RMS Homeric (1913)
RMS Homeric
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History | |
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United Kingdom | |
Name | RMS Homeric |
Owner | White Star Line 1922-1934 Cunard-White Star Line 1934-1935 |
Operator | White Star Line 1922-1934 Cunard-White Star Line 1934-1935 |
Port of registry | Liverpool, England |
Route | Southampton–New York |
Ordered | April 1912[1] |
Builder |
|
Yard number | 891 |
Laid down | 1912 |
Launched | 17 December 1913 as Columbus for North German Lloyd |
Christened | January 1922 as Homeric |
Completed | 1921 |
Maiden voyage | 15 February 1922 |
In service | 1922 |
Out of service | 1935 |
Renamed | Columbus to Homeric, 1922 |
Refit | 1927 |
Homeport | Liverpool, England |
Nickname(s) | "Home at sea" |
Fate | Scrapping commenced in 1936, finished by 1938 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Columbus Class |
Type | Ocean liner |
Tonnage | 34,351 GRT, 18,058 NRT |
Length | 774 ft (236 m) |
Beam | 82.3 ft (25.1 m) |
Propulsion | Twin propellers |
Speed | Before refit: 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) After refit: 19.5 knots (36.1 km/h; 22.4 mph) |
Capacity | 2,145 passengers: 750 First Class, 545 Second Class, 850 Third Class |
Crew | 780 |
Notes | Sister ship to SS Columbus (1924) |
RMS Homeric, originally launched as Columbus, was an
History
The
Launched on 17 December 1913, Columbus was the first of two vessels ordered by Norddeutscher Lloyd (North German Lloyd) for their Bremerhaven to New York service. At 34,000 tons, Columbus was, at the time, the largest twin-screw ship powered by reciprocating engines in the world. She was built for a relatively modest service speed of just a shade over 18 knots (33 km/h). White Star Line purchased the unfinished Columbus in 1920, and renamed her Homeric. The ship was completed and entered service two years later.[2]
In 1920 construction was resumed under the watchful eye of officials sent down from
Interiors
Except for the First-Class dining saloon of the Homeric, which was located on D-Deck, all the First-Class public rooms were located on the boat deck in one long, continuous sequence.[3] At the forward end, beneath the navigating bridge one deck above, was a drawing room with plate glass windows offering views of the bow and the sea beyond. After the drawing room came a reading and writing room, followed by the lounge, music room, smoking room, and a glass-enclosed veranda at the aft-end of the deck. The sides of each room offered "an unbroken vista" of the full 340-foot length of this sequence of rooms.[4]
The largest of the main suite of rooms was the lounge, 94 ft. long and 47 ft. wide, with a 20-foot-high vaulted skylight at its center. The lounge was dominated by two large paintings at each end, one of Columbus landing in the New World, and the other of Columbus being received by Queen Isabella and Ferdinand II. Between the windows were fluted columns with gilded Doric capitals, and the room was furnished in an assortment of styles and upholstery. At the center of the room the carpet could be removed to reveal a circular dance floor with room for 300 dancers.[5] The First-Class dining room, located on D-Deck, was overlooked by a gallery and featured "an inverted dome of crystal pendants...centered in a ceiling of white and gold."[6] The Smoking Room was decorated in the Old Dutch style, with floor-to-ceiling walnut paneling and a carved, white-painted ceiling. On either side of the room were 18-foot-high bow windows hung with buff and olive-colored silk curtains. The furniture was overstuffed and upholstered in Morocco leather and wool tapestry.[6]
Other amenities on board included 3 elevators, 2 for First Class and 1 for Second, a gymnasium, hairdressing salon, typewriting room, and dark room. Children had their own playroom and dining saloon, and there was a covered deck for sports.[7]
Atlantic service
Resplendent in her White Star livery, the newly completed Homeric arrived in
Settling quickly into her Atlantic routine, the Homeric proved to be a popular ship for White Star, although her speed became a major concern for the line, for at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph), the Homeric could not keep pace with her fleet-mates, Olympic and Majestic, both of which had a service speed above 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph) making it difficult to maintain a weekly schedule. At the conclusion of her second season, in October 1923, Homeric was removed from service for an extended winter overhaul, and her boilers were converted to burn fuel oil instead of coal, this allowed the number of engine room staff to be reduced from 300 to around 100. The extensive re-working would require a full eight months at the shipyard, but on 19 April 1924, she was returned to service, proving to be slightly faster, averaging 19.5 knots (36.1 km/h; 22.4 mph). Still, even at 19.5 knots she could not be successfully matched with the Olympic and Majestic. Nevertheless, the increase did reduce one day from her average transatlantic voyage.[2]
