What was the name of the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean? On transatlantic lines. Steamship "Great East"

The first steamship, like its analogues, is a variant of a piston steam engine. In addition, this name applies to similar devices equipped with a steam turbine. The word in question was first introduced into use by a Russian officer. The first version of a domestic ship of this type was built on the basis of the barge “Elizabeth” (1815). Previously, such vessels were called “pyroscaphes” (in the Western manner, which means boat and fire). By the way, in Russia such a unit was first built at the Charles Bendt plant in 1815. This passenger liner operated between St. Petersburg and Krondshtat.

Peculiarities

The first steamship was equipped with paddle wheels as propulsion. There was a variation from John Fish, who experimented with the design of oars driven by a steam device. These devices were located on the sides in the frame compartment or behind the stern. At the beginning of the twentieth century, paddle wheels were replaced by an improved propeller. Coal and petroleum products were used as energy sources in the machines.

Such vessels are not currently being built, but some examples are still in working order. The first line steamships, unlike steam locomotives, used steam condensation, which made it possible to reduce the pressure at the outlet of the cylinders, significantly increasing the efficiency. The equipment under consideration can also use efficient boilers with a liquid turbine, which are more practical and reliable than fire-tube analogues mounted on steam locomotives. Until the mid-70s of the last century, the maximum power rating of steamships exceeded that of diesel engines.

The first screw steamship was absolutely not demanding on the type and quality of fuel. The construction of machines of this type lasted several decades longer than the production of steam locomotives. River modifications left mass production much earlier than their marine “competitors”. There are only a few dozen operating river models left in the world.

Who invented the first steamboat?

Heron of Alexandria used steam energy to give movement to an object in the first century BC. He created a primitive turbine without blades, which was used in several useful devices. Many similar units were noted by chroniclers of the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries.

In 1680, a French engineer living in London provided the local royal society with a design for a steam boiler with a safety valve. Ten years later, he substantiated the dynamic thermal cycle of a steam engine, but never built a finished machine.

In 1705, Leibniz submitted a design for a steam engine designed by Thomas Savery to raise water. Such a device inspired the scientist to new experiments. As some reports indicate, in 1707 a trip was made to Germany. According to one version, the boat was equipped with a steam mechanism, which is not confirmed by official facts. The ship was subsequently destroyed by embittered competitors.

Story

Who built the first steamboat? Thomas Savery demonstrated a steam pump for pumping water out of mines as early as 1699. A few years later, an improved analogue was presented by Thomas Newkman. There is a version that in 1736, British engineer Jonathan Hulse created a ship with a wheel at the stern, which was driven by a steam device. There is no evidence of successful testing of such a machine, however, given the design features and the amount of coal consumed, operation can hardly be called successful.

Where was the first steamboat tested?

In July 1783, the French Marquis Geoffoy Claude presented a ship of the Piroskaf type. This is the first officially documented steam-powered vessel, which was propelled by a horizontal steam engine with a single cylinder. The machine rotated a pair of paddle wheels, which were located on the sides. Tests were carried out on the Seine River in France. The ship covered approximately 360 kilometers in 15 minutes (approximate speed - 0.8 knots).

Then the engine failed, after which the Frenchman stopped his experiments. The name “Piroskaf” was used for a long period in many countries as a designation for a vessel with a steam power plant. This term in France has not lost its relevance to this day.

American projects

The first steamboat in America was introduced by inventor James Rumsey in 1787. The boat was tested with the vessel moving using water-jet propulsion mechanisms powered by steam energy. That same year, a fellow engineer tested the steam ship Perseverance on the Delaware River. This machine was driven by a pair of oars, which were powered by a steam plant. The unit was created together with Henry Voigot, since Britain blocked the possibility of exporting new technologies to its former colonies.

The name of the first steamboat in America was Perseverance. Following this, Fitch and Voigot built an 18-meter vessel in the summer of 1790. The steam ship was equipped with a unique oar propulsion system and operated flights between Burlington, Philadelphia and New Jersey. The first passenger steamship of this brand was capable of carrying up to 30 passengers. In one summer, the ship covered about 3 thousand miles. One of the designers stated that the boat covered 500 miles without any problems. The rated speed of the craft was approximately 8 miles per hour. The design in question turned out to be quite successful, however, further modernization and improvement of technology made it possible to significantly improve the ship.

"Charlotte Dantes"

In the fall of 1788, Scottish inventors Symington and Miller designed and successfully tested a small steam-powered wheeled catamaran. The tests took place on Dalswinston Lough, within a ten-kilometer zone from Dumfries. Now we know the name of the first steamship.

A year later they tested a catamaran of a similar design, 18 meters long. The steam engine used as an engine was able to produce a speed of 7 knots. After this project, Miller abandoned further development.

The first steamship in the world, the Charlotte Dantes type, was manufactured by designer Signmington in 1802. The ship was built from wood 170 millimeters thick. The power of the steam mechanism was 10 horsepower. The ship was used effectively to transport barges in the Forth Clyde Canal. The owners of the lake were afraid that the jet of steam emitted by the steamship could damage coastline. In this regard, they banned the use of such ships in their waters. As a result, the innovative ship was abandoned by the owner in 1802, after which it fell into complete disrepair, and then it was dismantled for spare parts.

Real models

The first steamship, which was used for its intended purpose, was built in 1807. The model was originally called North River Steamboat, and later - "Clermont". It was driven by the presence of paddle wheels and was tested on flights along the Hudson from New York to Albany. The travel distance of the specimen is quite decent, considering the speed of 5 knots or 9 kilometers per hour.

