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PS Avalon
PS Avalon was an iron paddle passenger vessel built on the River Thames for the Great Eastern Railway in 1864 for their ferry services from Harwich to Rotterdam and Antwerp. Before the end of that year she was bought by British interests to assist with the commissioning of the Confederate iron-clad CSS Stonewall, and renamed City of Richmond. After the war she was renamed Agnes Arkle and sold in Brazil in 1865.
Following the sale of the first vessel, the Railway company ordered a replacement Avalon, which was completed in 1865, to restore a three-ship fleet. After 23 years' service, she was sold, and after conversion to screw propeller propulsion, bought by a Norwegian who worked her in the Caribbean. She was wrecked in Jamaica in 1909.
In 1863 the Great Eastern Railway (GER) commenced cargo and cattle services to the Continent from Harwich, using chartered ships, and at the same time ordered a trio of large passenger ships from the Thames-side shipbuilder J & W Dudgeon at Cubitt Town, London. Avalon was the first to be launched, on 26 March 1864, and was christened by the wife of the GER chairman, James Goodson. He already owned a yacht named Avalon, after the mythical Arthurian island associated with Glastonbury, where he had family connections. In its report of her trial trip on 22 May 1864 from Tilbury to the Mouse Light, she was described by the Essex Standard:
She is a paddle-steamer of 220-horse-power; her cylinders are 54 inches in diameter, with a stroke of 4 feet six inches. Their mean propulsion is 42 revolutions a minute, with a pressure of 28lbs., and a vacuum of 27 in. The paddles which are 16 feet in diameter, are fitted with feathering floats, 8 feet 6 inches long, by 2 feet 10 inches broad. Each engine is fitted with 2 air-pumps, and a separate condenser, so that they are perfectly independent one of the other; and in the event of any break down in the machinery of one, the power of the other will remain intact, and be sufficient to propel the vessel. They are fitted with bilge and feed pumps and a link motion, so as to work the steam expansively. The vessel is 230 feet in length, the breadth of her beam is 27 feet, her depth 13 feet, and her tonnage (builder’s measurement) 830 tons. She draws 6ft 10in. of water fore, and 7 ft. 2 in. aft; and her speed is estimated to average from 13 to 14 knots.
Avalon had accommodation for 250 1st class and 60-70 2nd class passengers. Prior to entering service, she was made available on 4 June 1864 to the Royal Harwich Yacht Club (of which Goodson was Commodore) to cruise to view the participants in the Royal Thames Yacht Club's annual Thames-Harwich yacht race. Avalon inaugurated the GER's twice-weekly Harwich-Rotterdam route on 9 June, and a month later was joined by sister ship Zealous.
The shallow waters of the Brielle Bar at the mouth of the River Maas, could only be passed safely close to high water, leading to complaints over delays in the fixed time schedule. The GER consequently decided to introduce a "tidal service" from 2 September 1864. On the previous day, after an overnight positioning voyage from Harwich to Rotterdam without passengers, and in charge of a Rotterdam pilot, Avalon passed inside the Hook of Holland but ran aground at Maassluis. She was refloated with the assistance of tugs from Rotterdam on 3 September without material damage.
In December 1864 shipowner Edwin Golbourne of Tranmere, Cheshire, acquired Avalon on behalf of the Crenshaw Company, a Confederate blockade running firm, and renamed her City of Richmond. The Confederacy's chief purchasing agent, James Bulloch hired the ship to covertly supply the iron-clad CSS Stonewall after acquisition in Denmark, then with the cover-name Olinde. City of Richmond officially cleared Customs at London for Bermuda in the new year, and sailed from Greenhithe on 11 January. Thirteen days later, commanded by Lieutenant Hunter Davidson, she rendezvoused with Stonewall off Belle Île, on the coast of Brittany, France, then sailed to Ferrol, Spain, to transfer stores, as well as additional crew from CSS Rappahannock and CSS Florida. From Ferrol, City of Richmond sailed to Bermuda and then Nassau, Bahamas.
After the end of the American civil war, City of Richmond was sold to George Arkle of Liverpool and renamed Agnes Arkle. She was sent to Brazil for sale, arriving in Rio de Janeiro on 12 September 1865 and was chartered in December by the French passenger liner company Messageries Impériales for their feeder service from Rio de Janeiro, its Trans-Atlantic terminus, to the River Plate. By 8 December Agnes Arkle was reported sold to the Brazilian Packet Company for 175 million reís. In early January 1866 concern was reported that Agnes Arkle was overdue at Bahia, six days out from Rio de Janeiro, carrying 2 million reís in Government notes.