On one voyage in August 1924 Homeric arrived in New York late after steaming through a
On 19 April 1925 Homeric received the distress call 'Now very danger. Come quick' from the Japanese freighter Raifuku Maru which was listing dangerously in heavy seas and taking on water. Homeric was 70 miles (110 km) away and sped to Raifuku Maru's position at 20 knots. However when she arrived, Raifuku Maru was listing at a 30 degree angle, and the rough seas prevented Homeric from getting close enough to rescue any of the stricken ship's crew, who had attempted unsuccessfully to get away in their lifeboats, which were smashed by the rough seas. Homeric's crew and passengers watched helplessly as the Japanese freighter sank with all thirty eight of her crew. This incident became controversial at the time: When Homeric reached New York, several passengers spoke to the press accusing Homeric's crew of not making enough effort to rescue the crew of the stricken ship. The Japanese press even accused the Homeric's crew of racism. These accusations were denied strenuously.[9][10][2]
Built with the
By the early 1930s the Great Depression was hitting the Atlantic trade hard, with passenger numbers well down, there were no longer enough passengers to support a three-ship express service, and so it was decided to remove Homeric from the Atlantic service altogether and devote her to cruising full time. On 10 June 1932 Homeric departed New York for Southampton for the last time. Her career on the Atlantic was indeed short-lived, as she only provided transatlantic service for ten years.[2]
Cruising service
Cruising from British ports to the
Demise
Despite Homeric's success as a cruise ship, White Star’s financial situation worsened in the early 1930s, and the Homeric’s future became increasingly grim. In 1934 White Star merged with their rival Cunard, and the merged company began rationalising their fleet and disposing of surplus ships, Homeric was earmarked for disposal, however she was given a reprieve due to a well booked cruising season. In July 1935, Homeric participated in King
Remains
Despite her scrapping, many of her interior furnishings survive to this day. The former Rex Cinema in Stonehouse, Scotland preserves some of the Homeric's grand interior. Although the building is not generally open to the public as it is now used at a storage facility on some occasions visitors are allowed in by the owners. It was recently[when?] featured on episode 2, series 9 of the BBC program Timeshift about the Golden Age of Liners. Most of the interior of the first floor now remains intact as part of the Balgeddie House Hotel Glenrothes, including the floorboards which are now the floor boards of the main lounge.[11][12]
References
- ^ "New German liner ordered". The Times. 12 April 1912. p. 4.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7110-3366-5.
- ^ "New White Star Liner "Homeric."". Shipbuilding & Shipping Record. 16 February 1922. p. 207.
- ^ "The New Steamship "Homeric": World's Largest Twin Screw Liner Possesses Every Facility for the Comfort and Pleasure of Her Passengers". American Shipping. 10 March 1922. pp. 14–17.
- ^ "The New White Star Liner Homeric". Marine Engineering Log. March 1922. p. 169.
- ^ a b "The New Steamship "Homeric": World's Largest Twin Screw Liner Possesses Every Facility for the Comfort and Pleasure of Her Passengers". American Shipping. 10 March 1922. p. 16.
- ^ "The New Steamship "Homeric": World's Largest Twin Screw Liner Possesses Every Facility for the Comfort and Pleasure of Her Passengers". American Shipping. 10 March 1922. p. 17.
- ^ "Rudolph Novak Back From Olympics". Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette. 30 August 1924. p. 2. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
- ^ Jay Sivell. Wordpress.com
- ^ G. Roscoe Spurgeon "Radio Stations Common? Not This Kind" coastalradio.co.uk
- ^ Rex Cinema Brief History and Panoramic Tour Archived 21 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Stonehouse Cinemas, including picture gallery
External links
- RMS Homeric
- RMS Homeric History Archived 1 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine[dead link]