RMS ''Umbria'' and her
sister ship
A sister ship is a ship of the same class or of virtually identical design to another ship. Such vessels share a nearly identical hull and superstructure layout, similar size, and roughly comparable features and equipment. They often share a ...
were the last two
Cunard Line
Cunard () is a British shipping and cruise line based at Carnival House at Southampton, England, operated by Carnival UK and owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. Since 2011, Cunard and its three ships have been registered in Hamilton, Berm ...
ocean liner
An ocean liner is a passenger ship primarily used as a form of transportation across seas or oceans. Ocean liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes (such as for pleasure cruises or as hospital ships).
Ca ...
s that were fitted with auxiliary sails. ''Umbria'' as the last express steamship to be built for a North Atlantic route with a
compound engine
A compound engine is an engine that has more than one stage for recovering energy from the same working fluid, with the exhaust from the first stage passing through the second stage, and in some cases then on to another subsequent stage or even st ...
. By 1885, the
triple expansion engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. The steam engine uses the force produced by steam pressure to push a piston back and forth inside a cylinder. This pushing force can be tr ...
was the almost universal specification for newly built steamships.
John Elder & Co. built ''Umbria'' in
Govan
Govan ( ; Cumbric?: ''Gwovan'?''; Scots: ''Gouan''; Scottish Gaelic: ''Baile a' Ghobhainn'') is a district, parish, and former burgh now part of south-west City of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the south ba ...
,
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
in 1884. ''Umbria'' and her running mate ''Etruria'' were record breakers. They were the largest liners then in service, and they plied the
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
–
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
route. ''Umbria'' was launched by the Honourable Mrs. Hope on 25 June 1884 with wide press coverage, because she was the largest ship afloat, apart from , which by that time was redundant.
Building
![Umbria construction](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/Umbria_construction.png)
''Umbria'' had two large
funnels
A funnel is a tube or pipe that is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, used for guiding liquid or powder into a small opening.
Funnels are usually made of stainless steel, aluminium, glass, or plastic. The material used in its construc ...
that gave the outward impression of great power. She had three large steel
masts that were
barquentine
A barquentine or schooner barque (alternatively "barkentine" or "schooner bark") is a sailing vessel with three or more masts; with a square rigged foremast and fore-and-aft rigged main, mizzen and any other masts.
Modern barquentine sailing r ...
-rigged. Another innovation was that she was equipped with
refrigeration
The term refrigeration refers to the process of removing heat from an enclosed space or substance for the purpose of lowering the temperature.International Dictionary of Refrigeration, http://dictionary.iifiir.org/search.phpASHRAE Terminology, ht ...
machinery, but it was the single-screw propulsion that would bring the most publicity later in her career.
The ship epitomized the luxuries of
Victorian style. The public rooms in the
first class were full of ornately carved furniture, heavy
velvet
Weave details visible on a purple-colored velvet fabric
Velvet is a type of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are evenly distributed, with a short pile, giving it a distinctive soft feel. By extension, the word ''velvety'' means ...
curtains hung in all the rooms, and they were decorated with the
bric-a-brac that period fashion dictated. These rooms and the first-class cabins were situated on the promenade, upper, saloon, and main decks. There was also a music room, a smoking room for gentlemen, and separate dining rooms for first- and second-class passengers. By the standard of the day, the second-class accommodation was modest but spacious and comfortable.
Cunard
registered ''Umbria'' at
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
. Her United Kingdom
official number
Official numbers are ship identifier numbers assigned to merchant ships by their flag state, country of registration. Each country developed its own official numbering system, some on a national and some on a port-by-port basis, and the formats hav ...
was 91159 and her
code letters
Code letters or ship's call sign (or callsign) Mtide Taurus - IMO 7626853"> SHIPSPOTTING.COM >> Mtide Taurus - IMO 7626853/ref> were a method of identifying ships before the introduction of modern navigation aids and today also. Later, with the i ...
were JPWV.
By early October 1884 she had completed her
sea trial
A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft (including boats, ships, and submarines). It is also referred to as a " shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and ...
s and on 1 November 1884 she set off to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
on her maiden voyage. She was commanded by Captain Theodore Cook, who was Cunard's senior
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
.
[
]
Liverpool-to-New York service
RMS ''Umbria'' started her regular service to New York City from Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
. However, a series of crises brought her North Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe and ...
service to a halt temporarily.