Fulton was delighted to appreciate such a trip in the sense that he was able to get ahead of all the schooners and other boats, although few believed that the steamer could travel even one mile per hour. Despite the sarcastic remarks, the designer put the improved design of the unit into operation, which he did not regret one bit. It is believed that he was the first to build a structure such as the Charlotte Dantes device.

Nuances

An American paddle-wheeled ship called the Savannah crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 1819. At the same time, the ship sailed most of the way. In this case, steam engines served as additional engines. Already in 1838, the steamship Sirius from Britain crossed the Atlantic completely without the use of sails.

In 1838, the screw steamship Archimedes was built. It was created by English farmer Francis Smith. The vessel was a structure with paddle wheels and screw counterparts. At the same time, there was a significant improvement in performance compared to competitors. At a certain period, such ships forced sailboats and other wheeled analogues out of service.

In the navy, the introduction of steam power plants began during the construction of the self-propelled battery "Demologos", headed by Fulton (1816). This design was not widely used at first due to the imperfection of the wheel-type propulsion unit, which was bulky and vulnerable to the enemy.

In addition, there was difficulty with the placement of the warhead of the equipment. A normal on-board battery was out of the question. For weapons there were only small gaps of free space at the stern and bow of the ship. With a decrease in the number of guns, the idea arose of increasing their power, which was implemented in equipping ships with large-caliber guns. For this reason, it was necessary to make the ends heavier and more massive on the sides. These problems were partially solved with the advent of the propeller, which made it possible to expand the scope of the steam engine not only in the passenger fleet, but also in the military fleet.

Modernization

Steam frigates - this is the name given to medium and large steam-powered combat units. It is more logical to classify such machines as classic steamships rather than frigates. Capital ships could not be successfully equipped with such a mechanism. Attempts at such design were made by the British and French. As a result, the combat power was incomparable with its analogues. The first combat frigate with a steam power unit is considered to be the Homer, which was created in France (1841). It was equipped with two dozen guns.

In conclusion

The mid-19th century is famous for the complex conversion of sailing ships into steam-powered vessels. The ships were improved into wheeled or screw modifications. The wooden body was cut in half, after which a similar insert was made with a mechanical device, the power of which ranged from 400 to 800 horsepower.

Since the location of heavy boilers and machinery was moved to the part of the hull below the waterline, the need for receiving ballast disappeared, and it was also possible to achieve a displacement of several tens of tons.

The propeller is located in a separate socket located in the aft part. This design did not always improve movement, creating additional resistance. So that the exhaust pipe does not interfere with the arrangement of the deck with sails, it was made of a telescopic (folding) type. Charles Parson created the experimental ship Turbinia in 1894, tests of which proved that steam ships could be fast and used in passenger transportation and military equipment. This “flying Dutchman” showed a record speed at that time - 60 km/h.

FIRST RUSSIAN STEAMSHIP

In 1815, the first steamship was built in Russia. This significant event for domestic shipping took place in St. Petersburg at the Berda plant. Scotsman Charles Bird arrived in Russia in 1786. At first he worked as an assistant to Karl Gascoigne, also a visiting specialist in Petrozavodsk at the Aleksandrovsky Cannon Foundry. Later in 1792, together with his father-in-law, another Scot, Morgan organized a partnership. One of the enterprises of the partnership was a foundry and mechanical plant, later called the Byrd plant.

At that time, the monopoly on the production of steamships was given by Alexander I to Robert Fulton, who was the inventor of the steam engine. But since Fulton did not build a single steamboat on the rivers of Russia for 3 years, the construction privilege passed to Charles Byrd.

The Scot took the matter seriously, and already in 1815, the first Russian steamship, named “Elizabeth,” was built at the Berd plant in St. Petersburg. The ship, called in English the “pyroscaphe” or “steamboat”, became the ancestor of Russian steamships. The engine used on the Elizabeth was a Watt balance steam engine, the power of which was 4 horsepower, and the shaft rotation speed was forty revolutions per minute. The steamer was equipped with 6-blade side wheels with a width of 120 cm and a diameter of 240 cm. The length of the "Elizabeth" was 183 cm, the width was 457, and the draft of the vessel was 61 cm. The steam boiler for one firebox operated on wood, with a chimney leading from it made of brick, which was later replaced with metal. Such a pipe could serve as the basis for a sail; its height was 7.62 m. “Elizabeth” could reach speeds of up to 5.8 knots (almost 11 km/h).

The steamer "Elizabeth" was tested for the first time on the pond of the Tauride Garden and showed good speed there. Subsequently, Charles Beard continued to promote his invention. For example, he invited St. Petersburg officials for a boat trip. During the trip along the Neva, guests were entertained and treated, but in addition, the route included a visit to the plant.

First regular flight The steam boat "Elizabeth" left St. Petersburg for Kronstadt on November 3, 1815. The journey there took 3 hours 15 minutes, and the return trip took a little over 5 hours due to bad weather. There were thirteen passengers on board. Subsequently, “Elizabeth” began to regularly walk along the Neva and Gulf of Finland, and with the light hand of P.I. Ricord, the English name “steamboat” was replaced by the Russian “steamboat”. Rikord was one of the first to compile detailed description the first Russian steamship "Elizabeth". Thanks to the success of his invention, Charles Bird received several large government orders and created his own shipping company. The new ships carried both cargo and passengers.

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THE FIRST STEAMBOATS

The use of steam engines on water began in 1707, when the French physicist Denis Papin designed the first boat with a steam engine and paddle wheels. Presumably, after a successful test, it was broken by boatmen who were afraid of competition. Thirty years later, Englishman Jonathan Hulls invented a steam tug. The experiment ended unsuccessfully: the engine turned out to be heavy and the tug sank.

