Britannic
1874
(Optatus OPT-S-10)
- Type: Passenger
- Displacement: 5,004 tons
- Dimensions: 455 x 45 ft.
- Machinery: Maudslay, Sons & Field four-cylinder, tandem compound steam engine, one screw, 4,900 ihp = 15 knots
- Passengers: 1,720 (220 first class, 1,500 third class)
- Crew: 135
- Builder: Harland & Wolff, Ltd, Belfast, Ireland
- Launched: 3 Feb 1874 (Yard No.83)
- Service: Built for the White Star Line's Liverpool-Queenstown-New York service. Laid down as Hellenic but renamed Britannic before launch. Initially fitted with adjustable propeller shaft which could be raised or lowered to adjust thrust; not successful in practice and removed after nine voyages. Maiden voyage 25 Jun 1874. Held westbound and eastbound records, with both passages in less than 7.5 days. In 1881 she collided with and sank Julia off Belfast; later stranded in fog at Kilmore, Ireland. Collided with Celtic in fog 200 miles of Sandy Hook on 19 May 1887. Collided with and sank brig Czarawitz in Liverpool Bay in 1899. Final transatlantic voyage 16 Aug 1899 before becoming Boer War troopship as Transport No 62. Nov 1900 painted white and sent to represent Great Britain at inauguration of the Australian Commonwealth. At Belfast Oct 1902 for refitting, she was condemned after examination. Broken up at Hamburg 1903.
Up