Helvetia (ship, 1875)
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The Helvetia was a steamship owned by the Zurich Steamboat Society . It was launched in 1875, was in operation on Lake Zurich until 1959 and was scrapped in 1963. The sister ship of Helvetia was the Mont-Blanc on Lake Geneva .
history
The steamships that were on the Lake Zurich between 1835 and 1875 were primarily used for freight transport, while the majority of passenger transport took place on the crossings. The pilgrims on the way to Einsiedeln Abbey who wanted to take a ship to Wädenswil were not very interesting financially. The few tourists were treated as a necessary evil, which only blocked the space on the ships. There was no timetable for the ships on the lake.
In the 1860s, at the suggestion of Theodor Baur , the former owner of the Hotel Baur au Lac in Zurich , two courses were introduced as high-speed trips from Zurich to Rapperswil and back. The success of these courses, the increasing traffic on Lake Zurich and the increase in visitor numbers to be expected thanks to the numerous new railway lines led the steam boat company to order the Helvetia from Escher Wyss in Zurich in 1873 ; the “most beautiful and largest saloon steamer of all Swiss lakes” was to be built.
The steamer was built in Zurich's Seefeld under the direction of Escher-Wyss partner Gustave Naville . On May 27, 1875, took place launching . The maiden voyage , known as the test drive, led on Saturday, June 12th under Captain Maurer to the island of Ufenau , where the invited guests preferred to dine on the ship instead of disembarking and visiting the island. The construction costs amounted to 398,811.98 francs .
business
The Helvetia quickly became a Sunday and festival ship; even if it initially exported on working days. She covered between 1,000 and 4,000 kilometers per season. About 15 trips per month were recorded in the ship's log in the high season, mostly round trips. The Sunday rides with a concert initially cost one franc. In 1922 you paid CHF 3.50 for a round trip from Zurich to Wädenswil and back in 1st class; in 2nd class CHF 2.50.
Because of leaky fire pipes, Helvetia is said to have used too much coal in its early days. A seal is said to have been achieved with potatoes and bean flour in the boiler water. In 1894 new boilers were installed and before the 1903 season the ship was extensively renovated and put on the pile again in 1941.
At rowing regattas, the Helvetia was the escort ship in front of the boathouses. Since all the people were often sitting or standing on the spectator's side, she was then in the water with a considerable list.
The end
When the Federal Office of Transport limited Helvetia's operating license until 1960 and the ZSG began to renew its fleet of motor ships , the end of the large saloon steamer was in sight. On Sunday ?, the 5th? In October 1959 he left for his last trip. With festive flags, the Helvetia drove along the right bank of the lake and crossed the lake at the height of Stäfa in the direction of Wädenswil to the residence of the then Chairman of the Board of Directors, Dr. W. Weber, where it stopped. Weber circled the ship with the small steamer Gambrinus from the Wädenswil brewery. The flag went to half-mast, the crew gathered at the bow and said goodbye to the ship with a three-minute silence. Then the ship's whistle sounded and the journey continued towards Zurich. In total, Helvetia had covered around 200,000 km.
In the same year Helvetia was sold for 50,000 francs to the “G 59” horticultural exhibition, which it used as a floating restaurant. The steamer should then be scrapped. After the exhibition, Helvetia was sold to master hairdresser Schwarz for 35,000 francs, who, however, did not receive a permit for a floating restaurant.
On November 16, 1961, the ZSG towed the ship free of charge to Nuolen in Obersee, where it was located on the Kibag premises . In 1963 the federal court found that Schwarz was responsible for the scrapping of the ship. The ZSG voluntarily paid Schwarz 3000 francs, and Schwarz transferred 2000 francs to Kibag, which scrapped the already half-sunk ship and sank the shell. In 1994 members of the “Oldtimer Boot Club Zürichsee” discovered the “grave” of Helvetia in a marina near Nuolen. They had a memorial plaque attached to the place where the ship's hull is located, commemorating Helvetia .
literature
- Fritz Hunziker (Ed.): Vom Zürichsee ; Verlag Theo Gut, Stäfa 1958; P. 78ff
photos
In the lower lake basin in front of the Bellevue
The Helvetia near the Au peninsula
Nuolen Marina
Memorial plaque
Web links
- Helvetia at the Zürichseedampfer
- Pictures of Helvetia
- The last voyage of Helvetia . NZZ Online from August 18, 2010; from the NZZ of October 25, 1958