In 1802, Scotsman William Symington demonstrated the steamship Charlotte Dundas. The widespread use of steam engines on ships began in 1807 with the voyages of the passenger steamer Clermont, built by the American Robert Fulton. Beginning in the 1790s, Fulton took up the problem of using steam to propel ships. In 1809, Fulton patented the Claremont design and went down in history as the inventor of the steamboat. Newspapers wrote that many boatmen closed their eyes in horror as the “Fulton monster,” spewing fire and smoke, moved along the Hudson against the wind and current.

Just ten to fifteen years after R. Fulton’s invention, steamships seriously replaced sailing ships. In 1813, two factories for the production of steam engines began operating in Pittsburgh in the USA. A year later, 20 steamships were assigned to the port of New Orleans, and in 1835 there were already 1,200 steamships operating on the Mississippi and its tributaries.

By 1815 in England on the river. The Clyde (Glasgow) already had 10 steamships operating and seven or eight on the river. Thames. In the same year, the first sea steamer "Argyle" was built, which sailed from Glasgow to London. In 1816, the Majestic steamship made its first voyages from Brighton to Le Havre and Dover to Calais, after which regular maritime steam lines began to open between Great Britain, Ireland, France and Holland.

In 1813, Fulton turned to the Russian government with a request to grant him the privilege to build a steamship he had invented and use it on the rivers of the Russian Empire. However, Fulton did not create steamships in Russia. He died in 1815, and in 1816 the privilege given to him was revoked.

The beginning of the 19th century in Russia is marked by the construction of the first ships with steam engines. In 1815, the owner of a mechanical foundry in St. Petersburg, Karl Bird, built the first paddle steamer "Elizabeth". A factory-manufactured Watt steam engine with a power of 4 hp was installed on the wooden Tikhvinka. With. and a steam boiler that powered the side wheels. The machine made 40 revolutions per minute. After successful tests on the Neva and the passage from St. Petersburg to Kronstadt, the ship made voyages on the St. Petersburg–Kronstadt line. The steamer covered this route in 5 hours 20 minutes with an average speed of about 9.3 km/h.

The construction of steamships also began on other rivers of Russia. The first steamship in the Volga basin appeared on the Kama in June 1816. It was built by the Pozhvinsky iron foundry and ironworks of V. A. Vsevolozhsky. Having a power of 24 hp. s., the ship made several experimental voyages along the Kama. By the 20s of the 19th century, there was only one steamship in the Black Sea basin - "Vesuvius", not counting the primitive steamship "Pchelka" with a power of 25 hp, built by Kyiv serfs, which two years later was carried through the rapids to Kherson, from where he made flights to Nikolaev.

THE BEGINNING OF DOMESTIC SHIPBUILDING

Despite all the unfavorable conditions that delay the possibility of implementation and dissemination of Russian inventions, the works of Russian innovators back in the 18th century. in the field of construction of steam engines and metallurgy contributed to the introduction of steam and iron shipbuilding in Russia. Already in 1815, the first Russian steamship “Elizabeth”, a car, made voyages between St. Petersburg and Kronstadt; which has a capacity of 16 hp. With. was manufactured in St. Petersburg at the Berda plant. In 1817, the first Volga-Kama steamships and engines for them were built in the Urals. At the Izhora Admiralty Plant in 1817, the steamship “Skory” was built, 18 m long with a 30 hp engine. With. and in 1825 the steamship “Provorny” with an 80-horsepower engine. With. On the Black Sea, the first steamships were Vesuvius (1820) and the 14-gun steamship Meteor (1825).

Based on the experience of building small steamships that served for port needs and transporting goods, the military steamer Hercules was built in 1832. It carried the world's first improved steamship engine without a balancer, built by innovative Russian technicians. Such machines appeared in England only in the late thirties of the 19th century. In 1836, the first wheeled 28-gun steamship-frigate “Bogatyr” was built with a displacement of 1340 tons, with a 240-horsepower engine. pp., manufactured at the Izhora plant.

The first steamship to cross the Atlantic was the small American sailing packet boat Savannah with a steam engine installed on it. The historic voyage began on May 24, 1819 in Savannah, Georgia and ended on June 20 of the same year in Liverpool.

The porridge was brewed by 39-year-old captain Moses Rogers. He commanded one of Fulton's steamships, and the experience inspired him so much that the captain convinced his employers, the shipowners Scarborough & Isaacs, to buy a sailboat and convert it into a steamship. The New York-built packet boat Savannah was chosen.

It was a small ship with a displacement of 320 tons and a length of just over 30 meters. It was equipped with a steam engine with a capacity of 90 horsepower (give or take the same as the Daewoo Lanos). The Savannah was supposed to be driven by paddle wheels with a diameter of almost 5 meters located on the sides of the hull. The fuel supply should have been 75 tons of coal and 100 cubic meters of firewood. The purchase of the vessel, its refitting and finishing cost $50,000.

According to Rogers' project, the Savannah was supposed to carry wealthy passengers across the Atlantic Ocean. For them, the ship had 16 richly decorated double cabins and three common salons, decorated with carpets, mirrors, paintings, draperies and other things - “...as on the most expensive yachts" For the sailors, the ship, it seems, was not so attractive - in New York it was nicknamed the “steam coffin.” An attempt to hire a crew ended in complete failure. The sailors had to be transported from Rogers' home state, Connecticut, where the captain was well known and trusted.

The Savannah was the first steamship to cross the Atlantic.

On March 22, 1819, the first sea trials of the Transatlantic were carried out, and on March 28, the ship set off under its own power for its home port of Savannah. The Savannah reached its destination after 207 hours, of which 41 (and a half) hours the ship moved using a steam engine. In Georgia, the packet boat was given a crowded and solemn welcome, despite the fact that it arrived at the port at four o'clock in the morning.