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PS Avalon
PS Avalon was an iron paddle passenger vessel built on the River Thames for the Great Eastern Railway in 1864 for their ferry services from Harwich to Rotterdam and Antwerp. Before the end of that year she was bought by British interests to assist with the commissioning of the Confederate iron-clad CSS Stonewall, and renamed City of Richmond. After the war she was renamed Agnes Arkle and sold in Brazil in 1865.
Following the sale of the first vessel, the Railway company ordered a replacement Avalon, which was completed in 1865, to restore a three-ship fleet. After 23 years' service, she was sold, and after conversion to screw propeller propulsion, bought by a Norwegian who worked her in the Caribbean. She was wrecked in Jamaica in 1909.
In 1863 the Great Eastern Railway (GER) commenced cargo and cattle services to the Continent from Harwich, using chartered ships, and at the same time ordered a trio of large passenger ships from the Thames-side shipbuilder J & W Dudgeon at Cubitt Town, London. Avalon was the first to be launched, on 26 March 1864, and was christened by the wife of the GER chairman, James Goodson. He already owned a yacht named Avalon, after the mythical Arthurian island associated with Glastonbury, where he had family connections. In its report of her trial trip on 22 May 1864 from Tilbury to the Mouse Light, she was described by the Essex Standard:
She is a paddle-steamer of 220-horse-power; her cylinders are 54 inches in diameter, with a stroke of 4 feet six inches. Their mean propulsion is 42 revolutions a minute, with a pressure of 28lbs., and a vacuum of 27 in. The paddles which are 16 feet in diameter, are fitted with feathering floats, 8 feet 6 inches long, by 2 feet 10 inches broad. Each engine is fitted with 2 air-pumps, and a separate condenser, so that they are perfectly independent one of the other; and in the event of any break down in the machinery of one, the power of the other will remain intact, and be sufficient to propel the vessel. They are fitted with bilge and feed pumps and a link motion, so as to work the steam expansively. The vessel is 230 feet in length, the breadth of her beam is 27 feet, her depth 13 feet, and her tonnage (builder’s measurement) 830 tons. She draws 6ft 10in. of water fore, and 7 ft. 2 in. aft; and her speed is estimated to average from 13 to 14 knots.
Avalon had accommodation for 250 1st class and 60-70 2nd class passengers. Prior to entering service, she was made available on 4 June 1864 to the Royal Harwich Yacht Club (of which Goodson was Commodore) to cruise to view the participants in the Royal Thames Yacht Club's annual Thames-Harwich yacht race. Avalon inaugurated the GER's twice-weekly Harwich-Rotterdam route on 9 June, and a month later was joined by sister ship Zealous.
The shallow waters of the Brielle Bar at the mouth of the River Maas, could only be passed safely close to high water, leading to complaints over delays in the fixed time schedule. The GER consequently decided to introduce a "tidal service" from 2 September 1864. On the previous day, after an overnight positioning voyage from Harwich to Rotterdam without passengers, and in charge of a Rotterdam pilot, Avalon passed inside the Hook of Holland but ran aground at Maassluis. She was refloated with the assistance of tugs from Rotterdam on 3 September without material damage.
In December 1864 shipowner Edwin Golbourne of Tranmere, Cheshire, acquired Avalon on behalf of the Crenshaw Company, a Confederate blockade running firm, and renamed her City of Richmond. The Confederacy's chief purchasing agent, James Bulloch hired the ship to covertly supply the iron-clad CSS Stonewall after acquisition in Denmark, then with the cover-name Olinde. City of Richmond officially cleared Customs at London for Bermuda in the new year, and sailed from Greenhithe on 11 January. Thirteen days later, commanded by Lieutenant Hunter Davidson, she rendezvoused with Stonewall off Belle Île, on the coast of Brittany, France, then sailed to Ferrol, Spain, to transfer stores, as well as additional crew from CSS Rappahannock and CSS Florida. From Ferrol, City of Richmond sailed to Bermuda and then Nassau, Bahamas.
After the end of the American civil war, City of Richmond was sold to George Arkle of Liverpool and renamed Agnes Arkle. She was sent to Brazil for sale, arriving in Rio de Janeiro on 12 September 1865 and was chartered in December by the French passenger liner company Messageries Impériales for their feeder service from Rio de Janeiro, its Trans-Atlantic terminus, to the River Plate. By 8 December Agnes Arkle was reported sold to the Brazilian Packet Company for 175 million reís. In early January 1866 concern was reported that Agnes Arkle was overdue at Bahia, six days out from Rio de Janeiro, carrying 2 million reís in Government notes.