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SS Nieuw Amsterdam (1905)

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For other ships with the same name, see List of ships named Nieuw Amsterdam.

Official postcard of Nieuw Amsterdam
History
Netherlands
NameNieuw Amsterdam
NamesakeNew Amsterdam
OwnerHolland America Line
Port of registryRotterdam
RouteRotterdam – New York
BuilderHarland & Wolff, Belfast
Yard number366
Laid down21 January 1904
Launched28 September 1905
Completed6 March 1906
Maiden voyage7 April 1907
Refit1925, 1930
Identification
Fatescrapped 1932
General characteristics
Typeocean liner
Tonnage16,967 GRT, 10,174 NRT, 17,363 DWT
Length600.3 ft (183.0 m)
Beam68.9 ft (21.0 m)
Draught34 ft 1+1⁄2 in (10.40 m)
Depth35.6 ft (10.9 m)
Decks3
Installed power1,767 NHP, 11,000 ihp
Propulsion
Speed16 knots (30 km/h)
Capacity
  • passengers:
    • 1906: 440 1st class, 246 2nd class, 2,200 steerage
    • 1925: cabin class & tourist class only
    • 1930: 442 1st class, 202 2nd class, 636 3rd class and 1,284 4th class
  • cargo: 631,000 cubic feet (17,868 m3) grain,
  • 578,000 cubic feet (16,367 m3) bale
Sensors and
processing systems

SS Nieuw Amsterdam was a steam ocean liner that was launched in Ireland in 1905, completed in 1906 and scrapped in Japan in 1932. Holland America Line (HAL) owned and operated her throughout her career. She was the first of four HAL ships to have been named after the former Dutch colony of New Amsterdam. She was the largest and swiftest ship in the company's fleet until Rotterdam entered service in 1908.

Building

Harland & Wolff laid down the ship in Belfast as yard number 366 on slipway number 1[1] on 21 January 1904. She was launched on 28 September 1905 and completed on 6 March 1906. Her registered length was 600.3 ft (183.0 m), her beam was 68.9 ft (21.0 m) and her depth was 35.6 ft (10.9 m). Her tonnages were 16,967 GRT, 10,174 NRT and 17,363 DWT. She had berths for 440 first class, 246 second class and 2,200 steerage passengers. Her holds had capacity for 631,000 cubic feet (17,868 m3) of grain, or 578,000 cubic feet (16,367 m3) of baled cargo.[2]

Nieuw Amsterdam was the first HAL ship to have quadruple expansion steam engines. She had twin engines driving twin screws. The combined power output of her two engines was rated at 1,767 NHP or 11,000 ihp. They gave her a speed of 16 knots (30 km/h). She had four masts, and was the last HAL ship to be equipped with auxiliary sails. She never used them.[1]

HAL registered the ship at Rotterdam. Her code letters were PMSV.[3]

Career

Nieuw Amsterdam joined HAL's Potsdam, Rijndam, Noordam on the route between Rotterdam and New York via Boulogne.[4] She began her maiden voyage on 7 April 1907.[1]

Steinway & Sons grand piano in Nieuw Amsterdam's music room

Nieuw Amsterdam's boat deck was glazed-in in 1908. She represented the Netherlands at the Hudson–Fulton Celebration in September and October 1909. Her bridge deck was extended in 1910.[1]

By 1910 Nieuw Amsterdam was equipped for submarine signalling, and the Marconi Company had equipped her for wireless telegraphy.[5] By 1913 her wireless telegraph call sign was MHB,[6] but by 1914 it had been changed to PEB.[7]

On 15 April 1912 White Star Line's RMS Titanic sank with the loss of 1,517 lives. Under public scrutiny after the disaster, other companies admitted that their passenger ships carried too few lifeboats. Holland America Line was one of them, and the company duly had five more lifeboats installed aboard Nieuw Amsterdam, positioned on her poop deck.[1]

Waterline representation of Nieuw Amsterdam after five lifeboats were added to her poop in 1912

As tension increased between the European powers in 1914, Nieuw Amsterdam alternated between periods in service and periods laid up. Early in August 1914 she repatriated 1,700 US citizens from Europe. In 1917, when the USA seized 88 Dutch ships by angary, Nieuw Amsterdam repatriated 2,300 members of their crews.[1]

After the Armistice of 11 November 1918, she made HAL's first post-war crossing to New York, leaving Rotterdam on 21 December 1918. In 1925 HAL had Nieuw Amsterdam refitted as a two-class ship, with cabin class and tourist class only.[1]

By January 1929 her route included calls at Southampton and Halifax, Nova Scotia as well as Boulogne.[8] At Halifax she served Pier 21, which had opened in March 1928. Between 1929 and 1931 she called at Pier 21 a total of 32 times.[9]

In 1930 she was refitted as a four-class ship, with berths for 442 first class, 202 second class, 636 third class and 1,284 fourth class passengers.[2] Also by 1930, her navigation equipment included wireless direction finding.[10] Her final transatlantic voyage to New York began from Rotterdam on 2 October 1931.[1] She called at Halifax on 11 October.[11] She arrived back in Rotterdam on 27 October.[2]

In February 1932 HAL sold her for scrap for 137,000 guilders. On 12 May 1932 she arrived in Osaka, where Torazo Hashimoto scrapped her.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Nieuw Amsterdam". Harland & Wolff The Yard. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d "Nieuw Amsterdam – ID 4633". Stichting Maritiem-Historische Databank (in Dutch). 17 May 2023.
  3. ^ Lloyd's Register 1906, NID–NIK.
  4. ^ Dowling 1909, p. 321.
  5. ^ Lloyd's Register 1910, NIE–NIK.
  6. ^ The Marconi Press Agency Ltd 1913, p. 270.
  7. ^ The Marconi Press Agency Ltd 1914, p. 415.
  8. ^ "25 January 1929". Nieuw Amsterdam I. Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  9. ^ "Nieuw Amsterdam I". Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  10. ^ Lloyd's Register 1930, NIE–NII.
  11. ^ "11 October 1931". Nieuw Amsterdam I. Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21. Retrieved 17 May 2023.

Bibliography

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