SS Bremen (1858)

SS Bremen[1] was a German steam passenger liner, built in Greenock, Scotland by the Caird & Company shipyard. She was Norddeutscher Lloyd's first passenger ship and the first to bear the name Bremen,[2][3] the ship operated under the German flag from 1858 until her sale in 1874 and operated under the British flag until 1882, before sinking in the Farallon Islands, off the coast of California due to heavy fog.

Construction and launching

The Bremen had a total cargo capacity of up to 1,000 tons, she had a steam engine with a consumption of between 2.2 and 2.5 kg of coal per hour. Caird & Company designed the Bremen as a clipper-like design and with a

Service history

Under Norddeutscher Lloyd (1858–1874)

She made her maiden voyage on March 19, 1858, departing from the Bremerhaven roadstead under the command of Captain Heinrich Wessels with a stop in the port city of Southampton, England before heading directly to New York City. The ship was carrying about 150 tons of cargo, including mail, 22 cabin passengers and 93 third-class passengers, the ship would make the stop in Southampton as planned and arrive in New York on July 3, 1858, making the 14-day 13-hour journey.[7] Upon arriving in New York, the ship was witnessed in front of 450 American people and guests, the Bremen would also demonstrate a test run in Sandy Hook, New Jersey, among the guests was also the American poet and educator Henry Longfellow, the return trip took place between July 17 and 30, returning with 220 tons of cargo and 60 passengers. This was the maiden voyage for Norddeutscher Lloyd as a shipping company and competitor in the North Atlantic.[8]

On January 14, 1860, the Bremen arrived at Southampton under sail, due to the breakage of her propeller screw, this caused the ship to be taken out of service for six months for repairs, entering service again until July 8, 1860 on the Bremen–New York route. In 1864, the ship was upgraded with a new boiler and steel screw propeller built by the German industrial company Krupp. On 5 November 1873, she would make her last service under Norddeutscher Lloyd on the Bremen–Southampton–New York route, before being decommissioned.[9]

Under Edward Bates & Company (1874–1882)

In June 1874, the Bremen along with the New York, would be sold to the British firm Edward Bates & Company for around 19,000 pounds at the time. The sale of the ships was announced in the Provinzial-Zeitung newspaper on February 1, 1874.

Under his new company, the ships were converted to sailing vessels, eliminating their steam propulsion and propellers, and carrying migrants and cargo.[10][7]

On October 16, 1882, the Bremen ran aground on the Farallon Islands, 10 nautical miles from San Francisco with a load of 500 barrels of Monongahela whiskey and coal, the sinking of the ship was news throughout the United States.

country	Bremen / German Empire
flag	/
namesake	Bremen
owner	North German Lloyd
registry	Bremen
builder	*Caird & Company, Greenock, Scotland
yard number	53
in service	1858–1874
launched	February 1, 1858
fate	Sold to the British company Edward Bates & Company in June 1874

Construction and launching

Service history

Under Norddeutscher Lloyd (1858–1874)

Under Edward Bates & Company (1874–1882)

Wreck

External links

References