South Tyneside History
| Title | Paddle Steamer Bergen |
|---|---|
| Reference Number | STH0014806 |
| Photographer | Unknown |
| Town or Village | At Sea |
| Date | |
| Original Format | Colour photograph of print |
| Period | c1850s |
| Copyright | South Tyneside Libraries |
| Further Information | Paddle Steamer Bergen. Built by Thomas Toward, Newcastle upon Tyne. Master of the ship was Captain Jacob Reck Ege. It was on Friday 3 December 1852 at 1.00 p.m. that the new steamship entered the harbour. The fortress fired a salute.. The newspaper "Bergens Stiftstidende" reports that many people were scared, assuming that the guns were giving a warning of fire. The experts as well as the public were extremely satisfied with the ship. A full description of it was given in Bergen newspapers of 15 December. It appears from the description that "Bergen", built to the requirements of Lloyd's Register Class A1, was of 476 gross tons. The ship had an overall length of 169 feet and a beam of 24 feet. Aft there was a raised quarterdeck making possible a high ceiling in the first class saloon. This saloon was built of mahogany and upholstered in velvet and there were mahogany tables and gilt fillets. The ship carried 40 passengers in first class, whilst there were 16 "open berths" in second pass. Two funnels and three masts gave the ship a gallant appearance. The average speed on the trial run was 13 knots, very satisfactory considering the technical knowledge at that time. A report written at the time and based on the newspaper articles concluded by saying "the steamship was, as you will understand, in all respects superior to any ship sailing the postal service in these days". |
