Westernland (ship, 1883)
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The Westernland was a passenger ship put into service in 1883 by the Belgian-American shipping company Red Star Line , which was used in passenger traffic on the Antwerp - New York route. The ship was scrapped in 1912.
The ship
The 5736 GRT steel steamship Westernland was built at the Laird Brothers shipyard in the English port city of Birkenhead and was launched there on August 4, 1883. She was the largest ship to date that was launched at this shipyard. The ship, 134.11 meters long and 14.38 meters wide, had two chimneys, four masts , a straight stern , a four-leaved steel single screw and accommodation for 80 passengers in the first, 60 in the second and 1,200 in the third class. There was space for 5,000 tons of cargo in the holds.
The corridors that led to the lounges and cabins were mostly paneled with teak and decorated with satin wood trim. The main saloon, decorated with bird's eye maple, was at the forward end of the main deck and had electric lights, ventilation and a skylight . In a deckhouse above the main salon was the gold-colored women's salon. The promenade deck and the smoking room were also found above the salon. The electric lamps used in the salons and cabins were from Siemens Brothers & Co. Of the four decks, three were constructed entirely of steel. The ship was powered by a high pressure and a compound steam engine that developed 4,000 PSi and had a top speed of 14 knots (25.9 km / h). The necessary steam was generated in four steel double-ended boilers with 24 furnaces.
On November 3, 1883, the Westernland sailed under the Belgian flag on her maiden voyage from Antwerp to New York. The command was Captain William G. Randle, who had been in service for the Red Star Line for years and commanded many of its ships. In the morning hours of November 27, 1886, the Westernland was hit head-on on a journey from Antwerp to New York by two successive monster waves , which four crew members and two passengers were killed and at least 15 people were injured.
The Westernland traveled this route until 1901 when it was handed over to the American Line ( American Steamship Company ) based in Philadelphia . For this shipping company it ran for the first time from Liverpool to New York in May 1901 with space for 170 passengers in second and 1,200 in third class . In 1906 the Westernland again completed three crossings for the Red Star Line in the Antwerp-New York service, after which it went back to the American Line. In September 1908 the ship cast off on its last voyage for the American Line from Liverpool to Philadelphia. In 1912 the Westernland was finally scrapped.