The ship began to prepare for the transatlantic voyage. Additional advertising for the company was made by US President James Monroe, who was visiting nearby. The shipowners managed to persuade him to take a ride on the ship and even have lunch there. The President expressed deep satisfaction from realizing the prospects of American shipbuilding; rejoiced at the bright future of American shipping; and expressed a desire to purchase Savannah after transatlantic flight for subsequent use as a cruiser - to combat piracy in the Caribbean.

And finally the great day arrived. On May 19, 1819, an advertisement appeared in the Savannah Republic newspaper: “The steamer Savannah (Captain Rogers) will sail for Liverpool tomorrow, the 20th, under any circumstances.” Apparently, any expected circumstances did not arise - the Savannah set sail (in a cloud of steam and smoke) at five o'clock in the morning, Monday, May 24, 1819. As soon as the shore with admiring onlookers disappeared from sight, the steam engine was turned off, the sails were raised and the ship sailed to Liverpool, using a propulsion device that, although less impressive, was more reliable.

In fact, most of this historical voyage was under sail - the steam engine worked for only 80 hours - out of 707. In addition, the steam engine regularly caused misunderstandings - oncoming ships, seeing a sailboat floating in clouds of smoke, made the logical conclusion that “ Savannah is on fire. And, of course, they rushed to the rescue to help put out the fire.

On June 18, the ship was already in sight of Cork, Ireland. On the same day, the holds ran out of fuel. It was necessary to replenish its supplies in Kinsale - a triumphant appearance in Liverpool without clouds of steam and smoke was not taken into account.

On June 20, 1819, between five and six o'clock in the evening, a sensation occurred in Liverpool. The Savannah, full of smoke, entered the port. Of course, boats rushed towards her from all sides to help put out the fire. The first steamship in history crossed the Atlantic in 29 days and 11 hours.

“The fantastic ingenuity of the Yankees took the supremacy of the seas away from the British Empire,” wrote the British press, “and at the same time paved a new route of communication between the Western and Eastern Hemispheres.”

Savannah spent 25 days in Liverpool. All this time, an endless stream of visitors came on board - everyone was interested in looking at the miracle of technology. Curiosity was also fueled by the quickly spreading rumor that an unusual ship had been hired by Jerome Bonaparte to kidnap Napoleon from St. Helena.

From Liverpool the ship headed to St. Petersburg. On the route between England and Russia, the steam engine was used much more actively than in the Atlantic - almost a third of the distance from Liverpool to Kronstadt "Savannah" passed under steam. Two stops were made along the way - in Elsinore (Denmark) and Stockholm (Sweden). The Swedes even tried to buy the ship, but the Americans were not satisfied with the proposed amount. Having entertained the crowned heads of Scandinavia and Russia (for which Rogers was awarded a considerable number of very valuable gifts), on October 10, 1819, the ship set off from Kronstadt on its return journey. Having crossed the stormy Atlantic Ocean under sail, on November 30, at ten o'clock in the morning, the ship entered Savannah. The journey across the Atlantic and back took six months and eight days.

In January 1820, there was a fire in Savannah, as a result of which the Scarborough & Isaacs company suffered significant losses. To cover them, the steamship Savannah was sold. After the change of owner, the steam engine was dismantled and the packet boat - already sailing - cruised between New York and Savannah. On November 5, 1821, the ship ran aground near Long Island. Soon the waves finished the job and the land (more precisely, sea) journey of the Savannah, the first steamship to cross the Atlantic, was completed.

Captain Moses Rogers briefly survived the ship that was the fruit of his dreams. He died of yellow fever in Georgetown ( South Carolina) ten days after the crash of the Savannah - November 15, 1821.

Transatlantic liners of the mid-20th century are huge, fast, comfortable ships, a whole era not only in shipbuilding, but also in the public life of many states. After all, until the 1950s there was no other way to get from Europe to America other than by sea.

The era passed away along with the airliners - they were replaced by fast and less expensive planes. But even today there is an opportunity to visit one of the greatest transatlantic ships in history - the Queen Mary liner. After ending her career in 1967, this liner was not scrapped like other ships, but became a museum, hotel and business center in Long Beach, California, USA.

We will now visit it on board. But first, a little history of the ship.

One of largest companies servicing the transatlantic line was the British Cunard Line. After the end of the First World War, her three largest ships - Mauretania, Aquitania and Berengaria (the former German Imperator, received as reparations) carried passengers smoothly and with great comfort from Southampton to New York and back. These three ships provided weekly departures from both ports. The one-way flight lasted just under five days.

But by the early 1930s, these ships began to become obsolete, and competition on the Atlantic also increased. The company found itself in a difficult financial situation. Then the decision was made to build a new ship.

True, its concept was not immediately decided upon. The priorities could be speed, or comfort, or the efficiency of the new vessel. The preliminary decision was not to chase speed, but to provide the highest level of comfort for first class passengers. However, in the end, it was decided to proceed from the need to replace the three existing ships with two, but with the same frequency of departure from Southampton and New York, that is, to build two high-speed transatlantic liners, not forgetting, of course, about comfort.

Construction of the liner began at the shipyard in Clydebank (Great Britain) in 1930, but a year later it was frozen: the world was hit by a severe crisis. Only in 1933, after receiving financial assistance from the British government, construction was continued. The liner, named Queen Mary, was launched by Queen Mary herself on September 26, 1934, and on May 27, 1936, set off on the first transatlantic voyage from Southampton to New York.

