Another Titanic, Britannic Survivor: Arthur Jewel-- Part 1

From Wikipedia.

While looking up stuff about Arthur John Priest, I came across this man's name.  The Wikipedia article said that besides Priest, there were two others who survived both the Titanic and Britannic's sinkings, Violet Jessup and Arthur Jewel.

And, there was one more ship he was on, the SS Donegal, a hospital ship that was sunk by a German U-boat, but this one he did not survive.

He started working for the White Star Line in 1904 at the age of 16 and was a seaman on the Oceanic for eight years.  On April 6, 1912, he was transferred to the RMS Titanic as one of six lookouts along with George Symons.  They were in the lookout station in the crows next right before the collision with the iceberg but had been relieved by Reginald Lee and Frederick Fleet.

He survived by being put in command of Lifeboat 7.

He was working on the HMHS Britannic  and survived its sinking on  21 November 1916, along with  stewardess Violet Jessup and stoke Arthur John Priest.

--DaCoot

USS President Lincoln-- Part 4: What Was Its German Name?

From the Wrecksite Site.

Since the President Lincoln was a German ship before being seized by the United States, I was wondering what its German name was.  I couldn't find mention of it, though, until I got to this site.

It was launched in 1903 as the Scotian for Wilson's & Furness-Leyland Line, but the order was cancelled.  It was later purchased by the Hamburg-American Line and the name changed to Berlin in 1907.  Later, it became the President Wilson, then the President Lincoln.

So, the ship's German name was the SS President Lincoln..

--Cooter

The Sinking of the USS President Lincoln in WW I-- Part 1: Former German Ship

From the June 12, 2018, Naval History Blog "The Sinking of the USS President Lincoln, 31, May 1918" by Jon Hoppe.

The chronology post I did earlier this month (June 1) placed the sinking of the ship as June 1.  It actually was sunk May 31, 1918.

This month marks the 100th anniversary of this ship's sinking.  The USS President Lincoln was a troop transport ship used during World War I.  It was formerly a German ocean liner of the Hamburg-America Line.  The Navy commissioned it as the USS President Lincoln in 1917 to carry American troops and equipment to Europe.

It was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine SM U-90 on May 31, 1918.

--Cooter

White Star Line-- Part 2: Joined With Cunard Line

In 1934, the White Star Line merged with its chief rival, the Cunard Line and the two then became known as the Cunard-White Line.  I always get the two two confused and often refer to the Titanic as a Cunard ship.

In 1950, the Cunard Line then began to operate solely by itself and did so until 2005.  It is now part of the Carnival Corporation.  So, when you go on a Carnival Cruise, you are on s hip whose company history goes back to the Titanic and into the 1800s.

Cunard ships now use the term White Star to describe the level of customer care expected.  In other words, a lot.

The first White Star Company was established in 1845 in Liverpool and focused on the United Kingdom-Australia trade routes.

Crusing With the Coot--  Cooter

White Star Line-- Part 1

From Wikipedia.

Since I have been doing several blog entries of late on the Titanic, I might as well talk about the company that owned the big ship.

The official name of the company was the Oceanic Steam Navigation Company, or White Star Line of Boston Packet, more commonly known simply as the White Star Line.

The company was a prominent British shipping endeavor, known for its ground-breaking vessel, the Oceanic in 1870, the RMS Titanic and the World War I loss of the Titanic's sister ship, the Britannic.  Their ships generally ended with the letters "ic."

--DasCoot

SS Germanic

Back on June 18, 2012, I wrote about the remains of the British submarine E-14 being found off the Turkish coast back then.  It had two commanders who received the distinguished Victoria Cross during its operations in World War I.

This is a follow up[ on it.

The first captain won his VC when he slipped his ship through heavily guarded straits during the Gallipoli Campaign and over three weeks sank 2 Turkish (Ottoman) warships and a White Star cruise liner carrying 6,000 Turkish troops.

That White Star liner (same company as the Titanic) had been the SS Germanic and built by Harland & Wolff (same ones who built the Titanic) in 1875.  In 1893, it was sold to an American company and in 1910, bought by Turkey and given the name Gul Djemal.

During World War I it became an Ottoman troopship before being sunk by the E-14.  It was raised and continued carrying Turkish troops to the end of the war.

After the war, it was in the Ottoman-American Line and carried immigrants to America for a new life.  It stopped that in 1931 and became the Gulcemal, survived World War II and eventually became a floating hotel before being scrapped in 1950.

During its career, the ship survived three major mishaps, two world wars and is the second-longest serving ocean liner in history.

--Cooter

Is It the Andrea Doria's Bridge Bell?

From the June 20, 2011, New Jersey Star-Ledger.

Two New Jersey divers, Ernest Rookey and Carl Bayer, discovered what is believed to be the  bridge bell of the ocean liner Andrea Doria, which was sunk in 1956 off Nantucket, Massachusetts.

The bell was found in 240 feet of water and weighed 75 pounds and is two feet high.  Of course, the fact that the ship's name is engraved on it probably means it is the real McCoy.  In 1985, the stern bell was discovered.

