Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, Norddeutscher Lloyd steamship Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, longitudinal sctional view. Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

The "Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse" was 649 feet long, 66 feet broad, and 39 feet deep, from main deck to keel. Her register tonnage was 14,349 tons, and displacement 20,000 tons. The powerful engines indicated 28,000 horse power, giving the leviathan an average speed of from 22 to 23 knots per hour. On one voyage from Southampton to Bremerhaven, in the spring of 1900, she attained a speed of 24.05 knots. With a view to increased steadiness the vessel was fitted with bilge keels, with the intention to eliminate the unpleasant rolling motion. The engines were balanced on the Schlick system which prevented movement to be transferred to the body of the ship, thus reducing unpleasant vibration. The special improvement in the arrangement of this steamer, as compared with other express steamers previously built by the Lloyd or other companies, consisted in the entire upper deck, i. e., the best part of the vessel, being used for cabin passenger accommodation, the crew's quarters being placed on the maindeck below. By the enlargement of the upper deck from side to side a good deal of space had been gained. This newly created design was used as a model in the construction of later express steamers. From her first trip across the Atlantic the "Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse" became a popular ship with the travelling public.

Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse off New York. Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

Picture of the S/S Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, Norddeutscher Lloyd steamship - at Cherbourg Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, Norddeutscher Lloyd steamship Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

Steerage passengers on deck of the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

Steerage passengers on the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, NDL Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse - steerage passengers on deck Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse - steerage passengers on deck Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse - steerage passengers 1904. Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse - looking foreward on a voyage in April 1904 Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, passengers on deck Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

Steerage passengers gathered in the fore deck of the ship Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse - steerage passengers on the fore deck Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse - sheltered promenade deck Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse sheltered promenade deck Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

The band playing on the sheltered promenade deck Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse - the boat deck Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse - tender Lloyd alongside at Cherbourg Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

The Captain's cabin with Capt. Heinrich Engelbart

Capt. Heinrich Engelbart

Captian Otto Cuppers posing with a passenger on the deck of the steamer on a voyage in April 1904. Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse - Captian Otto Cuppers posing on the bridge deck of the steamer on a voyage in April 1904 Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse - passengers on deck, a girl looking quite seasick Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse - Capt. Polack posing with passengers 1909. Capt Polack is the officer standing behind the woman Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

Frontal view, with her characteristic bridge-house with the 5 widows Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse - boat deck Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse - Norddeutscher Lloyd steamship, gangway and bridge Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse - Norddeutscher Lloyd steamship Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse - looking aft April 1904. Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse - funnels and ventilators, April 1904 Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

Description of the collision between the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse and the Orinoco off Cerburg in November 1906:

