“Traffic” (the Second)
Owner: Oceanic Steam Navigation Company Limited. (White Star Line) Company flag
Download 2.11 Mb.
|
- Navigate this page:
- Design
- Propulsion
- Flag of Registry
- History : 1910 S ummer
- 1911 April 27
Owner: Oceanic Steam Navigation Company Limited. (White Star Line) Company flag: Red swallow tail with a white star Use: Specially constructed as a tender to ferry baggage, mail and third class passengers from port to the “Olympic”-class ships. Electric conveyor belts were fitted on bridge deck fore and aft to assist with loading of mails and luggage. In later years, she was used for general tender work, salvage and towing as the work for dedicated tenders was on the decline. She was not the sister ship of the Nomadic, although of similar appearance and being launched in the same month. The Traffic was intended to be used as back up at any port. Design: Steel hull, one funnel, one mast, two decks, twin screws Tonnage: gross 675 net 420 Dimensions: Length 175.7 ft. (53.32 m). Width 35.1 ft (10.69 m). Depth 12.4 ft. Builder: Built and engined by Harland & Wolff Belfast, Yard No. 423 in 1911 Engines: Two twin-cylindered inverted compound, (2) 12" (2) 24" x 15" stroke Propulsion: Twin three-bladed propellers each 1.67 m in diameter Service speed: 12 knots Accommodation: 500 Third Class passengers and all luggage Port of Registry: Cherbourg, France  Flag of Registry: French
Funnel: Buff with a black top; later repainted black with a red band when sold Signal letters: L G C P Crew: Six officers and ten men assigned to engines and loading of passengers and luggage. 
History: 1910 Summer Plans were made for two new tenders. They would be similar in design, but not actual sisters. 1910 December 22 Keels for the two tenders were laid on slip number 1. (Slip 2 held Olympic and slip 3 held Titanic). 1911 April 27 Launched (Nomadic launched 25 April 1911) 1911 May 18 Went through her sea trials (Nomadic sea trials 16 May 1911). 1911 May 27 Handed over to owner (and Nomadic). 1911 May 29-30 Accompanied Olympic during her sea trials out of Belfast 1911 May 31 Following the morning (12:15) launch of Titanic, at 16:30 three vessels departed Belfast at the same time. The Olympic headed for Southampton. Her two tenders accompanied her. The Olympic travelled to Southampton for provisioning for her forthcoming maiden voyage, Nomadic and Traffic proceeded directly to Cherbourg where they would be stationed. Nomadic and Traffic were registered under the French flag in the name of the White Star Line’s local agent and managed by A. Laniece and later by George A. Laniece for the White Star’s French operations. They had French crews. 1911 June 3 Traffic (and Nomadic) arrived at Cherbourg. 
Nomadic and Traffic moored alongside each other in Cherbourg. 1911 June 14 Traffic (and Nomadic) carried out the first official duty the Olympic dropped anchor in the roads of Cherbourg, the first day of its maiden voyage. The routine of transferring mail and passengers had been carefully gone through before the new tenders entered service. Yet on their first day of work, things did not work out as planned. The White Star Line’s chairman and managing director, Joseph Bruce Ismay, who otherwise enjoyed the new flagship’s maiden voyage, was annoyed that the transfer had not run smoothly. However, after the procedure was carefully reviewed, things became much better. 1912 April 10 Titanic arrived at Cherbourg from Southampton at 6:35 p.m. slightly late due to a near collision with the New York when leaving Southampton. At 3:30 p.m., the passengers of 1st and 2nd Classes arrived in Cherbourg by the special train, “New York Express” which had left at 9:40 a.m. from Saint-Lazare Station in Paris. On each carriage of the train was fitted with metal plates showings the initials of White Star Line; Pullman cars were especially assigned to the passengers of First Class. The train pulled into the Harbour station and the passengers transferred to the large waiting room of the Station. There, they learned of the delay of Titanic. 
Arrival of a transatlantic train in Cherbourg
(One could see among them, John Jacob Astor and his young wife Madeleine, Margaret “Molly” Brown, Sir Cosmo Duff Gordon and his wife Lucile, Benjamin Guggenheim, George Widener, Charlotte Cardeza.) The 102 passengers of Third Class were mainly emigrants from Europe and the Middle East. Before departing for Titanic, they were subjected to various controls of the American immigration services. Just after 5:30 p.m., Nomadic and Traffic, left the quay and sailed towards the outer harbour. By 6:00 p.m., they were in the roads waiting the arrival of Titanic. Shortly after 6:30 p.m., Titanic appeared and took on board Mauger (or Edmond Pignot), one of the Cherbourg pilots. She passed by the West Fort and anchored in the roads. 
Titanic arrives to Cherbourg while passing in front of the Fort of the West
Once Traffic moved away, Nomadic took station alongside Titanic. The 142 passengers of First Class embarked, helped by the personnel of White Star Line; followed by the thirty passengers of Second Class. 
Titanic, in roads of Cherbourg
At 8:10 p.m., after having made three blows of her siren, Titanic, carried out a half‑turn and left the roads of Cherbourg. A crowd of spectators had gathered on the Large Pier to admire the ship and a band played “the Marseillaise”. Moments later, Titanic stopped to disembark the pilot then continued bound for Queenstown, in Ireland. Download 2.11 Mb. Share with your friends:
|