Armed merchant cruiser
Since 1813, there had been tensions between the British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...
and the Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
due to Russia's southward expansion into Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
. In March 1885 the Panjdeh incident
The Panjdeh Incident (known in Russian historiography as the Battle of Kushka) was an armed engagement between the Emirate of Afghanistan and the Russian Empire in 1885 that led to a diplomatic crisis between the British Empire and the Russian ...
caused a war scare, on 26 March the Admiralty
Admiralty most often refers to:
*Admiralty, Hong Kong
*Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964
*The rank of admiral
*Admiralty law
Admiralty can also refer to:
Buildings
* Admiralty, Traf ...
chartered ''Umbria'' and , and ''Umbria'' was fitted out as an armed merchant cruiser
An armed merchantman is a merchant ship equipped with guns, usually for defensive purposes, either by design or after the fact. In the days of sail, piracy and privateers, many merchantmen would be routinely armed, especially those engaging in lo ...
. Shortly after this date the dispute with Russia was settled, and ''Etruria'' was returned to the North Atlantic service, but ''Umbria'' was retained for a further six months as a precaution. She had been fitted with guns and it was thought that should the need arise she would have been a powerful auxiliary to the new ironclad
An ironclad is a steam engine, steam-propelled warship protected by Wrought iron, iron or steel iron armor, armor plates, constructed from 1859 to the early 1890s. The ironclad was developed as a result of the vulnerability of wooden warships ...
navy
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
of the era.
Return to service
In September 1885 ''Umbria'' was released from government service and resumed the Atlantic service. She worked for the next few years without any major incident.[
]
The Blue Riband
In 1887 ''Umbria'' gained the prestigious Blue Riband
The Blue Riband () is an unofficial accolade given to the passenger liner crossing the Atlantic Ocean in regular service with the record highest average speed. The term was borrowed from horse racing and was not widely used until after 1910. T ...
for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic between Europe and North America. when on 29 May she beat her sister ship
A sister ship is a ship of the same class or of virtually identical design to another ship. Such vessels share a nearly identical hull and superstructure layout, similar size, and roughly comparable features and equipment. They often share a ...
's record of the year before. She set off from Queenstown (now Cobh
Cobh ( ,), known from 1849 until 1920 as Queenstown, is a seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. With a population of around 13,000 inhabitants, Cobh is on the south side of Great Island in Cork Harbour and home to Ireland's ...
) in Ireland to cross the North Atlantic, westbound. She got across to Sandy Hook
Sandy Hook is a barrier spit in Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States.
The barrier spit, approximately in length and varying from wide, is located at the north end of the Jersey Shore. It encloses the southern en ...
on 4 April, in 6 days 4 hours and 12 minutes, averaging a speed of and covering a distance of . Her sister ''Etruria'' regained the Blue Riband the following year. On 10 November 1888 ''Umbria'' was outward bound from New York when she collided with and sank the Fabre Line
The Fabre Line or Compagnie Francaise de Navigation a Vapeur Cyprien Fabre & Compagnie was a French shipping line formed in 1881 by Cyprian Fabre. It began operating a small fleet of sailing ships in 1865. Its ports of call included New York, NY; ...
cargo steamship ''Iberia'' near Sandy Hook. ''Iberia''s stern was completely cut off. The blame for this accident was placed upon ''Umbria'', which it was said was travelling at a dangerous speed, said to be .[
]
''Magdalena''
On 12 April 1890 ''Umbria'' set off on her usual voyage from New York City with 655 passengers aboard. Five days out, in mid-Atlantic she sighted the stricken Norwegian barque
A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing ship, sailing vessel with three or more mast (sailing), masts having the fore- and mainmasts Square rig, rigged square and only the mizzen (the aftmost mast) Fore-and-aft rig, rigged fore and aft. Som ...
''Magdalena''. The barque had struck an iceberg
An iceberg is a piece of freshwater ice more than 15 m long that has broken off a glacier or an ice shelf and is floating freely in open (salt) water. Smaller chunks of floating glacially-derived ice are called "growlers" or "bergy bits". The ...
and was waterlogged. She rescued Captain Gunderson and his crew of eight, and before abandoning ship Gunderson finished off ''Magdalena'' by setting fire to her. Four days later all were landed safely at Liverpool.
