SS President

This article is about a 19th-century transatlantic steamship. For the 20th-century river excursion steamboat, see President (1924 steamboat). For other ships, see President (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with USS President, HMS President, or French frigate Président.

SS President
History
OwnerBritish and American Steam Navigation Company
Port of registryCivil Ensign of the United Kingdom United Kingdom
RouteAtlantic crossing
BuilderLondon, Curling & Young
Laid downNovember 23 1838
LaunchedDecember 9 1839
Maiden voyage1 August 1840
Out of serviceMarch 1841
FateMarch 1841, lost with all aboard under unknown circumstances
General characteristics
Tonnage2,350 GRT
Length243 ft (74 m)
Beam41 ft (12 m)
Sail plan3 masts

SS President was a British passenger liner that was the largest ship in the world when she was commissioned in 1840,[1][2] and the first steamship to founder on the transatlantic run when she was lost at sea with all 136 onboard in March 1841. She was the largest passenger ship in the world from 1840 to 1841.[3] The ship's owner, the British and American Steam Navigation Company, collapsed as a result of the disappearance.[1]

President was the second liner owned by British and American and was noted for her luxurious interiors. Designed by Macgregor Laird and built by Curling and Young of London, she was fitted for 154 passengers. President was over 25% larger than the British Queen, the previous holder of the size record, and over twice the size of Cunard’s Britannia Class, the first three of which were also commissioned in 1840. This was accomplished by adding a third deck to the design of the British Queen. As a result, President was top-heavy and rolled excessively. She was also underpowered and had the slowest passage times of any transatlantic steamer up to that point. To avoid litigation, changes were made to her paddle wheels after her second round trip that further complicated her lack of power, especially in rough weather.[1]

On 11 March 1841, President cleared New York bound for Liverpool on her third eastbound voyage. She was overloaded with cargo to compensate for her roll. President was last seen the next day struggling in a gale.[1] Her disappearance was major news for several months and even Queen Victoria followed the story.[4]

  1. ^ a b c d Gibbs, Charles Robert Vernon (1957). Passenger Liners of the Western Ocean: A Record of Atlantic Steam and Motor Passenger Vessels from 1838 to the Present Day. John De Graff. pp. 37–41.
  2. ^ Roland, Alex; Bolster, W. Jeffrey; Keyssar, Alexander (2008). The way of the ship: America's maritime history reenvisioned, 1600-2000. John Wiley and Sons. ISBN 9780470136003. Retrieved 27 December 2009.
  3. ^ Robinson, Robb (January 2009). "The Cookman Story: Reform in Hull and the United States" (PDF). FAR HORIZONS – to the ends of the Earth. Maritime Historical Studies Centre, University of Hull. Retrieved 27 December 2009. In March 1841 the liner, SS President, then reputedly the largest steamship in the world, disappeared without trace in the vast tracts of the still wintry Atlantic, sometime after leaving New York en route for Liverpool. The SS President was the first steamship to founder on the transatlantic run and there was universal lamentation for the 136 crew and passengers.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference fox was invoked but never defined (see the help page).