SS Koning der Nederlanden

The sinking of SS Koning der Nederlanden (oil painting by J. Eden from 1881)
History
Name: Koning der Nederlanden
Operator: Stoomvaart Maatschappij Nederland
Port of registry: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Builder: John Elder & Company, Glasgow
Yard number: 150
Fate: Sunk on 5 October 1881
General characteristics
Type: Passenger ship
Tonnage: 3,063 GRT
Length: 107.3 m (352 ft)
Beam: 12 m (39 ft)
Draft: 6.5 m (21 ft)
Propulsion: Two-cylinder compound steam engine (400 hp); single shaft
Speed: 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)

SS Koning der Nederlanden was a Dutch liner of the Stoomvaart Maatschappij Nederland. She served from 1872 until her sinking in 1881 in the Indian Ocean while en route from Batavia to Amsterdam. Three of her lifeboats, with a total of 90 passengers and crew, were never found.

History

The 3063 ton steamship Koning der Nederlanden was built in Scotland at the John Elder & Company shipyard in Govan, Glasgow.[1] The ship was launched on September 5, 1872 and proceeded on her maiden voyage. The iron hull was 107.3 meters long and 12 meters wide, and had a maximum draft of 6.5 meters. The two-cylinder 400 hp compound steam engines had a single screw, and provided a cruising speed of ten knots (18.5 km/h).

SS Koning der Nederlanden helped move passengers, freight and the post between Amsterdam and the Dutch East Indies. Her name translates to the "King of the Netherlands". She was built for the Dutch shipping line Stoomvaart Maatschappij Nederland (SMN), also known as "Netherlands Steamship Company" in the English-speaking world. The company's ships maintained regular passenger and freight traffic between the Netherlands and the Dutch East Indies. They had a trademark chimney design, with a black band on top of a yellow-brown funnel.

On Tuesday October 4, 1881, the ship's drive shaft broke in the middle of the Indian Ocean, while on the way from Batavia (now Jakarta) to Amsterdam, allowing water into the vessel. Upon the sea water flooding the engine room, Captain Bruyns ordered an evacuation of the ship. All 216 passengers and crew members left the ship. The ship began to sink slowly, and Sank by the stern in the following day, October 5. The closest island was Diego Garcia in the Chagos Archipelago, 400 nautical miles (740 km) away.[2] Of the six lifeboats launched from the steamship, three were found and rescued, but the remaining three boats, with a total of 90 passengers and crew, disappeared without trace.

At that time screw propulsion was already recognized as more efficient than paddle propulsion, but the construction of long drive shafts that were strong and yet flexible was still problematic.

The wreck of the Koning der Nederlanden is located at 5°14′S 64°7′E / 5.233°S 64.117°E / -5.233; 64.117.

An oil painting by artist J. Eden, depicting the disaster, hangs in the Netherlands Maritime Museum.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Technical and historical data of the Koning der Nederlanden archived 6 Oct 2011 from Original
  2. ↑ ship data in the Clyde Built Ships Database archived 24 Sep 2006 from Original
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