The Aurania's Disastrous Maiden Voyage

The Aurania's Disastrous Maiden Voyage

A Story by LeighAnne Kenney-Lawson
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In the early summer of 1883, the new Cunard liner Aurania leaves Liverpool on her maiden voyage. Near the end of the crossing, trouble strikes.

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THE AURANIA’S DISASTROUS MAIDEN VOYAGE

          In the spring of 1883, the new Cunard liner Aurania was an oddball amongst her Victorian peers on the North Atlantic run.  The length to beam ratios of the majority of late nineteenth century passenger steamers were 10:1, making them long, sleek and speedy.  Aurania had a ratio of 8:1 because her designers believed she would be steadier in rough weather and easier to handle with less cargo in her holds.  In addition, Aurania introduced bridal suites in Cabin Class, a Cunard first.  She featured the loftiest masts and the biggest spread of auxiliary sail.

 

          Built at the Clydebank yard of J. & G. Thompson, Clydebank, Aurania splashed into the Clyde on 26 December, 1882.  At 7 500 tons, 470 feet long and 57 feet wide, she was the largest ship launched at the Thompson shipyard.  A striking ship with two red and black-topped funnels, Aurania was bark-rigged with three very tall masts and a turtleback stern.  Built of high-quality steel, she had 11 watertight compartments that went up to the boat deck, allowing her to stay afloat with any two flooded.  Strongly reinforced decks permitted installing cannons if war broke out.  The navigation bridge was wide open, and canvas covering the rails offered negligible shelter against the tempestuous, often moody North Atlantic. 

 

          Her spacious Cabin Class accommodations, splendid in their lavish Victorian decor, used only the finest materials available.  Aurania accommodated 500 passengers in great comfort.  Located amidships were 158 Saloon staterooms that measured 11 by 6 feet, containing the latest amenities as well as improved ventilation.  Her dining room took up her full width, and for the after dinner cigar, the smoking room was accessible from the main saloon.  For those who enjoyed strolling, Aurania had a 250 foot long promenade that sheltered the upper deck.  Six hundred Swan electric lamps provided plenty of light throughout.  Below decks, her steerage berths had room for 1 000 immigrants.

 

          Aurania’s engines were the compound style, giving her a notable 10 000 horsepower.  She had three cylinders, one high and two low-pressure.  Her high pressure cylinder measured 68 inches in diameter, with the two low-pressure cylinders larger at 94 inches.  A piston stroke of six feet gave her plenty of power.  In the engine room, there were eight steel boilers 15 feet in diameter, giving a working pressure of 80 pounds per square inch.  Fueled by 42 Fox patented corrugated furnaces, Aurania consumed roughly 215 tons of coal daily. 

 

       Aurania left Liverpool at 11:47 on the morning of 23 June, 1883, arriving at Queenstown the next day at 3:34 p.m.  After meeting with stormy weather, at 3 a.m. on 27 June, her engine room crew discovered loose packing around the low pressure cylinder.  Aurania stopped for six hours so that repairs could be carried out and resumed her voyage after breakfast.  Aurania impressed both passengers and crew with average daily runs of nearly 400 miles.  She was fast and it appeared she’d make her New York pier on 2 July. 

 

          By 1 July, her enthusiastic passengers lined the rails to look for the lights of Fire Island.  Around 5:30 that afternoon, Aurania met the Mary E. Fish Number 4 pilot boat and picked up her pilot, John Llewellyn, who guided her up the Bay and toward her berth.  Ten minutes later, with many passengers watching at the port rails, when a terrible and sudden explosion shattered the serene ambianceAurania was 12 miles east of the Shinnecock Light.

 

          The blast was so forceful that a broken piston rod shot skyward, shattering the skylight just aft of the second funnel as oil, steam and shards of glass rained to the deck.  Frightened passengers scattered for cover and those below rushed topside to find out what happened.  At once, officers reassured everyone that there was no danger.  Several picked up shards of glass from their clothing and the deck as a reminder of the episode.  Meanwhile, Aurania came to rest on the calm water. 

 

          Below decks, Second Engineer Andrew Lambert was in the stokehold with his two assistants.  At once, after the boiler exploded, he hastened from the stokehold to the steam-choked engine room to shut off the valves.  He never considered his own safety.  His quick judgment prevented the damage from becoming much worse and nobody suffered injuries. 

 

          An inspection showed grave damage to the low pressure cylinder standard and the frames of the two low pressure cylinders. 

The connecting rod of the high pressure cylinder snapped in two and the lower part flailed, smashing the remains of the blown cylinder to pieces. 

Fortunately, at the time of the explosion, the piston was on the upward stroke; had it been on the downward stroke, Aurania couldn't survive her bottom blown out. 

