View source for SS Rotterdam (1872)

{{Other ships|List of ships named SS Rotterdam{{!}}SS Rotterdam}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}}
{{more citations needed|date=September 2015}}

{|{{Infobox ship begin |infobox caption=}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=Netherlands
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|The Netherlands}}
|Ship name= ''Rotterdam'' (1872–1883)
|Ship namesake=Rotterdam, the Netherlands
|Ship owner=[[Holland America Line]]
|Ship operator=
|Ship registry={{flagicon|United Kingdom|civil}} Renfrew, Scotland, United Kingdom
|Ship route=
|Ship ordered=11 February 1871
|Ship builder=[[Henderson, Coulborn and Company]]
|Ship original cost=£ 30,000
|Ship yard number=127
|Ship way number=
|Ship laid down=22 June 1871
|Ship launched=6 June 1872
|Ship completed=October 1872
|Ship christened=6 June 1872 by Jacoba Helena Hus (daughter of Jacob Hus, Rotterdam's first captain)
|Ship acquired=
|Ship maiden voyage=15 October 1872
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship identification=
|Ship fate=Wrecked 26 September 1883
|Ship notes= 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class=
|Ship type=[[Passenger ship]]
|Ship tonnage={{GRT|1,694}}
|Ship length={{cvt|81.8|m|ftin}}
|Ship beam={{cvt|10.7|m|ftin}}
|Ship height=
|Ship draught=
|Ship draft=
|Ship depth={{cvt|8.7|m|ftin}}
|Ship Armament=
|Ship decks=2
|Ship deck clearance=
|Ship ramps=
|Ship ice class=
|Ship sail plan=
|Ship power=1 × 4 cyl quadruple expansion engine
|Ship propulsion=Screw propeller and sails
|Ship speed={{convert|10.5|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship capacity= *296 Passengers
** 8 First Class
** 288 Third Class
|Ship crew=46
|Ship notes= She had a bunker capacity 1524 tons of coal.
}}
|}

'''SS ''Rotterdam''''' was a [[The Netherlands|Dutch]] [[passenger ship]] that ran aground and sunk on the Zeehondenbank near the Dutch island of Schouwen, while she was travelling from [[New York City|New York]], [[United States]] to [[Rotterdam]], [[The Netherlands]].

== Construction ==
''Rotterdam'' was constructed in 1872 at the [[Henderson, Coulborn and Company]] shipyard in [[Renfrew]], [[Scotland]], [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]]. She was completed in 1872 and launched on 6 June 1872. She was named ''Rotterdam'' after the [[Rotterdam|Dutch city of the same name]].

The ship was {{convert|81.8|m|ftin}} long, with a beam of {{convert|10.7|m|ftin}} and had a depth of {{convert|8.7|m|ftin}}. The ship was assessed at {{GRT|1,694}} and had 2 decks. She had a four-cylinder quadruple expansion engine driving a single screw propeller but she could also use her ten sails for propulsion. The engine was rated at {{convert|1300|ihp|lk=in}}.<ref name=SSM>{{cite web |url=http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?295 |title=SS Rotterdam I (+1883) |publisher=Wrecksite |date= |accessdate=26 September 2015}}</ref>

== Career==
She commenced her maiden voyage on 15 October 1872, sailing from Rotterdam, the Netherlands to [[New York City|New York]], United States, via [[Plymouth]], United Kingdom.  On board were 10 Cabin class passengers, 60 emigrants and 600 tons of cargo. The crossing was made in 14 days and 6 hours. This was also the first voyage of an own ship for the company. The ship left New York on 5 November 1872 to return to Rotterdam.<ref name=SAM>{{cite web |url=http://www.cruise-australia.net/hal-holland-america-line.htm |title=Holland-America Line |publisher= |date= |accessdate=26 September 2015}}</ref>

=== The Boston Forger escape ===
Some excitement occurred on 28 January 1876 when ''the [[New York Times]]'' reported that the well-known "Boston Forger" Mr. E. D. Winslow, had escaped from the United States to [[The Netherlands|Holland]] by taking passage on the ''Rotterdam''. He had his family (3 persons), a [[bankers draft]] for 3,700 Dutch Guilders and $200,000 in gold coins with him. He was followed by two detectives but they only traced him to the [[Holland America Line|Holland America]] docks by the time the ship had sailed. As the United States had no extradition treaty with the Netherlands, his escape was complete.

=== The 1879 incident ===
On 29 November 1879 the ''[[New York Herald]]'' reported that the arrival of the ship created quite a stir as she arrived minus her foremast and her steerage quarters completely wrecked. The ship had left Rotterdam on 8 November 1879 and should have arrived, with good weather, in New York on 20 November. Some ferocious weather had caused considerable damage to the ship and had resulted in a delay of six days as she docked on 26 November 1879. There were no reports about any casualties.

=== New boilers ===
In early 1883 the ship was refurbished and new boilers installed at the yard of the [[Nederlandsche Stoomboot Maatschappij]] in Rotterdam. (2,040 Brt.) This improved the fuel consumption considerably. The ship returned to service but only made a few crossings.

== Sinking ==
On 26 September 1883, ''Rotterdam'' was on her 65th voyage from New York to Rotterdam when she ran ashore on the Zeehondenbank near the Dutch island of [[Schouwen]]. All 56 passengers survived the incident and were evacuated from the ship by the ''Zierikzee'' (a local fishing vessel, adapted for use as a lifeboat) and landed safely ashore. The crew arrived shortly after having been transferred to the tugboat ''Nieuwesluis'' which had been sent out after the stranded ship had sent out a request. Later on a second tugboat, the ''Hellevoetsluis'' was dispatched. However, the ship was sitting so high up on the bank that very little could be done.

Then the weather turned for the worse and the abandoned ship broke into two pieces on 12 October 1883 due to the pounding waves building up over the [[sandbank]]. Eventually the hull disappeared under the sea. Those items that could be salvaged were sold by public auction on 29 October 1883.<ref name=ASM>{{cite web |url=http://www.hollandamericablog.com/holland-line-ships-past-and-present/1872-the-s-s-rotterdam-i/ |title=Rotterdam (I) |publisher= |date=2013 |accessdate=26 September 2015}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Holland America Ships}}
{{1883 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rotterdam (1872)}}
[[Category:Steamships of the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Ships sunk with no fatalities]]
[[Category:Ships built on the River Clyde]]
[[Category:Passenger ships of the Netherlands]]
[[Category:1872 ships]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in September 1883]]