Bjornstjerne Bjornsen

LAUNCH AT WEST HARTLEPOOL

Northern Daily Mail, Dec 29/09

Yesterday, Messrs. William Gray and Company, Limited, launched the steel screw steamer Bjornstjerne Bjornson, which they have built to the order of Mr. Vilhelm Torkildsen, of Bergen, Norway.

She will take the highest class in the British Corporation register,  and is of the following dimensions, viz.: Length over all, 422ft. 6 in.; breadth, 54ft., and depth, 28ft. 11in., with two decks laid,  long bridge, poop, and top-gallant forecastle. The saloon, staterooms, captain’s, officers, and engineers’ rooms, etc., will be fitted up in houses on the bridge deck, and the crew’s berths in the forecastle.

The hull is built with deep bulb angle frames, clear holds, cellular double bottom, and large aft and fore-peak ballast tanks. There are also provided ten steam winches, the exhaust steam being carried back to engine room, steam gear amidships, hand screw gear aft, patent direct steam windlass, shifting boards, stockless anchors, telescopic masts fore and aft rig, boats on deck overhead, and ventilation sufficient for the Eastern trade. The vessel is fitted with electric light and all requirements for a first class cargo steamer.

Triple-expansion engines are being supplied by the Central Marine Engineering Works of the builders, having cylinders 26in., 42 in., and 70in. diameter, with a piston stroke of 48in., and four steel boilers for a working pressure of 180lbs. per square inch.

The hull and machinery have been built under the superintendence of Mr. C. L. Dahl and Captain J. S. Reinertsen, on behalf of the owners, and the ceremony of naming the steamer Bjornstjerne Bjornson was gracefully performed by Mrs. McGlashan, West Hartlepool.

TRIAL TRIP OF THE s.s. BJORNSTJERNE BJORNSON
 
 (Northern) Daily Mail, Feb 10/10

Yesterday, the steel screw steamer Bjornstjerne Bjornson, built by Messrs. Wm Gray and Co, Ltd, to the order of Mr. Vilhelm Torkildsen, of Bergen, Norway, had her trial trip.
 
The ship is the largest that has been built for Norwegian owners and takes the highest class in the British Corporation register. Her principal dimensions are : Length over all, 422ft. 6 in.; breadth, 54ft., and depth, 28ft. 11in. She has two decks laid, long bridge, poop, and top-gallant forecastle. The saloon, staterooms, captain, officers, and engineers’ rooms, etc., are fitted up in houses on the bridge deck, and the crew’s berths in the forecastle.

The hull is built with deep bulb angle frames, clear holds, cellular double bottom, and large aft and fore-peak ballast tanks. There are also provided ten steam winches, the exhaust steam being carried back to engine room, steam gear amidships, hand screw gear aft, patent direct steam windlass, shifting boards, stockless anchors, telescopic masts fore and aft rig, boats on deck overhead, and ventilation sufficient for the Eastern trade. The vessel is fitted with electric light and all requirements for a first class cargo steamer.

Triple-expansion engines have been supplied by the Central Marine Engineering Works of the builders, having cylinders 26in., 42in., and 70in. Diameter, with a piston stroke of 48in., and four steel boilers for a working pressure of 180lbs. per square inch.
The vessel has been constructed under the superintendence of Mr O. L. Dahl and Captain J. S. Reinertson and these gentlemen represented the owner on the trial: the British Corporation were represented by Mr. Halvert, the shipbuilders by Mr. Brydon, junr., and the engine builders by Mr. Maurice S. Gibb.

After the usual manoeuvring for adjustment of compasses, etc., the vessel was taken to the Tyne to load, and on the way round averaged a speed of 10 ½ knots, everything worked satisfactorily.
    

An early photo of the steamship Bjornstjerne Bjornson.