On November 21st, 1906 the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse (Capt. O. Cuppers) which was bound from Bremen to New York, called at Southampton, and then crossed to Cherbourg, where 170 1st class passengers were embarked. When she left Cherbourg shortly after 8 o'clock, she carried 330 1st class, 350 2nd class, and 700 3rd class (steerage) passengers. The Orinoco, bound from Southampton to the West Indies and New York, had 60 1st class passengers, and four in the 2nd cabin. After leaving Cherbourg she was to call at Vigo to embark a number of emigrants for the West Indies and South America. According to one account there was a dense fog, and the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse steamed slowly through the channel leading out of the roadstead, in charge of the French pilot, who was to be dropped off the Casquets. According to another report the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse was rounding the head of the dyke when her Captain perceived the Orinoco and gave two blasts of his whistle as a signal for the Orinoco to keep to starboard. The Orinoco, the report ads, did not respond and the signal was repeated from the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, but still the Orinico did not change her course, and almost immediately afterward crashed into the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse's starboard bow. The Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse was according to the report going at a rate of 18 knots, while the Orinoco was only steaming 3 knots. Capt. Cuppers of the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse was also blamed for discharging the pilot before the vessel was clear of the harbor. The majority of the 3rd class passengers, who were berthed forward, had gone below to arrange their belongings, and many had already retired in anticipation of sea-sickness in the Channel. The 1st class passengers had finished dinner, and many were on deck. Suddenly the outlines of a steamer loomed through the fog on the star board bow of the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, not more than a hundred feet away. The Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse instantly altered her course, but the vessel, which proved to be the Orinoco entering the harbor, kept steadily on, and crashed into the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse with terrific force, driving her steel plates inward and killing four emigrants who were lying in there bunks. So powerful was the impact that the bow of the Orinoco remained locked in the side of the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse for several minutes. When the liners finally drew apart, it was found that a great hole had been driven in the side of the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, while her plates were twisted and bent for a considerable distance along the starboard side. The bow plates of the Orinoco were likewise broken for a distance of five feet, but the damage was much less. Orinoco, Royal Mail Line steamship Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy Orinoco after the collision Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy At Cherbourg after the collision with the Orinoco Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, damages after the collision Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy The emigrants on the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse lost all self control and rushed on deck, shouting for the boats, and fighting madly to reach them. Great alarm likewise existed among the first and second cabin passengers on both liners, and one distracted woman on the Orinoco threw herself into the sea, but was promptly rescued. The captain of the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse sent up distress rockets and made preparations to launch boats, but as the principal damage appeared to be above the waterline he anchored in the roadstead and awaited assistance. The ship's officers and doctors immediately cared for the injured emigrants who had been badly hurt by the collision. The bodies of the four killed outright were badly mangled: They were afterwards identified as: Anna Koucelik, of Bohemia; Georges Muhllbeier, Russian; Samuel Croseint, Russian; Michael Zimbelmann, Russian. An eleven year old girl named Marin Steurer was fatally injured, and died soon afterwards. Eight emigrants were seriously injured. A number of other emigrants were slightly injured by the shock. Three members of the crew of the Orinoco were on duty on the bow of that steamer as she entered the harbor. All were swept overboard by the collision and drowned. The names were: — H. Denny, seaman; F. Hearn fireman; W. Pickett, coal trimmer (all of Southampton). The Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse remained in constant wireless communication with the Marconi station at Nitou, Isle of Wight, and in addition to reporting the accident the operator transmitted hundreds of reassuring messages from the passengers to their friends. Naval tugs and other vessels hurried to the assistance of the damaged liners and the wounded were quickly removed to the municipal hospital. The Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse's passengers were then disembarked. The hole in the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse's hull was about 3ft, above the waterline, 45ft, long, and 30ft. in breadth. The Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse sailed to Bremerhaven under her own steam for repairs, and 60 men were immediately dispatched from the Vulcan Shipbuilding Yard to make the necessary repairs. Some of the ship's plates were doubled up by the force of the impact, as though they had been paper, and in the fold of one of these plates the workmen found a small baby. Happily the child was not injured in any way, though the mother, who must have been standing in the immediate neighborhood at the moment of the accident, was killed. The Maritime Court at Bremerhaven later decided that the collision was due to excusable errors on the part of both captains. The British admiralty board however, found that the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse was to blame for the collision and awarded the Orinoco the verdict and costs. The NDL then appealed against the judgment by The British admiralty board.

The KWdG at the "Neuer Kaiserhaven", Bremerhaven ca. 1900 Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

KWdG in dry dock at Blom & Voss, Hamburg probably in connection with the repairs after loosing her rudder in 1907 Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

Somme of the Captains mastering the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse:

Capt. Heinrich Engelbart Master 1897-1901

Capt. Dietrich Högemann Master 1901-1902

Capt. Otto Cuppers Master 1902-1906

Capt. P. Wettin Master 1907

Capt. Chas Polack Master 1907-1910

Capt. R. Dahl Master 1911-1913

THE RECORD RACE ACROSS THE ATLANTIC - The Hamburg Liner "Deutchland's" Victory, winning the blue riband from the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, when crossing the Atlantic from New York to Plymouth in 5 days 7 hours and 38 minutes

The last days of the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse:

The Kaipara, sunk by the KWdG Aug. 16, 1914 Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

H.M.S. Highflyer which sunk the KWdG on Aug. 26, 1914 Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

Pictures of the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse painted all black taken by a passenger on the R.M.S. Arlanza on Aug. 16, 1914

Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse in battle with the H.M.S. Highflyer Aug. 26, 1914 as seen by Dr. J. C. Dick, surgeon of the Kaipara

Wreck of the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, photo