SS President facts for kids
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| History | |
|---|---|
| Owner | British and American Steam Navigation Company |
| Port of registry |  United Kingdom |
| Route | Atlantic crossing |
| Builder | London, Curling & Young |
| Laid down | November 23 1838 |
| Launched | December 9 1839 |
| Maiden voyage | 1 August 1840 |
| Out of service | March 1841 |
| Fate | March 1841, lost with all aboard under unknown circumstances |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 2,350 GRT |
| Length | 243 ft (74 m) |
| Beam | 41 ft (12 m) |
| Sail plan | 3 masts |
The SS President was a large British passenger ship. When she was finished in 1840, she was the biggest ship in the world. Sadly, she was also the first steamship to disappear while crossing the Atlantic Ocean. In March 1841, the President was lost at sea with all 136 people on board. No one ever found out what happened to her.
The company that owned the ship, the British and American Steam Navigation Company, went out of business because of the loss. The President was the second big ship owned by this company. She was known for her very fancy inside areas.
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Building and Features of the President
The President was designed by Macgregor Laird. She was built by a company called Curling and Young in London. The ship was made to carry 154 passengers. The President was much bigger than the British Queen, which was the largest ship before her. She was also twice the size of the ships from Cunard’s Britannia Class.
To make her so big, a third deck was added to the ship's design. This made the President very tall. Because of this, she was "top-heavy" and rocked a lot in the water. She also didn't have a very powerful engine. This meant she was one of the slowest ships crossing the Atlantic at that time. After her first two trips, changes were made to her paddle wheels. These changes made her even slower, especially in rough weather.
Inside the Ship
The owners of the President wanted passengers to feel like they were in a fancy hotel, not on a ship. The main room, called the saloon, was huge. It measured 80 feet long and 34 feet wide. It was decorated in a fancy old style called Tudor Gothic.
A hallway led from the saloon to the passenger rooms. This hallway was like an art gallery. It had ten oil paintings showing scenes about Christopher Columbus. There were rooms for 110 regular passengers. Another 44 passengers could stay in smaller rooms for servants. The regular rooms had two beds and were seven feet by seven feet. The front of the ship had a special statue, called a figurehead, of George Washington.
How the Ship Was Built
The President had a wooden body, called a hull. This hull was divided into sections that were supposed to keep water out. However, her hull was not as strong as other ships like the Great Western. After only two round trips, the ship needed repairs. Stormy seas had made her hull weak and twisted.
Because of her third deck, the President was top-heavy. This made her roll too much in the water. Her engine was also not as strong as other ships her size. This meant her travel times in 1840 were not very good. In 1841, the ship's paddle wheels were changed. This made her even slower, especially in rough seas.
The President's Journeys
The President's first trip was in August 1840. It took her 16.5 days to cross the Atlantic. She only traveled at about 8.4 knots (about 9.7 miles per hour). This was slower than the record of 9.52 knots (about 11 miles per hour) set by the Great Western.
Captain Robert J. Fayrer was in charge of this first trip. The ship had few passengers because other big ships had sailed the week before. Her trip back was also slow. Because of the poor performance, the captain was replaced by Michael Macarthy Keane. But the ship's times did not get better on her second trip.
Leaving New York City, the President could only travel 300 miles in four days. She had to go back to the Hudson River to get more fuel. When she finally arrived in Liverpool, her next trip in December was canceled. The ship was sent for repairs. Again, her captain was replaced.
The Last Voyage
In February, the President left Liverpool for New York with a new captain, Richard Roberts. This third trip took 21 days. On March 11, 1841, she began her return trip from New York. There were 136 passengers and crew on board, along with a lot of cargo. The ship was overloaded with cargo to try and make her less wobbly.
The President sailed into a big storm, called a gale. The next day, she was seen struggling in the heavy seas. This was in a dangerous area between Nantucket Shoals and Georges Bank. After that, no one ever saw her again.
Her disappearance was big news for many months. Even Queen Victoria was interested and asked for updates about the ship. Among the people on board were the Rev. George Grimston Cookman, who had worked for the government, and a famous Irish actor named Tyrone Power. He was the great-grandfather of the movie star with the same name.
People waited for news for months. Captain Cole of another ship, the Orpheus, said he last saw the President on March 12, 1841. She was rising on a huge wave, rocking heavily. He believed she did not survive the storm and sank with everyone on board.
Images for kids
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The last sighting of the SS President in a gale