On one of the first voyages, Queen Mary set a speed record for crossing the Atlantic - the voyage was completed in just four days. Transatlantic passengers of that time valued their time, and accordingly valued such records. For comparison: today a transatlantic flight on the same route on the new Queen Mary 2 liner is completed in six to seven days. But today's passengers are in no hurry: they are on a cruise. And if they need to go to America on business, they will use a fast and much cheaper plane. In the same years when Queen Mary entered transatlantic routes, it was not yet possible to cross the Atlantic by plane.

The British government subsidized the construction of the Queen Mary for a reason, but in order to have a fast transport for transporting troops across the Atlantic in case of war. And the opportunity presented itself. Between 1939 and 1946, the Queen Mary and her newly built sister ship, the Queen Elizabeth, transported troops across the ocean, carrying fifteen thousand men on some voyages.

After returning to civilian service, the Queen Mary operated on transatlantic routes for another twenty years, until competition with aviation made the operation of older transatlantic ships impossible. In September 1967, the liner made its last, 1001st transatlantic flight, and on October 31, it set off on its last cruise from Southampton to its eternal anchorage in California.

During this voyage, mostly with American tourists, the Queen Mary crossed the Atlantic Ocean for the last time, rounded Cape Horn, and visited ports South America and Mexico. Of course, I’m not the only one who would like to use a time machine and be on this significant flight. But the cruise itself was not very successful, because the Queen Mary was built to operate on the North Atlantic and did not have an air conditioning system. Therefore, as we approached the equator, many passengers and crew members began to succumb to the heat. Secondly, due to the huge fuel consumption, the company ordered the flight to be carried out with two turbines instead of four, which caused a drop in speed and many stops were shortened.

On December 9, 1967, Queen Mary arrived in Long Beach, where it can still be visited today. You can even live on board by booking one of the first class cabins (there are no other cabins on the Queen Mary).

Let's walk along the decks of the liner from top to bottom. I’ll say right away that not all of Queen Mary’s public spaces are open to the public, and not all of them have survived. But what can be seen gives a good idea of ​​the vessel.

Let's start with chopping.

Maneuvers, as on modern ships, can be conveniently performed while on the bridge wing. Duplicate engine telegraphs were placed on the wings of the bridge.

Next to the wheelhouse were the cabins of the liner's senior command staff. The captain had a separate office and a separate living cabin. The captain was served by a separate steward who lived on the same deck.

The cabins of the chief mate and the chief engineer of the ship were located nearby.

Now let's go down to the deck below. The deck below is called the sports deck, here is its diagram:

The deck plans I will show here are consistent with the post-war layout of the Queen Mary. The post-war layout differs little from the pre-war one, with a few exceptions. In the post-war period, new names for passenger classes began to be used: first class became cabin class, second class became tourist class, and third class remained third.

While we're talking about classes, the Queen Mary was designed back in the period when transatlantic ships traditionally used a system of dividing into three passenger classes (similar to how modern transatlantic flights have first, business and economy class). The ticket price differed accordingly. This created great inconvenience even at the design stage, because the classes did not intersect with each other, and all passenger spaces (lounges, restaurants, promenade decks) had to be duplicated. Therefore, by the 1950s, the number of classes on new ships was reduced to two, and then the division into classes was completely abandoned.

Queen Mary - classic liner with a three-class layout. Moreover, a significant part of the passenger premises was allocated to first class. Second and third class passengers hardly saw the ship: access to first class was denied to them. Therefore, if we talk about a time machine in order to make a transatlantic journey on the Queen Mary: to get a full-fledged experience, you will need not only to travel back in time in a time machine, but also to buy a first class ticket. But this raises the question of price: how many of us fly first class across the Atlantic these days? Even then, not everyone could afford to cross the Atlantic first class.

Let's go back to the sports deck. Some passengers actually did sports here. In addition, a section of the deck was dedicated to walking the dogs of first class passengers. The dogs lived in a room next door, and special crew members were responsible for their maintenance and walking.

The Queen Mary had three funnels (at that time, many still considered the number of funnels to be an indicator of the reliability of the liner). But the very similar Queen Elizabeth, built a few years later, had the number of pipes reduced to two.

The Queen Mary's pipes fell into disrepair towards the end of the liner's life and were replaced in 1968 with aluminum replicas.

Below the sports deck is the sun deck. It, like the sports one, is entirely reserved for first class passengers.

Verandah Grill restaurant was the best restaurant throughout the ship, and worked on an a la carte system. Every modern Cunard Line ship also has a restaurant with the same name and the highest level of food preparation and service.

On the Queen Mary this was a very prestigious first class seat, decorated with theatrical themes. Lunches and dinners were served here for an additional fee (in the 1930s it was one British pound, not so little at that time). Despite this, the restaurant was so popular that it was sometimes fully booked months in advance.

After 1967, when the Queen Mary came to Long Beach, the Verandah Grill was used in various ways, including as a fast food joint, and redecorated accordingly. Today this room is used as a conference room.

The outdoor promenade terrace looks the same as on modern cruise ships (although the Queen Mary was built in the 30s of the last century).

In some places there are narrow passages between the terraces of different sides.

And here’s what lifeboats looked like on ships of those years: unlike modern motorboats, they were not closed at the top.

At the bow of the sun deck there are public spaces: a museum and a tea restaurant. However, when the Queen Mary was an active ship, they did not exist: the command staff's quarters and offices were located on this site.

The deck below is called the "promenade".

The central part of the deck, and perhaps the entire ship, is the first class foyer. The high, multi-deck atriums that modern cruise passengers are accustomed to were not yet made. But the lobbies of ocean liners have always been spacious and tastefully decorated.

During Queen Mary's transatlantic career, the central semicircular room in the foyer housed a store where one could buy a variety of goods needed by a traveler. The foyer was surrounded by small first-class rooms: a library, a drawing room, and a children's playroom. There was even a special 35-seat cabin designed for passengers to tell other passengers about their travels with the ability to show slides. Now almost all of these premises have been converted into shops; they sell souvenirs and literature about historical ships.

