RMS Cedric

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Career	Image:Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg
RMS Cedric
Image:R.M.S. Cedric of Liverpool.jpg RMS Cedric
Nationality	British,
Port	Liverpool,
Owner:	White Star Line.
Service:	Liverpool to New York
Ordered:	1902
Builder:	Messrs Harland & Wolff,Ltd,Belfast.
Launched:	August 21st, 1902
Maiden voyage:	February 11th, 1903
Fate:	Scrapped, Thos. W. Ward and scrapped at Inverkeithing in 1932.
General characteristics
Tonnage:	21,073 gross tons
Length:	681 feet overall
Beam:	73 feet
Depth	44 feet.
Decks	5.
Propulsion:	2 quadruple expansion, 4 cylinder reciprocating steam engines, 1400 shaft horse power. Twin screw.
Speed:	17 knots
Paintwork	Black hull with gold line, red boot-topping, upper works white, funnels buff with black tops.
Complement:	1,223 passengers, 486 officers and crew.

The R.M.S. Cedric was laid down in 1902 at the shipyard of Harland & Wolff, Belfast. R.M.S. Cedric was the second of White Star's series known as the "Big Four", the other three being RMS Celtic (1901), RMS Baltic and RMS Adriatic (1907). The R.M.S. Celtic was the first ship to exceed Brunel's Great Eastern in overall tonnage, which was quite an accomplishment, considering Brunel's giant ship held the size record for almost 40 years. Except for the Adriatic all of these in turn, when built, would be the largest ship in the world for a short time. The R.M.S. Cedric was a 21,035 gross ton ship, length 680.9 ft x beam 75.3 ft, two funnels, four masts, twin screw and a speed of 16 knots. There was accommodation for 365 First, 160 Second and 2352 Third Class passengers. She was launched on August 21, 1902, and R.M.S. Cedric commenced her maiden voyage from Liverpool to New York on February 11, 1903. This was the only route on which she was ever used, although Cedric was also sometimes used for winter cruises to the Mediterranean.

Image:Cedric at Liverpool.jpg

ABSTRACT OF THE SHIPS LOG, LIVERPOOL TO NEW YORK OCTOBER 21ST 1908

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1 TRANS-ATLANTIC SERVICE
2 PHOTOGRAPHS
3 REFERENCES
4 LINKS

[edit] TRANS-ATLANTIC SERVICE

For the next 11 years she plied the Atlantic crossing with out any major incident. When the Titanic sank in April 1912 the Cedric was in New York and her departure was delayed until the RMS Carpathia arrived with survivors, including crew members not required for the Court of Enquiry, who wished to travel back to Liverpool. The Cedric however had to sail without any of the Titanic’s survivors or crew due to their mandated appearances for testimony at the U.S. Inquiry. Her last voyage on the Liverpool-New York service started October 21, 1914 after which she was she was requisitioned for war service, and she was then converted to an Armed Merchant Cruiser. The Cedric was Decommissioned in 1916, and then she was converted into a troopship for operation initially to Egypt and then to the USA. In April 1917 her operation came under the auspices of the Liner Requisition Scheme. On January 29, 1918 the Cedric collided with, and sank the Canadian Pacific ship "Montreal" off Morcambe Bay. The Montreal was taken in tow but sank the next day 14 miles from the Mersey Bar lightship. She was returned to her owner in September 1919 and refitted by Harland & Wolff. She was refitted to accommodate 347 First, 250 Second and 1000 Third Class passengers. She resumed Liverpool - New York voyages. On 30 September 1923 the Cedric collided with R.M.S Scythia II of the Cunard Line in Queenstown(Cobh) harbour during dense fog. Neither vessel was seriously damaged. On October 23, 1926 she was again altered to Cabin, Tourist and Third Class. Her last Liverpool - New York sailing commenced September 5, 1931 and she was sold later the same year, for £22,150 to Thos. W. Ward and scrapped at Inverkeithing in 1932.