RMS Carpathia

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Image:Carpathia.jpg
RMS Carpathia
Career Image:Government Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg
Class and type:Cunard Line transatlantic passenger steamship
Builder:Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson
Laid down: c. 1902
Launched: 1903
Status: Sunk
- torpedoed on 17 July 1918 off the east coast of Ireland by German submarine U-55.
General characteristics
Displacement: 8,600 L/T
Length: 541 feet (164 m)
Beam: 64.5 feet (18 m)
Draught:34 feet 7 inches
Propulsion:8 Cyl Quad. Expans. - Twin Screw
Speed: – service speed: 14 knots
– top speed: 15  knot
Complement: 2,550
 First-class: 100
 Second-class: 200
 Third-class: 2250 (after 1905)

RMS Carpathia was a Cunard Line transatlantic passenger steamship built by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson. Carpathia began its maiden voyage in 1903 and became famous for rescuing the survivors of RMS Titanic after it sank on 15 April 1912.

Contents

[edit] History

The RMS Carpathia was built by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson at their Newcastle, United Kingdom shipyard. Launched on 6 August 1902 and began its sea trials on 22 April 1903 which ended on 25 April. Carpathia was 8,600 tons, 541 feet long (164 m) and 64.5 feet (18 m)in breadth.

Carpathia made her maiden voyage on 5 May 1903 from Liverpool to Boston, USA, and ran service between New York, Trieste and various Mediterranean ports.

[edit] Titanic disaster

Image:Carpathia-54.jpg
Carpathia docked in New York following the rescue of Titanic 's survivors

The Carpathia was sailing east from New York City bound for Gibraltar on the night of Sunday, 14 April 1912. Among her passengers were re-known American painter Colin Campbell Cooper, his wife Emma, journalist Lewis P. Skidmore, photographer Dr. Francis H. Blackmarr and Charles H. Marshall, whose three nieces were traveling aboard the Titanic.

Her wireless operator, Harold Cottam had missed previous messages from the RMS Titanic, being on the bridge at the time.[citation needed] He received messages from Cape Race stating that they had private traffic for the Titanic. He thought he would be helpful and sent a message to the Titanic stating that Cape Race had traffic for them. In reply he received a distress signal. Cottam awakened Captain Arthur Henry Rostron who immediately set a course at maximum speed to Titanic's last known position, approximately 58 miles away. Rostron ordered the ship's heating and hot water to be cut off, so the engines could feed on every ounce of steam. At 4 o'clock in the morning, Carpathia arrived at the scene after working her way through dangerous ice fields. Carpathia was able to save 705 people.[1]

[edit] Aftermath

Image:Molly brown rescue award titanic.jpg
Molly Brown (right) giving Captain Arthur Henry Rostron an award for his service in the rescue of the Titanic

For the rescue work, the crew of the Carpathia were awarded medals by the survivors. Crew members were awarded bronze medals, officers silver and Captain Rostron a silver cup and gold medal, presented by Molly Brown. Rostron was later a guest of President Taft at the White House and was presented with a Congressional Gold Medal, the highest honor the United States Congress could confer upon him.

Carpathia was part of a convoy when it was torpedoed on 17 July 1918 off the east coast of Ireland by German submarine U-55.[2] 157 passengers and the surviving crew were rescued by the HMS Snowdrop the following day. The last sighting was at 02:45am, just as the stern section sank.

[edit] Finding and salvage works

American author and diver Clive Cussler found the wreck in 1999,[3][4][5] at a depth of 500ft.[6] After the submarine attack Carpathia rolled over and landed upside down on the sea floor. It currently lies upside down off the coast of Ireland.

The current owner of the vessel is Premier Exhibitions Inc. (formerly RMS Titanic Inc.) who plans to recover objects from the wreck.[6] The same company owns the salvor-in-possession rights of the RMS Titanic whose artifacts are shown in worldwide exhibitions.

[edit] References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
RMS Carpathia
  1. ^ Titanic Inquiry Project" Electronic copies of British and American inquiries into the disaster accessed 26 August 2006)
  2. ^ R.M.S. Carpathia" A detailed description of the ship; accessed 26 August 2007)
  3. ^ UK Titanic rescue ship 'found'" from http://news.bbc.co.uk; accessed 26 August 2007)
  4. ^ Wreck of the Carpathia, Titanic's Rescuer, Found" from www.numa.net; accessed 26 August 2007)
  5. ^ DISCOVERY OF THE R.M.S. CARPATHIA" from www.titanic-titanic.com; accessed 26 August 2007)
  6. ^ a b Dive to film Titanic rescue ship" from http://news.bbc.co.uk; accessed 26 August 2007)
  • Eaton, John P. and Haas, Charles A. Titanic: Triumph and Tragedy (2nd ed.). W.W. Norton & Company, 1995

[edit] External links

bg:Карпатия

cs:Carpathia de:RMS Carpathia es:RMS Carpathia fr:RMS Carpathia hr:Carpathia it:RMS Carpathia hu:Carpathia (hajó) nl:RMS Carpathia ja:カルパチア (客船) pl:RMS Carpathia ro:Carpathia sr:РМС Карпатија fi:RMS Carpathia

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