PREUSSEN

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TXT:

http://www.angelwind.com/prussia/preussen.html

A five-masted full-rigged steel ship built in 1902 by John C. Tecklenburg, Gestemünde. Her dimensions were 124,25×16,30×8,24 meters [407'8×53'6×27'1] and tonnage of 5081 GRT, 4788 NRT and displacement of 11150 tons. The midship island was 93 ft long. Equipped with Jarvis' Patent brace winches for the lower and top-sail yards. The fall winches were of Hall's Patent. The sail-area was 5560 square meters [59.770 sq feet]. In a thorough analysis of sailing ship performance conducted by Captain M. Prager at the Deutschen Seewarte and published in Annalen der Hydrographie in 1905 under the title Die Fahrtgeschwindigkeit der Segelschiffe auf großen Reisen, figures based on the first four voyages of the Preussen were presented. According to Prager, the best average performance of the Preussen was 13,7 knots in a force 8 wind "backstags" or 9-15 points from the wind. The corresponding figure for the Potosi was 13,1 knots in a force 9 wind. In her 13 nitrate voyages the Preussen loaded between 7729 and 7998 metric tons of nitrate. On the 18th of June 1899 the German Kaiser Wilhelm II, who showed a keen interest in naval matters, visted the F. Laeisz company and was shown around the five-masted barque Potosi by the legendary Captain Hilgendorf. At the end of the tour the Kaiser turned to Carl Laeisz and asked: "Na, Laeisz, wann kommt denn nun das Fünfmastvollschiff?"

On November 7th, 1910, Preussen was run down by the Newhaven-Dieppe cross-Channel steamer Brighton shortly before midnight. The Brighton had misjudged the speed of the big sailing ship and tried to cross her bow but struck her abreast the foremast and the bowsprit and the fore-rigging of Preussen was damaged. The Preussen's bowsprit sheared off the steamer's funnel and broke off and the Brighton was holed. With Preussen heavily damaged, she had a hard time steering. The Preussen dropped anchor off Dungeness, but both anchor chains parted in the rising wind. The two assisting tugs which were trying to get Preussen into the eastern entrance of the Dover harbor were not able to hold her against the wind and had to let her go. She subsequently drifted ashore at Dover at about 16:30 and was lost. Preussen's cargo consisted of general cargo, cement, and 100 pianos.