Propeller shaft failure
On 17 December 1892, ''Umbria'' left Liverpool with, after stopping at Queenstown, 400 passengers aboard along with a large amount of mail. She was due to arrive in New York on Christmas Day
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...
. By 28 December she still had not arrived and speculation as to what had delayed her was growing. News came on 29 December from the steamship ''Galileo'', which had passed her on Christmas Day. She appeared disabled. The master of ''Galileo'' also reported that she displayed three red lights, indicating that she was unmanageable, but did not require assistance. The weather was said to be foul with a severe north-westerly gale. Another steamship called ''Monrovian'' had also passed her but reported ''Umbria'' to be in good shape. On 30 December the steamship ''Manhanset'' reported that again ''Umbria'' did not require assistance and that she was carrying out repairs to a broken shaft. In fact ''Umbria''s troubles had started on 23 December at around 5:25 p.m. Her propeller shaft had fractured at the thrust block. Her main engines were stopped immediately, and ''Umbria'' drifted helplessly in gale
A gale is a strong wind; the word is typically used as a descriptor in nautical contexts. The U.S. National Weather Service defines a gale as sustained surface winds moving at a speed of between 34 and 47 knots (, or ).[steamship
A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...]
''Bohemia'' had agreed to tow the ship to New York, but the line broke around 10 p.m. in the severe storm and visibility was nil. Next morning there was no sign of ''Bohemia'', and once again ''Umbria'' was drifting helplessly. Then came the encounters with the other two steamships, but by 26 December the Cunarder ''Gallia'' and ''Umbria'' had established contact with each other and after some communications between masters, ''Gallia'' had refused to stand by, and carried on her voyage; ''Umbria'' was left to make repairs. The chief engineer achieved this on 27 December and very slowly she set off for New York City. She arrived there at 11 p.m. on 31 December 1892, and her arrival was witnessed by thousands of New Yorkers who had gathered to cheer her safe arrival. When the excitement had died down the recriminations started, which ended when Cunard prepared a statement explaining why ''Gallia'' had continued on without assisting ''Umbria''. Further repairs were carried out on ''Umbria'' and she returned to Liverpool on 4 February 1893. By 1 April she was back on the service.[
]
Stuck in a wreck
In May 1896 the British steamship ''Vedra'' collided with and sank the coal-laden barge
Barge nowadays generally refers to a flat-bottomed inland waterway vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion. The first modern barges were pulled by tugs, but nowadays most are pushed by pusher boats, or other vessels ...
''Andrew Jackson''. At 9 a.m. on 28 June 1896 ''Umbria'' left her pier at the foot of Clarkson Street on the North River. After one hour she was in the ship channel near the turn into Gedney Channel, from Sandy Hook. Here ''Umbria'' struck the sunken wreck of ''Andrew Jackson'' and became stuck fast. All day she remained stuck until the combination of a flood tide and the service of seven tugs managed to free her from the wreck, to the cheers of the Yale
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...
rowing
Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically atta ...
crew who were aboard ''Umbria'' on their way to take part in the Henley Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta (or Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage) is a rowing event held annually on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. It was established on 26 March 1839. It differs from the three ...
. She dropped anchor and divers reported no damage to the ship, so she continued on her voyage.[
]
The Boer War
War broke out in South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
on 12 October 1899, and two months later on 22 December the UK government chartered ''Umbria'' and had her prepared to carry troops and arms to South Africa. She set started her first voyage to South Africa on on 11 January 1900. Aboard were troops of the Derbyshire
Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...
, Durham Durham most commonly refers to:
*Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham
*County Durham, an English county
*Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States
*Durham, North Carolina, a city in No ...
Warwickshire Yeomanry
The Warwickshire Yeomanry was a yeomanry regiment of the British Army, first raised in 1794, which served as cavalry and machine gunners in the First World War and as a cavalry and an armoured regiment in the Second World War, before being amalg ...
. They reached Cape Town
Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...
on 29 January and after calls at Port Elizabeth
Gqeberha (), formerly Port Elizabeth and colloquially often referred to as P.E., is a major seaport and the most populous city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is the seat of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, Sou ...
and other ports she returned to Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
with wounded soldiers. In April she again was back in South Africa and during the relief of Mafeking
Mafikeng, officially known as Mahikeng and previously Mafeking (, ), is the capital city of the North West province of South Africa.
