National Line
The National Line was a British shipping company and was founded in Liverpool in 1863 to maintain a regular passenger line service to North America. The shipping company's official name was National Steam Navigation Company Ltd.
history
In 1863 the National Steam Navigation Company Ltd. was founded to maintain a regular passenger line service to North America. Initially it was planned to call at the US southern states . But the Civil War , which broke out in 1860 , put an end to this request and so the Liverpool - New York City line became the shipping company's route. The external characteristic of the ships was a white chimney with a black cap and all ships were named after continents, countries and regions.
Since there was already fierce competition on this route, the shipping company looked for a niche in the market and found it in the combined freight and passenger shipping. The ships were equipped for the transport of emigrants with low capacity in 1st class, as well as normal cargo such as grain, flour, cotton and live cattle. Business was going well and the National Line took one of the top positions, not least because the line placed great emphasis on the safety of passengers. The sister ships Spain and Egypt , put into service in 1871 , represented the culmination of this thinking. With 4,670 GRT and 13 knots , they were larger and faster than most other steamers of their time, but remained remarkable unique specimens in transatlantic service. The Egypt holds the record for the highest number (1,767) carried between deck passengers during a voyage.
When the fast Atlantic Greyhounds of the Guion Line appeared at the end of the 1870s , the National Line first tried to participate in the race for the Blue Ribbon . The falling passenger numbers since the beginning of the 1880s were probably the main reason for this decision. In 1884 the America, measured at 5,528 GRT, began operations; At 17.6 knots, the ship did not set a new record, but it was very close and was soon called the Eagle of the Atlantic . The America was the world's first entirely built of steel overseas passenger ship.
However, the ship did not bring about a change for the better for the National Line, because there was no equivalent partner within the shipping company's fleet. The ship was sold as early as 1887 and the end of the shipping company could no longer be stopped. In 1890 the shipping company suffered a serious loss: the steamer Egypt burned out after the loaded cotton had spontaneously burned out in the North Atlantic , and the Erin had been missing since 1889. In 1892 the passenger services had to be stopped. The passengers had lost confidence in the company, but the freight division continued.
In 1894 the National Line was taken over by Atlantic Transport Line Ltd. (ATL) bought. In 1914 the shipping company was voluntarily liquidated and the remaining ships were transferred to the ATL.
National Line passenger ships 1863-1892
| year | Surname | tonnage | shipyard | Status / fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1863 | Virginia | 2876 GRT | Palmers Bros. & Co. Ltd., Yarrow | 1872: 4310 BRT, Greece / 1896 sold for demolition |
| 1863 | Pennsylvania | 2876 GRT | Palmers Bros. & Co. Ltd., Yarrow | 1872: 4276 BRT, Canada / 1894 sold for demolition |
| 1863 (1858) | Louisiana | 2266 GRT | Palmers Bros. & Co. Ltd., Yarrow | ex Hudson sold to NL / 1893 for NDL / 1863 |
| 1864 | Erin | 3325 GRT | Palmers Bros. & Co. Ltd., Yarrow | 1872: 3956 BRT / 1877: 4577 BRT / 1889 lost on the Atlantic |
| 1864 | Ontario | 3325 GRT | Palmers Bros. & Co. Ltd., Yarrow | Stranded and abandoned near Norfolk, UK in 1864 |
| 1865 | The Queen | 3412 GRT | Laird Bros. & Co. Ltd., Birkenhead | 1896 decommissioned and sold for demolition |
| 1865 | Helvetia | 3318 GRT | Palmers Bros. & Co. Ltd., Yarrow | 1872: 3982 BRT / 1877: 4588 BRT / 1893 sold |
| 1865 | Scotland | 3308 GRT | Palmers Bros. & Co. Ltd., Yarrow | After collision at 1866 Sandy Hook (New Jersey) dropped |
| 1866 | England | 3308 GRT | Palmers Bros. & Co. Ltd., Yarrow | 1874: 4898 BRT / sold for demolition in 1896 |
| 1866 | Denmark | 2870 GRT | T. Royden & Sons Ltd., Liverpool | 1895 decommissioned and sold for demolition |
| 1867 | France | 3572 GRT | T. Royden & Sons Ltd., Liverpool | 1875: 4281 BRT / 1896 sold |
| 1870 | Italy | 4179 GRT | John Elder & Co. Ltd., Glasgow | 1894 decommissioned and sold for demolition |
| 1871 | Egypt | 4670 GRT | Liverpool SB Co. Ltd., Liverpool | Burned out on the Atlantic in 1890 |
| 1871 | Spain | 4512 GRT | Laird Bros. & Co. Ltd., Birkenhead | 1896 decommissioned and sold for demolition |
| 1884 | America (I) | 5528 GRT | J. & G. Thomson Ltd., Glasgow | In 1887 sold to the Italian Navy and renamed "Trincaria" |
National Line cargo ships 1894–1914
| year | Surname | tonnage | Status / fate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1891 | America (II) | 5302 GRT | Transmitted to ATL 1907, in Memphis renamed |
| 1891 | Europe | 5302 GRT | Transmitted to ATL in 1907 and in Meobile renamed |
| 1896 (1890) | Michigan (I) | 3732 GRT | 1890 / / sold for ATL 1896 NL 1898 US Army and USS Kilpatrick renamed |
| 1896 (1890) | Mississippi | 3732 GRT | 1890 / / sold for ATL 1896 NL 1898 US Army and USS Burford renamed |
| 1898 | Manhattan | 8004 GRT | Transferred to ATL in 1914 |
| 1899 | Michigan (II) | 9510 GRT | started as Belgia for Hapag , in 1904 to Dominion Line Ltd. sold and renamed Irishman (II) |
| 1904 (1897) | Michigan (III) | 8001 GRT | ex Irishman (I) for Dominion Line Ltd. / 1904 transferred to NL / 1914 to ATL |