The forward part of the deck is occupied by a viewing bar for first class passengers. During flights this place was extremely popular. What could be better than talking and watching the sea with a glass of something strong? When the third class public areas were expanded in the early 1960s, the observation bar became reserved for passengers in that class.

The bar is still open today.

The deck is surrounded by a promenade terrace, protected from the North Atlantic winds, almost entirely intended for first class passengers. After the war, two small “winter gardens” were equipped on this terrace - for first and second class passengers, but they have not been preserved.

A small part of this terrace towards the stern is reserved for second class passengers. They also had a large open area at the stern.

From the enclosed promenade terrace one could enter the spacious first-class public rooms, each through its own foyer. Previously, first class public spaces could be accessed not only from the promenade terrace, but also from internal terraces that ran along almost the entire deck. These terraces have partially disappeared during the redevelopment of Long Beach.

The large first class salon was the center of Queen Mary's social life. Center in every sense, including literally: this salon was located exactly in the middle of the ship, so that the passengers gathered in it would feel less pitching (after all, storms in the North Atlantic were not uncommon). The salon received musical motifs in its design; played here in the evenings live music, the passengers danced.

Sunday services were held in this cabin during flights, and passengers of all three classes were invited to these services. The service was traditionally conducted by the captain of the liner.

In the 1970s there was an idea to turn this saloon into a central restaurant (even though the original Queen Mary restaurants remained three decks below). During the reconstruction process, the decor was partially lost, and the premises were somewhat reduced in size. But the work was never completed. Today the central salon is available for rent for events; its original furnishings have not been preserved.

Passengers in each class had their own smoking room. They did not smoke in the smoking rooms, but rather enjoyed cigars and socializing. Traditional smoking rooms ocean liners were considered “male territory”: women at that time did not indulge in cigars, but, however, they also visited the salon.

The smoking lounge on the Queen Mary was amazing in size. In its original furnishings, it was a salon with soft armchairs and small tables.

The smoking lounge is decorated with a painting by the English artist Edward Wadsworth (by the way, he painted it right here on the spot). During the first voyages of Queen Mary, the painting caused a lot of controversy and even indignation among adherents of the traditional design of transatlantic liners - people never accept something new right away. But then they got used to the picture, and it has been in its place for eighty years.

On the same deck there is another cozy, smaller salon. It was, of course, cozy in its original furnishings: the modern “conference” furniture that is now furnished in first class rooms creates some dissonance. But mentally add here old-fashioned soft chairs and low tables, and everything will fall into place.

In place of the second-class smoking lounge, there are service rooms and a chapel.

But it’s not easy to guess the purpose of the room shown in the next photo. It was used by the musicians who played in the main salon for rehearsals before the start of the performance.

Each class had its own children's room, where children could be left under the supervision of teachers. The first class children's room has been preserved; the toys in it are recreated from old photographs of life on board the Queen Mary.

Already today, part of the promenade deck on the starboard side has been converted into the center Catering. There is a fast food cafe and two restaurants here.

Below is the main deck.

In its central part there was a travel agency where first-class passengers could book return transatlantic flights, train tickets, hotel reservations, and even purchase theater tickets in London and New York.

Most of this deck is occupied by first class cabins. The interiors of the corridors and lobbies made of precious wood (and fifty different types of wood were used in the design of the liner) return to the 1930s-50s. By the way, the river passenger diesel-electric ships “Lenin” and “Soviet Union”, built in 1958-59 in the USSR, had very similar interiors. Perhaps, when creating these ships, Soviet constructors and designers studied foreign experience in the design of prestigious ocean liners.

The aft part of the deck is reserved for public premises of the second (tourist) class. This is an open promenade deck and salon.

The second class saloon, like other areas of the ship, is devoid of “salon” furnishings. This is now one of the conference rooms on board. It is combined with the former promenade deck, which has been converted into a conference hall foyer

We go down to the next deck. The decks below do not have names; instead, they are designated by letters A to H. The lowest decks are closed to access.

In the center of Deck A is the information desk for first class passengers (now the hotel's "reception"). It was this foyer that first class passengers entered when boarding the Queen Mary.

Almost the entire A deck is dedicated to first class cabins, with the exception of the aft section, which once housed second class cabins.

My cabin is also located on this deck. Of course, it would be nice to take a transatlantic voyage in a Queen Mary first class cabin, but these days it's really about hotel room. The layout is a large first class cabin, with new decoration. All of Queen Mary's first class cabins were originally wood-panelled, and many cabins retain their original trim.

At the stern of Deck A there is another open area for second class passengers, and another second class lounge. The Queen Mary had the vertical classroom layout that was common at the time. That is, the premises of all three classes were located on all or almost all passenger decks, but in different parts of the liner. On the Queen Mary, first class accommodation occupied the entire central part of the ship, second class accommodation occupied the aft section, and third class accommodation was allocated in the bow.

To facilitate maneuvers in ports, an additional superstructure was built at the stern of the Queen Mary and other ships of that time - the stern bridge. During maneuvers, one of the watch officers was on this bridge, transmitting information to the wheelhouse about the position of the stern relative to other ships, berths and other objects.

First and second class cabins are located on Deck B. Of interest here is the medical isolation room in the aft part.

It would seem that the lower we go, the less likely we are to see any interesting public spaces. But once on deck C, you can see that this is not the case. Restaurants of all three classes are located here.

As on modern cruise ships, passengers arrived at the restaurant by elevator, or went down to it along a wide gangway.

