RMS Lucania

The RMS "Lucania" was a British ocean liner owned by the Cunard Steamship Line Shipping Company, built by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company of Govan, Scotland, and launched on Thursday, February 2, 1893.

Identical in dimensions and specifications to her sister ship RMS|Campania, RMS "Lucania" was the joint largest passenger liner afloat when she entered service in 1893. On her second voyage, she won the prestigious Blue Riband from her sister to become the fastest passenger liner afloat, a title she kept until 1898.

Power Plant and Construction

RMS|Campania and "Lucania" were partly financed by the British Admirality. An agreement was reached was that the Cunard would receive funding from the Government in return for constructing vessels to admiralty specifications. Also, Cunard would have to agree to the condition that the vessels go on the naval reserve list to serve as armed merchant cruisers when required by the government. The construction contracts were awarded to the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, which at the time was one of Britain’s biggest producers of warships. Plans were soon drawn up for a large, twin-screw steamer powered by triple expansion engines, and construction began in 1891, just 43 days after Cunards' order.

The sisters had the largest triple expansion engines ever fitted to a Cunard ship. These engines were also the largest in the world at the time, and still rank today amongst the largest of the type ever constructed. They represent the limits of development for this kind of technology, which was superseded a few years later by turbine technology. In height, the engines reached from the double-bottom floor of the engine room to the top of the superstructure - almost three stories. Each engine had five cylinders. There were two low pressure cylinders on each engine, each measuring 8´2" (2.48 m) in diameter, and they operated with a stoke of 5' 9" (1.75 m). Together, the engines could generate a massive convert|31000|IHP|abbr=on, which produced an average of speed of convert|22|kn|km/h, and a record speed of 23½ knots. Normal operating speed was about 79 rpm.

The two engines were both placed in watertight engine compartments, in case of a hull breach in that area, for only one engine room would then be flooded, and the ship would still have power to limp home with the adjacent engine. In addition to this "Lucania" had 16 traverse watertight compartments, which meant that she could remain afloat, on fairly even keel, with any two compartments flooded, and in some cases any three.

Passenger Accommodation

In their day, "Lucania" and her sister offered the most luxurious 1st class passenger accommodation available. It was Victorian oppulence at its peak - an expression of a highly confident and prosperous age that would never be quite repeated on any other ship. All the 1st class public rooms, and the en suite staterooms of the upper deck, were generally heavily panelled, in oak, satinwood or mahogany; and thickly carpeted. Velvet curtains hung aside the windows and portholes, while the furniture was richly upholstered in matching design. The predominant style was Art Nouveau, although other styles were also in use, such as "French Renaissance" which was applied to the forward 1st class entrance hall, whilst the 1st class smoking room was in "Elizabethan style", comprising heavy oak panels surrounding the first open fireplace ever to be used aboard a passenger liner.

Perhaps the finest room in the vessels was the first class dining saloon, over 10'(3.05m) high and measuring 98' (30m) long by 63'(19.2m) wide. Over the central part of this room was well that rose through three decks to a skylight. It was done in a style described as "modified Italian style", with the a coffered ceiling in white and gold, supported by ionic pillars. The panelled walls were done in Spanish mahogancy, in-laid with ivory and richly carved with pillasters and decorations.

Maritime historian Basil Greenhill, in has book "Merchant Steamships" felt that the interiors of "Lucania" and "Campania" represented the ulitmate expression of the Victorian age, and remarked that later vessels' interiors degenerated into "grandiose vulgarity, the classical syntax debased to mere jargon".

Wireless History

wireless system, followed a few months later by "Campania". Shortly after these installations, the two ships made history by exchanging the first wireless transmitted ice bulletin; and two years after that, "Lucania" made history again, this time by publishing on board newspaper based on information received by wireless telegraphy whilst at sea. The newspaper was called "Cunard Daily Bulletin" and quickly became a success.

Final Days

"Lucania" and "Campania" served as Cunard's major passenger liners for 14 years, during which time both liners were superseded in speed and size by a succession of four-funnelled German liners, starting with the SS|Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse in 1897. The German competition necessitated the construction of replacements for the two Cunarders, which came to fruition in 1907 with the appearance of the RMS|Lusitania and RMS|Mauretania|1906|6. It was soon decided that the "Lucania" was no longer needed, and her last voyage was on July 7th 1909, after which she was laid up at the Huskisson Dock in Liverpool. Then, at around 7.00pm on August 14th, 1909, she was badly damaged by a fire, and partially sank at her berth. Five days later she was sold for scrap, and the contents of her interior auctioned."RMS Campania" became "HMS Campania" and was made into a aircraft carrier.But it collided with the "Royal Oak" and began to settle by the stern,and sank stern first 5 hours later.

References

* Warren, Mark D. (1991). " The Cunard Royal Mail Twin-Screw Steamers Campania and Lucania". Patrick Stephens Limited.
* Cunard Steam-ship Co Ltd. (1894) "The Cunard Passenger Log Book (Campania & Lucania)"
* Denis Griffiths (1990). "Power of the Great Liners". Patrick Stephens Limited.

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See also

* More Ships Built in Govan