RMS Columbia

Columbia was the final ship of the original quartette that launched Cunard’s transatlantic service.

Built by Robert Steele and Company at Greenock, she was technically identical to her three sisters, but she achieved a level of individual fame, thanks to her speed and her unfortunate end.

The Columbia followed the design set down by Britannia. She was 1,150 tons, 63 metres long [207ft] and 10 metres wide [34ft] without the paddle wheels.

Her two-cylinder side-lever steam engines were by Robert Napier and Sons, and produced 550 kW [740 ihp], giving her a top speed of 9 knots (17 km/h [10 mph]).

The ship was launched on 14 September 1840, and she entered service in 1841. Despite having the same design as her fleet mates, she earned a reputation as a fast ship.

She captured the transatlantic record for the fastest westbound crossing from Brunel’s Great Western in April 1841, and secured the eastbound record in April 1843.

But her career was short-lived. On 2 July 1843, while on a voyage from Boston to Halifax, the Columbia struck Devil’s Limb Reef at Seal Island, Nova Scotia. The ship was a total loss, yet the incident is remembered for the successful evacuation of all passengers and crew without any loss of life.

The wrecking of the Columbia forced Samuel Cunard to commission an immediate replacement to maintain the line’s strict mail schedule. With the loss of the Columbia, the original identifal class of four was broken; leading to the introduction of the slightly larger and more powerful Hibernia-class vessels.

Image by Unknown author, Public Domain via Commons.