Close to South Africa's border with Botswana, Mafikeng is northeast of Cape Town and west of Johannesburg. In ...
she was in Port Natal (now Durban
Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...
) for the celebrations. She left Cape Town for the last time on 7 June, carrying 600 wounded soldiers. She arrived back at Southampton 19 days later on 26 June, and she was then returned to Cunard to resume her normal role. She was given a complete refit and returned on the New York run on 21 July.[
]
Mafia bomb plot
Both ''Umbria'' and ''Etruria'' returned to the Liverpool – New York service. On 9 May 1903 the New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...
received a letter that said a bomb
A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the Exothermic process, exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-t ...
had been loaded aboard ''Umbria''. The letter said the bomb had been intended for the White Star Line
The White Star Line was a British shipping company. Founded out of the remains of a defunct packet company, it gradually rose up to become one of the most prominent shipping lines in the world, providing passenger and cargo services between t ...
's , but that the bombers had changed their minds because there were a large number of women and children aboard that ship. At noon that day ''Umbria'' was still at her berth and she was due to sail. Immediately the police sealed off the pier
image:Brighton Pier, Brighton, East Sussex, England-2Oct2011 (1).jpg, Seaside pleasure pier in Brighton, England. The first seaside piers were built in England in the early 19th century.
A pier is a raised structure that rises above a body of ...
head and told the captain to delay the sailing. The police searched the ship and found the bomb. It was in a box long by wide and had been placed near the 1st class gangway. One of the police officers tied a rope around the box and lowered it into the sea. When the box was lifted back up and opened, it was found to have of dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents (such as powdered shells or clay), and Stabilizer (chemistry), stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish people, Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern Germa ...
attached to a crude timed fuse. If the bomb had exploded on the ship it would have caused considerable damage. The letter that the police had received also explained that the bomb plot was the work of the Mafia
"Mafia" is an informal term that is used to describe criminal organizations that bear a strong similarity to the original “Mafia”, the Sicilian Mafia and Italian Mafia. The central activity of such an organization would be the arbitration of d ...
, whose aim was to destroy the British shipping interest in the port of New York. To corroborate this information the police had descriptions of two "Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
" men placing the bomb on the pier and the police eventually traced the manufacturer of the bomb back to a Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
lodging house. The ship eventually got under way to Liverpool on 16 May.[
]
Last voyage
By 1908 the careers of ''Umbria'' and ''Etruria'' were coming to an end; however, because of mishaps to, first ''Etruria'' and then to , which was temporarily laid up and later caught fire, ''Umbria'' had a reprieve until 1910. Her last voyage started on 12 February 1910 and her return crossing on 23 February. She arrived in the Mersey
The River Mersey () is in North West England. Its name derives from Old English and means "boundary river", possibly referring to its having been a border between the ancient kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria. For centuries it has formed part ...
for the last time on 4 March 1910, and as soon as her passengers had disembarked, work began on dismantling all her fixtures and fittings. Within days she was sold for scrap for £20,000 to the Forth Shipbreaking
Ship-breaking (also known as ship recycling, ship demolition, ship dismantling, or ship cracking) is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for either a source of parts, which can be sold for re-use, or for the extraction ...
Company, and she was taken to Bo'ness
Borrowstounness (commonly known as Bo'ness ( )) is a town and former burgh and seaport on the south bank of the Firth of Forth in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. Historically part of the county of West Lothian, it is a place within the Falki ...
, Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
. In all she had made 145 round trips to New York.[
]
In popular culture
The ship is featured briefly in the last several episodes of the third and final season of the horror-drama television series ''Penny Dreadful''. When Sir Malcolm Murray, Ethan Chandler, and Kaetenay are returning to London from the United States, ''Umbria'' is the ship they are travelling aboard: as evidenced by the ships appearance, and the name on a life-preserver on the ship.
References
Bibliography
*
*
External links
Cunard Line
Umbria (1884–1910; 7,718 tons)
The Barque Magdalena
Blue Riband record
{{DEFAULTSORT:Umbria RMS
1884 ships
Ocean liners of the United Kingdom
Ships of the Cunard Line
Steamships of the United Kingdom
Victorian-era passenger ships of the United Kingdom