SS Kaffraria facts for kids
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|} The SS Kaffraria was a British cargo ship. This means it was a ship built to carry goods. It was owned by a company called Bailey & Leetham, based in Hull, England. The ship was built in 1864 by J. Laing & Son, Ltd., in Sunderland, England.
The Kaffraria was first built for another shipping company in London. But in 1871, Bailey & Leetham bought it.
Building the Kaffraria
When the Kaffraria was first built, it was measured at 872 gross register tons. This is a way to measure a ship's total internal volume. In 1873, its size was increased to 1,039 gross register tons.
The ship was about 237 feet (72 m) long. That's longer than two basketball courts! It was 29 feet (8.8 m) wide and 16 feet (4.9 m) deep. The Kaffraria was made of iron and had one propeller to move it through the water. It also had one main deck.
Inside the ship, there were five strong walls called bulkheads. These walls helped to divide the ship into different sections. They also made the ship safer by stopping water from spreading if there was a leak. The ship also had a special "double bottom" at the back.
The Kaffraria had a powerful four-cylinder compound engine. This engine made about 90 horsepower (67 kW) of power. The engine was built by the Humber Iron Works in Hull, England.
The Shipwreck of Kaffraria
On January 7, 1891, the Kaffraria had an accident. It was sailing in the River Elbe in Germany, near a town called Otterndorf. The ship ran aground, meaning it hit the bottom of the river and got stuck. Captain W. Barron was in charge of the ship at the time.
The Kaffraria was carrying many different items. Its cargo included things like kitchen utensils, toys for children, bundles of wool, hand tools, and various household items. After the ship got stuck, people from the local area quickly started taking the cargo. Some of this was done legally, but some was taken illegally.
The very next day, on January 8, the ship sank. The sunken ship became a danger to other ships trying to use the river. Because of this, the wreck was removed in 1984. However, you can still see part of the ship today! The back part of the Kaffraria, including its rudder and propeller, is still visible at Otterndorf. It's a reminder of this old cargo ship.
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom |
|
| Name | SS Kaffraria |
| Namesake | Kaffraria, the name given to the southeast part of the Eastern Cape of South Africa |
| Owner | W.S. Bailey |
| Ordered | 1862 |
| Builder | J Laing Ltd, Sunderland |
| Launched | 21 April 1864 |
| Maiden voyage | 1864 |
| Homeport | Hull, England |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Wrecked 7 January 1892 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage |
|
| Length | 237 ft (72 m) |
| Beam | 29 ft (8.8 m) |
| Depth | 16 ft (4.9 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 8–10 knots (15–19 km/h; 9.2–11.5 mph) |
