SS Arizona facts for kids
Guion Liner Arizona when she held Atlantic Record.
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 United Kingdom |
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| Name | SS Arizona |
| Operator |  Guion Line |
| Builder | John Elder & Company, in Govan, Scotland |
| Yard number | 222 |
| Laid down | 1879 |
| Launched | 10 March 1879 |
| Fate | Broken up May 1926 |
| Notes | Renamed Hancock in 1898 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Steam passenger ship |
| Tonnage | 5,147 gross register tons (GRT) |
| Length | 450 ft (140 m) |
| Beam | 45.4 ft (13.8 m) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion | Single screw propeller |
| Speed | 15 knots |
The Arizona was a very fast British passenger ship. It was the first of the Guion Line's "Atlantic Greyhounds." These ships sailed between Liverpool, Queenstown (Ireland), and New York. One historian even called Arizona "a souped up transatlantic hot rod."
It started sailing in 1879. The Arizona was a model for other fast Atlantic ships for a while. But it was also seen as not very successful. This was because too much was given up just for speed. The Arizona was put out of service in 1894. It was sold four years later and used in the Pacific Ocean. Then, the U.S. Government bought it for the Spanish–American War. It was renamed USS Hancock and carried troops through World War I. The ship was finally taken apart in 1926.
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Building a Fast Ship
The Guion Line was good at carrying passengers across the Atlantic. In 1875, they wanted to build faster ships for first-class travelers. Their first two attempts didn't work out.
William Pearce, who ran the John Elder shipyard, had an idea. He thought a very fast ship that only carried passengers and light cargo could make money. This was because it would attract more passengers and spend less time in port. Other companies weren't interested, but Guion Line bought his idea. They got the ship for a good price of £140,000. This was much less than the usual £200,000 for such a ship.
Ship's Design and Power
The Arizona looked a bit like the White Star's Germanic. The Germanic was the fastest ship at the time. But the Arizona had much more power. Its engines made 6,400 horsepower. This was 1,400 more than the Germanic.
To get this power, the Arizona used a lot of coal. It burned 135 tons of coal every day! This was much more than its rival. Because of this, it had less space for cargo and other passengers.
Life Onboard
The Arizona was very powerful, but this also made it a bit uncomfortable. However, ads at the time focused on how fancy the inside was.
- The main dining room had six long tables with spinning chairs.
- A large skylight let light into the room.
- Plants and flowers were placed around the room.
- There was a piano and a library.
- The bedrooms were nicely decorated and had everything needed for comfort.
- Bells connected the bedrooms to the steward's pantry.
- There was also a fancy room for ladies on the top deck.
Ship's Adventures
The Arizona made its first trip on May 31, 1879. Soon after, it set a new record for the fastest trip going east. It traveled from Sandy Hook to Queenstown in seven days, eight hours, and 11 minutes. This was a speed of almost 16 knots. However, even with its great power, it couldn't beat the westbound speed record held by the Germanic.
Collision with an Iceberg
On November 7, 1879, the Arizona hit an iceberg while sailing to Liverpool. The ship's owner, Stephen Guion, was on board. Luckily, the ship was only going about 15 knots. The damage was not too bad. The ship stayed afloat and made it to St. John's for quick repairs. Then it went back to Scotland. Guion used this event to show how strong the Arizona was!
Later Years and New Roles
Even though it was uncomfortable, the Arizona was popular with American passengers. This was because the Guion Line was mostly owned by Americans.
Stephen Guion died in 1885. The company changed, and they didn't buy new ships. By 1894, the Arizona and its partner ship, the Alaska, were much slower than newer ships. The Guion Line stopped sailing.
The Arizona was stored in Scotland until 1897. Then, it was sold to a company that sailed between San Francisco and China. The ship was rebuilt, and its two funnels were replaced with one very large funnel.
After a few trips in the Pacific, the Arizona was sold to the U.S. War Department. It was used as a U.S. Army Transport ship, still called USAT Arizona.
Serving in Wars
In 1898, the USAT Arizona was updated again. It got new engines to prepare for the San Francisco to China route. On July 16, 1898, the U.S. Army bought the Arizona for $600,000.
The USAT Arizona carried soldiers from Hawaii to the Philippines during the Spanish–American War. These included parts of the 1st Colorado, 1st Nebraska, 10th Pennsylvania, and 18th U.S. Infantry units.
In 1902, the U.S. Navy took over the ship. It was used as a receiving ship in the Brooklyn Navy Yard and named USS Hancock. It served as a troopship during World War I. The ship continued in different jobs until it was sold for scrap in May 1926.
See also