 

          Her engines were of no use and her master, Captain Hains, knew they couldn't be repaired anywhere else but at the builder’s on the Clyde.  With her sails unfurled, Aurania proved difficult to handle because she answered her helm best at a higher speed.  Keeping a steady course was impossible, and she kept drifting.  By 8 that evening, Aurania communicated with the pilot boat Washington Number 22, requesting six tugs as well as a message to the Cunard office describing her plight.  An hour later, Aurania dropped anchor because she made no progress toward Quarantine.

 

          After midnight, 2 July, a fresh breeze sprang up and Aurania tried once again to make Quarantine.  She went out of control again and drifted toward the shore.  It took four hours to get her swung around with the tide and moving along at four knots.  She ran into a heavy thunderstorm at 7:30 that evening.  By 4:30 on the morning of 3 July, Aurania was again out of control.  This time, her crew worried that she’d end up in the West Indies because she drifted away from shore.  To the immense relief of those on board, a lookout spotted the approaching tug Germania at 8:50.  Both tug and liner were 77 miles east of Sandy Hook under a hazy sky.  With the Germania’s help, Aurania moved along at a steady 3 knots. 

 

          After the explosion, the crew went out of their way to make sure the passengers were comfortable.  They were cheerful as they again lined the rails to watch for the lights on Fire Island.  The band provided lively entertainment and many danced to the music on a beautiful summer evening.  Every hour, rockets shot skyward to get the attention of tugs out searching for Aurania, and passengers thought it was a part of Fourth of July celebrations. 

 

          At 4:45 on the morning of 4 July, the tug Luther C. Ward arrived and passed a hawser to Aurania’s port bow.  With the extra help, the liner picked up speed.  That afternoon, more help came from the steamer Virginia Seymour and tug W. Goodwin.  The Seymour ferried a third of the cabin passengers and the mails to the Cunard pier as the Goodwin helped with the towing.  Aurania, with her complement of tugs, arrived at Quarantine just after 6 p.m., and she was a wonderful sight on the Bay with her colours flying.  Two hours later, she was safely at her pier. 

 

          The next day, 5 July, dock crews discharged a quantity of of her cargo.  People came to the pier to see her, but nobody went on board except for those authorized to inspect the damage to her machinery.  The dock superintendent, Captain Watson, believed the explosion resulted from a flaw in the connecting rod’s iron.  Cunard promptly contracted for repairs to be made at the pier since dry docking wasn't necessary. 

 

          In early August, Aurania sailed under her own steam for the trip to her builders on the Clyde.  She averaged a respectable 10-12 knots using only her low pressure boilers.  At J. & G. Thompson’s, Aurania received a new set of machinery. 

In early March, 1884, she successfully completed a trial run from Glasgow to Liverpool.  It took her less than 12 hours to make the 200 mile trip at a speed of 17½ knots.  Aurania returned to her regular service when she left Liverpool on 12 April, 1884.

© 2013 LeighAnne Kenney-Lawson


Author's Note

LeighAnne Kenney-Lawson
Please let me know what you think! :-)

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TLK
I think this is probably some kind of 'class assignment' in your North American dialect. I don't want to get too in-depth, as I am a teacher and I've already worked hard marking this weekend.

However, I found this authoritative -- based on facts and displaying a sound grasp of the principles of historical reporting. One element I would improve on is in the first paragraph -- insert a second sentence on the AIMS of the liner. This will make sense of the use of the odd design decisions. I assume this ship was supposed to be like the Bionic Man -- stronger, faster, better, etc.?

Posted 10 Years Ago


1 of 1 people found this review constructive.




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[send message][befriend] Subscribe
TLK
I think this is probably some kind of 'class assignment' in your North American dialect. I don't want to get too in-depth, as I am a teacher and I've already worked hard marking this weekend.

However, I found this authoritative -- based on facts and displaying a sound grasp of the principles of historical reporting. One element I would improve on is in the first paragraph -- insert a second sentence on the AIMS of the liner. This will make sense of the use of the odd design decisions. I assume this ship was supposed to be like the Bionic Man -- stronger, faster, better, etc.?

Posted 10 Years Ago


1 of 1 people found this review constructive.


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Added on May 12, 2013
Last Updated on May 12, 2013
Tags: cunard, ship, steamship, ocean liner

Author

LeighAnne Kenney-Lawson
LeighAnne Kenney-Lawson

Halifax Regional Municipality, Canada



About
One of my passions in life is writing. I've loved it since childhood and was encouraged by my parents to keep at it. I love writing maritime history, personal stories of growing up, and young adult .. more..

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