The first class restaurant, three decks high, is the prototype of today's atriums on cruise ships. This restaurant accommodated all first class passengers at once; Accordingly, breakfasts, lunches and dinners took place in one shift. But this only applied to a first class restaurant. Second class passengers ate their meals in a smaller restaurant in two shifts. And third class passengers had their own small restaurant, where they ate in as many as three shifts.

The first class restaurant on the Queen Mary still operates today, with a weekly Sunday champagne brunch.

The premises of the second and third class restaurants are now used as office space and warehouses. Many elements of their design have been lost; access to them is closed.

Deck D, located even lower, is interesting because it housed a first class indoor swimming pool. Now the pool is not functioning due to the fact that it does not meet modern requirements for the strength of ship structures, but you can visit its premises during an excursion called “The Ghosts of Queen Mary” (there is one). Second class passengers also had their own swimming pool: it was located on the deck below. This space became partly a museum cinema and partly offices.

The aft section of D Deck has been dismantled and is now home to the Queen Mary and Transatlantic Shipping Museum. From the museum you can go down to the engine room of the ship.

The huge propeller of the liner underwater makes a great impression.

Decks E and below are closed to the public; Almost all the premises there have been dismantled.

A visit to the Queen Mary leaves a very strong impression. And not only thanks to the stylish interiors in the British style of the middle of the last century, but also thanks to the feeling of exceptional power huge airliner, and thanks to the amazingly positive energy of the ship, which transported hundreds of thousands of people across the Atlantic.

A liner similar in sensations created will probably never be built again. After all, this also requires an appropriate era. But it is remarkable that this ship has been preserved. If you have the opportunity, visit it.

On February 11, 1809, American Robert Fulton patented his invention - the first steam-powered ship. Soon steamships came to replace sailing ships and were in charge by water transport until the middle of the 20th century. Here are the 10 most famous steamships

Steamer "Clermont"

The Claremont became the first officially patented steam-powered vessel in the history of shipbuilding. The American Robert Fulton, having learned that the French engineer Jacques Perrier had successfully tested the first ship with a steam engine on the Seine, decided to bring this idea to life. In 1907, Fulton surprised the New York public by launching a ship with a large funnel and huge paddle wheels on the Hudson River. Onlookers were quite surprised that this creation of Fulton's engineering was able to move at all. But the Claremont not only sailed along the Hudson, but was also able to move against the current without the help of wind or sails. Fulton received a patent for his invention and within several years improved the ship and organized permanent river cruises on the Claremont on the Hudson River from New York to Albany. The speed of the first steamship was 9 km/h.

Steamship "Clermont"

The first Russian steamship "Elizabeth"

The steamship "Elizabeth", built for Russia by the Scottish mechanic Charles Bird, entered service in 1815. The ship's hull was wooden. A metal pipe with a diameter of about 30 cm and a height of 7.6 m served instead of a mast for setting sails in a tailwind. The 16 horsepower steamship had 2 paddle wheels. The steamship made its first voyage on November 3, 1815 from St. Petersburg to Kronstadt. To test the speed of the steamer, the port commander ordered his best rowing boat to compete with it. Since the speed of the "Elizabeth" reached 10.7 km/h, the oarsmen, pushing hard on the oars, sometimes managed to overtake the steamer. By the way, the Russian word “steamboat” was introduced into use by naval officer P. I. Ricord, a participant in this voyage. Subsequently, the ship was used to transport passengers and tow barges to Kronstadt. And by 1820, the Russian fleet already consisted of about 15 steamships, by 1835 - about 52.


The first Russian steamship "Elizabeth"

Steamboat Savannah

The Savannah became the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean in 1819. He made a flight from the American city of Savannah to the English city of Liverpool in 29 days. It should be noted that the steamer sailed almost the entire way, and only when the wind died down was the steam engine turned on so that the ship could move even in calm conditions. At the beginning of the steamship era, sails were left on ships making long voyages. The sailors still did not fully trust the power of steam: there was a great risk that the steam engine would break down in the middle of the ocean or there would not be enough fuel to reach the destination port.


Steamboat Savannah

Steamship "Sirius"

They decided to abandon the use of sails only 19 years after the transatlantic voyage of the Savannah. paddle steamer Sirius left with 40 passengers from the English port of Cork on April 4, 1838 and reached New York 18 days and 10 hours later. Sirius crossed the Atlantic Ocean for the first time without raising sails, using only a steam engine. This ship opened a permanent commercial shipping line across the Atlantic. "Sirius" moved at a speed of 15 km/h and consumed a monstrously large amount of fuel - 1 ton per hour. The ship was overloaded with coal - 450 tons. But even this reserve was not enough for the flight. "Sirius" barely made it to New York. To keep the ship moving, ship rigging, masts, wooden bridge decking, handrails and even furniture had to be thrown into the firebox.


Steamship "Sirius"

Steamship "Archimedes"

One of the first steam ships with a propeller was built by the English inventor Francis Smith. The Englishman decided to use the discovery of the ancient Greek scientist Archimedes, which had been known for a thousand years, but was used only for supplying water for irrigation - the screw. Smith came up with the idea of ​​using it to propel the ship. The first steamship, called Archimedes, was built in 1838. It was moved by a screw with a diameter of 2.1 m, which was powered by two steam engines with a power of 45 horsepower each. The vessel had a carrying capacity of 237 tons. "Archimedes" developed a maximum speed of about 18 km/h. Archimedes did not make long-distance flights. After successful trials on the Thames, the ship continued to operate on inland shipping lines.


