The Big Four

 The first decade of the twentieth century saw a series of new vessels designed with the nostalgic, but very practical arrangement of two funnels and four masts.  These ships, among the most notable, HAPAG’s Amerika, were intended to cater to the immigrant trade but also had considerable cargo space.  The four masts had the practical purpose of supporting derricks and booms to handle the freight loaded aboard, but offered a touch of nostalgia for sailing ships. 

In 1901, Harland and Wolff shipbuilders completed the Celtic (1901-1928) for the White StarLine.  At 20,904 GRT and 681 feet in length, she was the largest ship in the world at the time of launch.  As with Oceanic, White Star opted for spaciousness and comfort for passengers rather than speed.    She was the first vessel in a series of similar moderate-speed vessels, dubbed the “Big Four.”  In 1903, the Cedric (1903-1931) joined her sister on the Liverpool-New York run.   

 RMS Baltic steaming out of New York. 1:1250 model by Mercator.

The third ship, Baltic entered service in June 1904 (commanded by Captain Edward J. Smith).  Outwardly, she was identical in appearance to her sisters, but modifications to her design made her 28 feet longer and 2,840 tons heavier.  These modifications made her the largest ship in the world and one of the most popular of the era.

Initially, she was fitted with the same quadruple expansion reciprocating engines as her fleet mates, but these proved to be underpowered due to her increased size.  Modifications were made to the machinery in subsequent overhauls. 

Baltic and tender Magnetic.

The original accommodation was for 425 First, 450 Second, and 2,000 Third class passengers was modified many times throughout her career to keep pace with changing passenger demands including becoming a Cabin-Class Liner in the late 1920s.

Baltic’s career was not without incident and excitement.  In 1907 she ran aground near Sandy Hook and later collided with a coal barge.  In 1909, she rescued survivors from the Republic and Florida collision.  This was the first use of wireless telegraphy to signal distress and receive assistance at sea.  The passengers were transferred in the thick of a foggy night with lifeboats (no mean feat!) and in its own way added to the sense of security that help is never far away in the modern sea lanes. Three years later, Baltic played a small part in the Titanic story.   On April 14, she relayed as message in the afternoon to Titanic warning of ice ahead.  Later that night, Baltic received Titanic’s distress calls and made all possible steam for the location.  However, she was many miles away, and nine hours later she learned of the sinking and thus resumed her original course.

Note the layout of two funnels and four masts.

During the Great War, Baltic was one of the few liners maintained on passenger service early on.  She carried supplies from America to Britain in her spacious cargo holds as well.  In 1915 she was requisitioned as a troopship.  Baltic had a distinguished war record.  She evaded U-Boat attack, carried the first contingent of the US Expeditionary Force, and more than 30,000 US and Canadian soldiers to the trenches in 1918. 

In December 1918, she resumed passenger service from Liverpool and joined her sisters Celtic, Cedric, and Adriatic (the newest and largest of the four).  The ships maintained a steady and popular service throughout the 1920s. 

"RMS Baltic postcard" by Unknown - www.greatships.net. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RMS_Baltic_postcard.jpg#/media/File:RMS_Baltic_postcard.jpg

The Great Depression prompted a slump in passenger traffic and the older vessels such as Baltic were unable to compete with newer modern ships like Britannic and Georgic.   

One by one, the Big Four left service.  Celtic ran aground in 1929 and was declared a total loss.  Cedric was retired and sold for scrap in 1932.  In January 1933, Baltic was sold to Japanese ship breakers and sailed to Osaka for scrapping.  Adriatic was scrapped a year later. 

RMS Baltic (1904-1933) Built for White Star Line by Harland and Wolff, Ltd., Belfast, Northern Ireland.  23,884 GRT; 726 feet long, 75 feet wide.  Steam quadruple expansion reciprocating engines geared to twin screw.  Service speed 16 knots.  As built accommodation for 2,875 total passengers (425 First Class, 450 Second Class, 2,000 Steerage).