On July 25, 1956, in heavy fog, the Andrea Doria was struck by the MS Stockholm and sank.

Sounds Like a Good Item for a Museum.  --Cooter

The Baltic's Captain's Pistol-- Part 2

Designed for crossing the Atlantic quickly with passengers housed in style, it could carry 200 first class and 80 second class people.  The Baltic was the fastest steamship in the world at 12-13 knots, until 1854.

Even so, the Collins Line lost money and bankrupted in 1858 at which time, the Baltic became a coastal steamer.

During the Civil War, the Baltic and Atlantic were leased by the U.S. government as transports for $1,500 a day, dropping to $1,200 in 1863 and $1,00 in 1865.

Sister ships Arctic and Pacific were lost at sea.  In 1854, the Arctic collided with a French ship and sank.  In 1856, the Pacific sailed for Liverpool with about 200 passengers and never arrived.



I was unable to find out anything about the Baltic's Captain J.J. Comstock other than he was a well-liked Collins Line captain.

I read that the pistol went for $276,000.

Just a Little Bit of History.  --DaCoot

The Baltic's Captain's Pistol-- Part 1

From the August 26, 2012, Chicago Tribune "Rock Island (Il) Auction Company's Premier Firearms Auction" full-page ad for their Sept 7-9 auction.

One of the items offered was estimated to go for $150,000 to $300,000.  They had a picture of the U.S. Mail steamship Baltic and the presentation case.  The notes read: "Magnificent historic Samuel Colt Presentation, Gustave Young Deluxe Engraved, Inscribed Cased Colt Model 1851 Navy Revolver Presented to Captain J.J. Comstock, Commander of the Historic Steamship Baltic."

I'd never heard of Comstock or the ship, so had to research some more.

From Wikipedia.

SS BALTIC (1850)

The SS Baltic was a wooden-hulled sidewheel steamer built in 1850 for the transAtlantic American Collins Line, designed specifically to challenge the British Cunard Line.  The Baltic had three sister ships: Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic.

The Baltic's maiden voyage was Nov. 16, 1850.  Refitted as a sailing ship in 1870, it was scrapped in 1880.

The ship was 282 feet long, with a 45-foot beam and weighed 2,723 tons.

Go,  Boat,  Go!!  --Cooter

Ten Great Atlantic Liners

From the Dec. 30, 2008 Listverse. Of course, photos and more information at the excellent site.

10. RMS QUEEN MARY II-- 2003

9. SS REX-- 1932-- Italy-- Sunk 1944 to prevent Germans from blocking Trieste Harbor.

8. SS FRANCE/SS NORWAY-- 1961. Scrapped 2008.

7. RMS QUEEN MARY-- 1934-- Today in Long Beach, Ca.

6. SS BREMER-- 1929, German. Scrapped 1945.

5. RMS MAURETANIA-- 1906-- Sister of Lusitania. Scrapped 1935.

4. SS NORMANDIE-- 1932. French. Laid up at New York Harbor after French fleet captured. US seized her. Renamed USS Lafayette. Caught fire while being refitted as troop transport. Capsized. Scrapped 1946.

3. SS UNITED STATES-- 1952. Fastest liner. Top speed a state secret. Rusting away in Philadelphia.

2. RMS OLYMPIC-- 1911-- Outlasted sisters Titanic and Britannic. Sank U-103. Scrapped 1937.

1. RMS QUEEN ELIZABETH II-- 1969. Retired 2008. Will be floating hotel in Dubai. (Wonder where they get all that money to build those huge buildings and do stuff like this.)

I guess this ought to be called liners that didn't sink or something like that. You'd have to figure Titanic and Lusitania would be on the list.

Looking at these ocean liners, they sure looked like ships in the past, not big floating hotels like today's liners.

Going on the Boat!!! --Cooter

Cruise Tragedy Draws Comparisons to Another-- Part 2

The Costa Concordia (CC) launched in 2006 and Titanic (launched in 1911) were both among the largest and most luxurious ships ever built.

However, as far as class differences, there was a huge gap. On the Titanic, the classes were kept apart. On the CC, even the folks in the $199 rooms roamed the vessel with those in the $4000 ones.

The Titanic was 883 feet long, the CC 952.

Both had a top speed of 23 knots.

Both ships had issues with their christenings. The Titanic was never christened. They couldn't get the bottle of champagne to break on the CC.

The Titanic carried 2,207 passengers, the CC 4,200.

The CC far outweighed the Titanic, 114,500 tons versus 46,392.

The commander of the Titanic, Captain Edward Smith, went down with his ship. The CC's commander got off his ship right away.

The Titanic's sinking brought about an increase in safety measures still in use today. I'm sure there will be new ones added after this one.

One Hundred Years Apart. --Cooter

Hey, Captain of the Costa Concordia!!

Haven't you ever heard of the old saying, "The captain goes down with his ship."?

Or, at very least, the Captain should not be the first one off in an emergency.

At least, Captain Edward Smith went down with his ship.

Very Disappointing. --Cooter