passengers were not aware of their peril until it had been averted. They signed a testimonial to the captain and his officers expressing their gratitude and admiration for the care and skill displayed by them."
In 1921, she was scrapped at Emden
.
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 Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
and was the first armed merchant cruiser.
Background
In the late 1880s competition 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...
, the award for the fastest Atlantic crossing, was fierce amongst the top steamship lines, and White Star decided to order two ships from Harland and Wolff
Harland and Wolff
Harland and Wolff Heavy Industries is a Northern Irish heavy industrial company, specialising in shipbuilding and offshore construction, located in Belfast, Northern Ireland....
that would be capable of an average Atlantic crossing speed of 20 knots (39.2 km/h). Construction of the Teutonic and the Majestic
SS Majestic (1890)
The SS Majestic was a steamship built in 1890 for and operated by the White Star Line.-History:A product of shipbuilders Harland and Wolff, the Majestic was launched on 29 June 1889. The ship spent the next nine months being fitted out for delivery to White Star in March, 1890...
began in 1887. When Teutonic was launched on January 19, 1889, she was the first White Star ship not to have square rigged sails. The ship was completed on the July 25, 1889 and participated in the Spithead Naval Review on August 1, commemorating Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee
A Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary.- In Thailand :King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, celebrated his Golden Jubilee on 9 June 1996.- In the Commonwealth Realms :...
. Seeing the ship, the Queens grandson Emperor Wilhelm II, returned to Germany intent of creating such ships within Germany. The show caused the emergence of the future Kaiser class ocean liner
Kaiser class ocean liner
The Kaiser class ocean liners or Kaiserklasse refer to four transatlantic ocean liners of the Norddeutscher Lloyd, a German shipping company. Built by the AG Vulcan Stettin between 1897 and 1907, these ships were designed to be among the largest and best appointed liners of their day...
s, German four funnel liner
Four funnel liner
A four funnel liner, four funnelled liner or four stacker is an ocean liner with four funnels. The SS Great Eastern, launched on January 31st 1858 , became the only ocean liner to ever sport five funnels. As one funnel was later removed, the Great Eastern, by default, became the first ocean liner...
s.
Teutonic was built under the British Auxiliary Armed Cruiser Agreement, and was Britain's first armed merchant cruiser, sporting eight 4.7" guns. These were removed after the military reviews, and on August 7, she left on her maiden voyage
Maiden voyage
The maiden voyage of a ship, aircraft or other craft is the first journey made by the craft after shakedown. A number of traditions and superstitions are associated with it....
to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, replacing the SS Baltic
SS Baltic (1871)
SS Baltic was an ocean liner owned and operated by the White Star Line. The Baltic was one of the first four ships ordered by White Star from shipbuilders Harland and Wolff after Thomas Ismay had bought the company, and the third of the ships to be delivered.In 1889, after Teutonic entered service,...
in White Star's lineup. In 1891, Majestic brought the Blue Riband to White Star, and in 1891, Teutonic took it from her sister with an average crossing speed of 20.25 knots (39.7 km/h). She later bested her own record with a speed of 20.5 knots (40.2 km/h). The following year the City of Paris took the honor away, and no White Star ship would ever regain it. Despite this, both Teutonic and her sister were extremely profitable liners, and the two ships made crossings completely filled to passenger capacity several times.
Specifications
The Teutonic and Majestic were both known as the first modern liners because of their modifications to passenger accommodations. All of White Star's former liners only carried two classes of passengers, Cabin and Steerage. Teutonic and Majestic were large changes to that pattern. Both ships were built with the three-class accommodation system, consisting of First, Second, and Third Classes. First Class, originally known as Cabin Class was renamed as Saloon Class on specific terms, being meant for rich and wealthy travelers and their families.The Teutonic had rooms for 300 First Class passengers in spacious cabins situated on her uppermost three decks, and had many interesting features. Many of the cabins were inter-connecting for family travel. A New Class began appearing in ships after this time in shipbuilding, and Teutonic was amongst the first to see it. Second Class, also known as Cabin Class, was designed as being in between First Class and Third Class, meant for travelers of the middle class. Teutonic was built to carry 190 Second Class passengers in comfortable rooms on the second-highest deck, further aft towards the stern. Third Class, commonly known as steerage, was built for immigrants and lower class travelers. Teutonic was built to carry 1,000 Third Class passengers in two areas of accommodation aboard the ship. In the bow, there were large multi-berth rooms for single men. Meanwhile, there was accommodations for the remainder of the passengers in the Stern. There were small two- and four-berth rooms for married couples or passengers traveling with children, while single women were berthed, like men were in the bow, in large multi-berth dormitory like rooms.