The first screw steamer "Stockton" to cross the Atlantic

Steamship "Stockton"

The Stockton became the first screw steamship to sail across the Atlantic Ocean from Great Britain to America. The story of its inventor, Swede John Erikson, is very dramatic. He decided to use a propeller to propel a steam ship at the same time as the Englishman Smith. Erickson decided to sell his invention to the British Navy, for which he built a screw steamer with his own money. The military department did not appreciate the Swede's innovations; Erickson ended up in prison for debt. The inventor was saved by the Americans, who were very interested in the maneuverable steam ship, in which the propulsion mechanism was hidden below the waterline, and the pipe could be lowered. This is exactly what the 70-horsepower steamship Stockton was, which Erickson built for the Americans and named after his new friend, a naval officer. On his steamship in 1838, Erickson left for America forever, where he gained fame as a great engineer and became rich.

Steamship "Amazon"

In 1951, newspapers called the Amazon the largest wooden steamship ever built in Britain. This passenger transport the luxury class could carry more than 2,000 tons and was equipped with an 80 horsepower steam engine. Although metal steamships had been rolling out of shipyards for 10 years, the British built their giant from wood because the conservative British Admiralty was prejudiced against innovation. On 2 January 1852, the Amazon, crewed by 110 of Britain's best sailors, sailed for the West Indies, taking on board 50 passengers (including the Lord of the Admiralty). At the beginning of the journey, the ship was attacked by a strong and prolonged storm; in order to continue moving further, it was necessary to start the steam engine at full power. A machine with overheated bearings worked non-stop for 36 hours. And on January 4, the officer on duty saw flames coming out of the engine room hatch. Within 10 minutes the fire engulfed the deck. It was impossible to put out the fire in the stormy wind. The Amazon continued to move through the waves at a speed of 24 km/h, and there was no way to launch lifeboats. Passengers rushed around the deck in panic. Only when the steam boiler had exhausted all the water were they able to put people into the rescue longboats. After some time, those who sailed away in the lifeboats heard explosions - it was the gunpowder stored in the holds of the Amazon that exploded, and the ship sank along with the captain and part of the crew. Of the 162 people who set sail, only 58 were saved. Of these, seven died on the shore, and 11 people went crazy from the experience. The death of the Amazon became a cruel lesson for the Lords of the Admiralty, who did not want to admit the danger posed by combining the wooden hull of a ship with a steam engine.


Steamship "Amazon"

Steamboat " Great East»

The steamship "Great East" is the predecessor of the Titanic. This steel giant, launched in 1860, was 210 meters long and for forty years was considered the most big ship in the world. The "Great East" was equipped with both paddle wheels and propellers. The ship became the last masterpiece of one of the famous engineers of the 19th century, Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The huge ship was built to transport passengers from England to distant India and Australia without visiting ports to refuel. Brunel conceived his brainchild as the safest ship in the world - the Grand Orient had a double hull that protected it from flooding. When at one time the ship received a hole larger than the Titanic, it not only remained afloat, but was able to continue its voyage. Construction technology of such large ships at that time it had not yet been worked out, and the construction of the “Great East” was overshadowed by many deaths of workers working at the dock. The floating colossus was launched for two whole months - the winches broke down, several workers were injured. A disaster also occurred when the engine was started - the steam boiler exploded, scalding several people with boiling water. Engineer Brunel died upon learning of this. Infamous even before it set sail, the 4,000-person Grand Orient set off on its maiden voyage on June 17, 1860, with just 43 passengers and 418 crew on board. And in the future there were few people willing to sail across the ocean on the “unlucky” ship. In 1888, they decided to dismantle the ship for scrap metal.


Steamship "Great East"

Steamship "Great Britain"

The first screw steamship metal body"Great Britain" left the stocks on July 19, 1943. Its designer, Isombard Brunel, was the first to combine the latest achievements on one big ship. Brunel set the task of turning long and dangerous transatlantic Passenger Transportation in fast and luxurious sea ​​travel. The huge steam engines of the Great Britain steamship consumed 70 tons of coal per hour, produced 686 horsepower and occupied three decks. Immediately after its launch, the steamship became the largest iron ship in the world with a propeller, marking the beginning of the era of steam liners. But this metal giant also had sails, just in case. On July 26, 1845, the steamship Great Britain set off on its maiden voyage across the Atlantic with 60 passengers on board and 600 tons of cargo. The steamer moved at a speed of approximately 17 km/h and after 14 days and 21 hours entered the port of New York. After three years of successful flights, the Great Britain failed. On September 22, 1846, the steamer, crossing the Irish Sea, found itself dangerously close to the shore, and the rising tide brought the ship ashore. There was no disaster - when the tide went out, the passengers were lowered from board to the ground and transported in carriages. A year later, the “Great Britain” was rescued from captivity, a canal was broken, and the ship was back on the water.


The huge transatlantic steam liner Titanic, which claimed the lives of more than a thousand passengers

Steamship Titanic

The infamous Titanic was the largest passenger airliner in the world at the time of its construction. This city steamship weighed 46,000 tons and was 880 feet long. In addition to the cabins, the superliner had gyms, swimming pools, oriental baths and a cafe. The Titanic, which set sail from the English coast on April 12, could accommodate up to 3,000 passengers and about 800 crew members and moved at a maximum speed of 42 km/h. On the fateful night from April 14 to 15, when it collided with an iceberg, the Titanic was traveling exactly at this speed - the captain was trying to break the world record for ocean-going steamships. There were 1,309 passengers and 898 crew on board at the time of the shipwreck. Only 712 people were saved, 1495 died. There were not enough lifeboats for everyone; most of the passengers remained on the ship without hope of salvation. On April 15, at 2:20 a.m., a giant passenger ship, making its first voyage, sank. The survivors were picked up by the ship "Carpathia". But even on it, not all those rescued were transported to New York alive and well - some of the Titanic passengers died on the way, some lost their minds.

 

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