RMS Umbria

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Not to be confused with SS Umbria.

RMS Umbria on Queen Victoria's Birthday in 1896
History
United Kingdom
NameRMS Umbria
NamesakeUmbria
OwnerCunard SS Co
OperatorCunard SS Co
Port of registryLiverpool
RouteLiverpool – Queenstown – New York
Ordered1883
BuilderJohn Elder & Co, Govan
Yard number285
Launched25 June 1884
Maiden voyage1 November 1884
In service1 November 1884
Out of service1910
Identification
FateScrapped 1910
General characteristics
TypeOcean liner
Tonnage1884: 7,129 GRT, 3,268 NRT
Length501.6 ft (152.9 m)
Beam57.2 ft (17.4 m)
Depth38.2 ft (11.6 m)
Decks6
Installed power1,559 NHP
Propulsion3-cylinder compound engine
Sail planbarquentine
Speed19 knots (35 km/h)
Capacity
  • 1885:
  • 550 First Class
  • 800 Second Class
  • 1892:
  • 500 First Class
  • 160 Second Class
  • 800 Third Class
Crew560

RMS Umbria and her sister ship RMS Etruria were the last two Cunard Line ocean liners that were fitted with auxiliary sails. Umbria as the last express steamship to be built for a North Atlantic route with a compound engine. By 1885, the triple expansion engine was the almost universal specification for newly built steamships.[1]: 89 [2]: 126  John Elder & Co. built Umbria in Govan, Glasgow, in 1884.

Umbria and her running mate Etruria were record breakers. They were the largest liners then in service, and they plied the Liverpool – New York City route. Umbria was launched by the Honourable Mrs. Hope on 25 June 1884, with wide press coverage, because she was the largest ship afloat, apart from Great Eastern, which by that time was redundant.[3][failed verification]

Building

Umbria under construction

Umbria had two large funnels that gave the outward impression of great power. She had three large steel masts that were barquentine-rigged. Another innovation was that she was equipped with refrigeration machinery, but it was her single-screw propulsion that would bring her the most publicity later in her career.

The ship epitomized the luxuries of

bric-a-brac
that period fashion dictated. The rooms and the first-class cabins were situated on the promenade, upper, saloon, and main decks. There was also a music room, a smoking room for gentlemen, and separate dining rooms for first- and second-class passengers. By the standard of the day, the second-class accommodation was modest but spacious and comfortable.

Cunard registered Umbria at Liverpool. Her United Kingdom official number was 91159 and her code letters were JPWV.[4]

By early October 1884 she had completed her sea trials and, on 1 November 1884, she set off to New York City on her maiden voyage. She was commanded by Captain Theodore Cook, who was Cunard's senior captain.[3]

Liverpool-to-New York service

RMS Umbria started her regular service to New York City from

North Atlantic
service to a halt temporarily.

Armed merchant cruiser

Since 1813, there had been tensions between the

ironclad navy
of the era.

Return to service

In September 1885 Umbria was released from government service and resumed the Atlantic service. She worked for the next few years without any major incident.[3]

Prices of passage aboard RMS Umbria, May 1895
From Pier 40, North River, foot of Clarkson Street, City of New York
Every Saturday, New York–Queenstown–Liverpool
1st class 1st class 1st class 1st class return 1st class return 1st class return 2nd class cabin 2nd class cabin 2nd class cabin return 2nd class cabin return Under 1 year old
$75 $90 $175 $125 $150 $315 $40 $45 $75 $85 Free outward

The Blue Riband

In 1887, Umbria gained the prestigious

Sandy Hook on 4 April, in 6 days 4 hours and 12 minutes, averaging a speed of 19.22 knots (35.60 km/h; 22.12 mph) and covering a distance of 2,848 nautical miles (5,274 km; 3,277 mi). Her sister, Etruria, regained the Blue Riband the following year. On 10 November 1888, Umbria was outward bound from New York when she collided with and sank the Fabre Line cargo steamship Iberia near Sandy Hook. Iberia's stern was completely cut off. The blame for the accident was placed upon Umbria which, it was claimed, was travelling at a dangerous speed, said to be 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph).[3]

Records of RMS Umbria & RMS Etruria
The Blue Riband of the North Atlantic
Westbound
Steamship Date Line From To Nautical miles Days/hours/minutes Knots
RMS Etruria 1885 (16/8- 22/8) Cunard Queenstown Sandy Hook 2801 6/5/31 18.73
RMS Umbria 1887 (29/5-4/6) Cunard Queenstown Sandy Hook 2848 6/4/12 19.22
RMS Etruria 1888 (27/5-2/6) Cunard Queenstown Sandy Hook 2854 6/1/55 19.56

Magdalena

On 12 April 1890 Umbria set off on her usual voyage from New York City with 655 passengers aboard. Five days out, in the mid-Atlantic, she sighted the stricken Norwegian barque Magdalena. The barque had struck an iceberg and was waterlogged. Umbria rescued Captain Gunderson and his crew of eight and, before abandoning ship, Gunderson finished off Magdalena by setting fire to her. All were landed safely at Liverpool four days later.

