 Cunard's Persia of 1856
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Persia |
| Namesake | Persia |
| Owner | Cunard Line |
| Route | Atlantic crossing. |
| Builder | Robert Napier and Sons, Glasgow |
| Launched | 25 July 1855 |
| Maiden voyage | 26 January 1856 |
| Fate | Taken out of service 1868, scrapped 1872 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Steamship |
| Tonnage | 3,414 GRT [1] |
| Length | 398 ft (121 m) |
| Beam | 45 ft (14 m) |
| Installed power | 1 × 2-cylinder side-lever steam engine with 100 inch bore and 10 ft stroke |
| Sail plan | 2 masts |
| Capacity | Approximately 250 saloon and 50 second class passengers |
Persia was a British passenger liner operated by the Cunard Line that won the Blue Riband in 1856 for the fastest westbound transatlantic voyage.[2] She was the first Atlantic record breaker constructed of iron and was the largest ship in the world at the time of her launch.[2][3][4] However, the inefficiencies of paddle wheel propulsion rendered Persia obsolete and she was taken out of service in 1868 after only twelve years. Attempts to convert Persia to sail were unsuccessful and the former pride of the British merchant marine was scrapped in 1872.[5]
- ^ [1], "Persia Spears an Iceberg". oceanlinersmagazine.com. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
- ^ a b Othfors, Daniel. "Persia 1856 - 1872". thegreatoceanliners.com. Retrieved 17 October 2009.
By 1855, the new liner was nearing completion. She was launched and christened Persia a few months before she set out on her maiden voyage from Liverpool to New York on January 26, 1856. Three months later she had captured the Blue Riband of the Atlantic for Cunard. As Persia was the largest vessel in the world at the time, Cunard had now totally surpassed the Collins Line. ... As late as 1863, the Persia lost the Blue Riband in both directions to her sister – the last paddle steamer Scotia.
- ^ "S/S Persia, Cunard Line". norwayheritage.com. Retrieved 17 October 2009.
This leviathan vessel, the largest steam-ship afloat in the world - far exceeding in length, strength, tonnage, and steam-power the Great Britain...
- ^ "Cunard History at a Glance" (PDF). Cunard Line & Redpoint Marketing PR. Retrieved 17 October 2009.
1856 — The famous Persia is built, the company's first iron-hulled transatlantic vessel. The largest ship in the world at the time, she was 390 feet long and 3,330 gross registered tons.
- ^ Gibbs, C. R. 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.