Career
During the first 18 years of service, both Teutonic and Majestic, along with their older cousins Britannic and Germanic sailed on the route from their home port of Liverpool, England to New York City. Each ship made on average one sailing per month, and averaged 11–14 sailings each season. The White Star Line had it planned so as they could operate a weekly service across the North Atlantic. Each week a ship sailed from Liverpool on a specific day, commonly Wednesday or Thursday. From there, they would stop at the small port of Queenstown (now known as Cobh), Ireland, to pick up more passengers. Records have shown that the Teutonic and her partner ships were known to pick up as many as 800 Irish immigrants in a single stop, as the White Star Line was very popular in Ireland because most of their ships, including Teutonic were Irish built.After Queenstown, the ships would then continue on the long voyage to New York, almost 2,500 miles of open sea. Once passengers were disbursed at either the White Star Line pier in New York or the Immigration center at Castle Garden, and later on Ellis Island, the ship would be prepared for her return voyage.
In 1897, Teutonic reassumed her military role for a review commemorating Victoria's 60th anniversary. In 1898, she had a minor collision in New York Harbor
New York Harbor
New York Harbor refers to the waterways of the estuary near the mouth of the Hudson River that empty into New York Bay. It is one of the largest natural harbors in the world. Although the U.S. Board of Geographic Names does not use the term, New York Harbor has important historical, governmental,...
with the United States Lines
United States Lines
United States Lines was a transatlantic shipping company that operated cargo services from 1921 to 1989, and ocean liners until 1969—most famously the SS United States.-1920s:...
' Berlin, but neither ship suffered major damage.
During the Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
in 1900, she served as a troop transport. In 1901, Teutonic encountered a tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
, which washed two lookouts out of the crows nest, but survived. Fortunately the tsunami hit at night, there were no passengers up on deck.
In 1911, she was transferred to sister company Dominion Line
Dominion Line
Trans-atlantic passenger line founded in 1870 as the Liverpool & Mississippi Steamship Co., with the official name being changed in 1872 to the Mississippi & Dominion Steamship Co Ltd. The firm was amalgamated in 1902 into the International Mercantile Marine Co....
for Canadian service. By 1913, Teutonic's age meant that she no longer attracted the top-class passengers, and so was refitted to carry only second and third class travelers. In 1914, with the start of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Teutonic became a merchant cruiser once again, being commissioned into the 10th Cruiser Squadron. In 1916, she was refitted with 6" guns, and served as a convoy escort ship as well as being used for troop transport.
In October, 1918, the ship narrowly avoided the same fate as the Titanic, when it ran so close to an iceberg 172 miles east of Belle Isle
Belle Isle (Newfoundland and Labrador)
Belle Isle is an uninhabited island just off the coast of Labrador and north of Newfoundland at the Atlantic entrance to the Strait of Belle Isle which takes its name...
, off the Newfoundland coast that it was only prevented from crashing into it by reversing its engines and putting the helm hard aport. According to the October 29, 1918 issue of the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, "the liner passed within twenty feet of the iceberg. The fog was so thick that even at that small distance the berg could scarcely be distinguished. It was so close that there was danger that the propeller of the ship would strike it as the vessel went around. The passengers were not aware of their peril until it had been averted. They signed a testimonial to the captain and his officers expressing their gratitude and admiration for the care and skill displayed by them."
In 1921, she was scrapped at Emden
Emden
Emden is a city and seaport in the northwest of Germany, on the river Ems. It is the main city of the region of East Frisia; in 2006, the city had a total population of 51,692.-History:...
.