Propeller shaft failure

On 17 December 1892, Umbria left Liverpool. After stopping at Queenstown, she had 400 passengers aboard, along with a large amount of mail. She was due to arrive in New York on

Christmas Day
. By 28 December, she still had not arrived and speculation as to what had delayed her was growing. On 29 December, news came from the steamship Galileo, which had passed her on Christmas Day. She appeared disabled. The master of Galileo also reported that she displayed three red lights, indicating that she was unmanageable, but did not require assistance. The weather was said to be foul, with a severe north-westerly gale. Another steamship, Monrovian, had also passed her but reported Umbria to be in good shape. On 30 December, the steamship Manhanset reported again that Umbria did not require assistance and that she was carrying out repairs to a broken shaft.

In fact Umbria's troubles had started on 23 December at around 5:25 p.m. Her propeller shaft had fractured at the thrust block. Her main engines were stopped immediately, and Umbria drifted helplessly in gale-force winds and a heavy sea. The chief engineer and his staff worked relentlessly to make repairs to the shaft. Later that day, at 8:15 pm, the steamship Bohemia had agreed to tow the ship to New York but, around 10 p.m., the line broke in the severe storm and visibility was nil. Next morning there was no sign of Bohemia, and once again Umbria was drifting helplessly. Then came the encounters with the other two steamships but, by 26 December, the Cunarder Gallia and Umbria had established contact with each other and after some communications between masters, Gallia had refused to stand by, and carried on her voyage, with Umbria left to make repairs. The chief engineer achieved that on 27 December and she set off very slowly for New York City. At 11 p.m. on 31 December 1892, her safe arrival was cheered by thousands of New Yorkers. When the excitement had died down the recriminations started, which ended when Cunard prepared a statement explaining why Gallia had continued on without assisting Umbria. Further repairs were carried out on Umbria and she returned to Liverpool on 4 February 1893. By 1 April, she was back on the service.[3]

Stuck in a wreck

In May 1896, the British steamship Vedra collided with and sank the coal-laden

Henley Regatta. She dropped anchor and divers reported no damage to the ship, so she continued on her voyage.[3]

The Boer War

RMS Umbria leaving Liverpool for New York in 1902.

War broke out in

Port Elizabeth and other ports she returned to Southampton with wounded soldiers. In April she again was back in South Africa and during the relief of Mafeking she was in Port Natal (now Durban) for the celebrations. She left Cape Town for the last time on 7 June, carrying 600 wounded soldiers. She arrived back at Southampton 19 days later on 26 June, and she was then returned to Cunard to resume her normal role. She was given a complete refit and returned on the New York run on 21 July.[3]

Mafia bomb plot

Both Umbria and Etruria returned to the Liverpool – New York service. On 9 May 1903, the New York City Police Department received a letter that said a bomb had been loaded aboard Umbria. The letter said the bomb had been intended for the White Star Line's RMS Oceanic, but that the bombers had changed their minds because there were a large number of women and children aboard that ship. At noon that day, Umbria was still at her berth and she was due to sail. Immediately the police sealed off the pier head and told the captain to delay the sailing.

The police searched the ship and found the bomb. It was in a box three feet (914 mm) long by two feet (610 mm) wide and had been placed near the first-class gangway. One of the police officers tied a rope around the box and lowered it into the sea. When the box was lifted back up and opened, it was found to have 100 lb (45 kg) of

Italian" men placing the bomb on the pier, and the police eventually traced the manufacturer of the bomb back to a Chicago lodging house. The ship eventually got under way to Liverpool on 16 May.[3]

Last voyage

By 1908, the careers of Umbria and Etruria were coming to an end. However, because of mishaps to, first, Etruria and then to

Shipbreaking Company for £20,000, and she was taken to Bo'ness, Scotland. In all, she had made 145 round trips to New York.[3]

In popular culture

The ship is featured briefly in the last several episodes of the third and final season of the 2014 horror-drama television series Penny Dreadful. When the characters Sir Malcolm Murray, Ethan Chandler, and Kaetenay are returning to London from the United States, they are travelling aboard Umbria, as is clear from the vessel's appearance, and the name on a life-preserver on the ship.[citation needed]

References

  1. ISBN 0-85177-565-9
    .
  2. ISBN 0-85177-563-2
    .
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Umbria". Chris's Cunard Page. 14 February 2015. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  4. ^ Mercantile Navy List. London. 1885. p. 178. Retrieved 31 August 2022 – via Crew List Index Project.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

Bibliography

External links

Records
Preceded by Holder of the Blue Riband (Westbound)
1887–1888 		Succeeded by
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