Frigorifique

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john sefton
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Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2009 1:59 pm

Frigorifique

Post by john sefton » Wed May 13, 2009 2:21 pm

France has recently (1956) honoured one her great sons among the world's outstanding scientists and engineers by featuring the portrait of Charles Tellier on a French postage stamp, which also depicts the Liverpool-built ship, destined to make the French scientist's name prominent throughout the world some 80 years ago.
The vessel is the Frigorifique, the pioneer refrigerated meat carrier.
Until Tether proved that meat could be transported safely by sea in 1876 the refrigerated ship was a scientist's dream. Yet refrigeration itself is not a new or modern practice. In fact, quite the opposite. The benefits to be derived from the chilling of food, either as a means of preservation or to suit the tastes of the consumer were known to the ancient Greeks and Romans. The Romans are reputed to have made use of natural Ice, which they found on their mountain marches, to preserve the various delicacies they brought from all over conquered Europe to adorn the tables of the Caesars. There is evidence that the Greeks under Alexander the Great drank snow-chilled wine, probably the first record of iced drinks. Ice for preserving food was an export business as early as the 18th century in Baltic countries, and in 1806 a Mr.Tudor, of Boston, Mass., engaged in exporting ice, brought from Wenham Lake and Fresh and Spy Ponds, about 18 miles from that city. Ice was first shipped to Australia from America in 1839 in an American barque which berthed at Moore's Wharf, Sydney, on January 15.
Tellier was not the first man to experiment with congelation. An Englishman named Walker produced ice in the summer of 1783 by means of chemical mixtures and may have been the pioneer in the field. In 1810 the scientist Leslie froze water in an air pump by placing a vessel of sulphuric acid under it.
A contemporary of Tellier, the Australian inventor and scientist, James Harrison, in 1856 patented a machine for manufacturing ice in large blocks for commercial purposes, by means of ether and salt water, his plant being used in Sydney's pioneer ice-making factory opened in 1856, the world's first successful attempt at ice production.
Tellier's honoured title, the "Father of Refrigeration ", is not due to his being the pioneer in the refrigeration field but to his pioneering efforts for the transport of chilled meat carcasses by sea over any distance, and in this field he undoubtedly made history. Tellier, who was born at Amiens in 1828 and died in Paris in 1913, was responsible for a shipment of meat brought at a chilling temperature from Buenos Aires to Rouen as early as 1877; this was in fact the first meat cargo shipped through the Tropics under refrigeration. The Frenchman's work is well described in the book "A History of the Frozen Meat Trade" by Critchell and Raymond. Tellier had invented an ammonia-absorption machine for refrigeration in 1859 and eight years later he produced an ammonia-compression refrigerating plant.
His first essay at shipping meat under refrigeration was in 1868, when with the financial backing of Francisco Lecocq of Montevideo he fitted an ammonia - compression machine into the City of Rio de Janeiro, and shipped 300 kilos of beef from London to South America as a test; the intention was, on the homeward passage, to export meat from Uruguay to France. Unfortunately, 23 days out an irreparable accident occurred to the apparatus, and the meat had to be eaten on board. The temperature used on this pioneer experiment was 32 deg. F.
For his next shipment Charles Tellier used the Frigorifique, which was described as "a somewhat slow steamer."
Not built as a reefer vessel, but as a dry cargo vessel on the yard of Thomas Royden & Sons at Liverpool for the African Steamship Co. (later the Elder Dempster Lines.) 4th December 1869 and launched under the name EBOE. She was built for the West Africa passenger and cargo feeder service, with a white hull and yellow painted funnel.
Tonnage 653 gross, 487 net, dim. 209.8 x 27.3 x 13.4ft.
Powered by a 2-cyl.compound steam engine of 100hp., manufactured by J.Jack & Co., Liverpool, speed 9 knots.
The ship's meat hold was 85ft. long, 25ft. wide and 13ft. high.
Tellier bought the Eboe in Liverpool in 1875 for 210,000 francs (£8,400) on behalf of a company formed in France to import fresh meat from La Plata, Texas or Madagascar. Three of the Tellier refrigerating engines were installed at the stern of the ship which had been appropriately renamed Frigorifique by the French company. All the accommodation forward of the engines was given up to cooled space for meat and the insulating material used was powdered cork and chaff. The Frigorifique sailed from Rouen on September 19, 1876, and arrived at Buenos Aires on December 25, carrying meat from France as a test. "Dark spots" were reported on some of the cargo when inspected by the deputy president of the Argentine Rural Society who also said that "at table they gave us small dishes prepared from the meat, the flavour of the greater part of it was rather unpleasant." The alleged cause of this was the turf brought as ballast.
Considerable difficulty had to be overcome in "assembling" a return cargo of beef before the Frigorifique was able to sail for Rouen, where she arrived August 14, 1877, after a voyage of 104 days; some of the meat when landed there had been preserved for 110 days. A French journal "Le Rappel de Paris," of December 2, 1877 stated that a certain portion of the meat did not arrive in good condition and "rather careful selection had to be made." "But," it added "the problem was solved." There is no mention of the amount realised by the refrigerated cargo of meat. Later in England the London Meat Importation and Storage Company arranged to buy the Frigorifique and to send her out again to South America. Negotiations however fell through and the vessel experienced many vicissitudes, being put up for sale in May 1879.
It was reported that 10 tons of the dessicated beef brought over in the ship reached London. "Not an atom of mould was on it," Mr. Tallerman, of the London Meat Importation and Storage Company, said and added "the meat was like leather, and had lost 30 per cent, of weight, which was regained in cooking."
1881 Sold to Maritime Worms & Co., and again converted in a cargo vessel.
In a bizarre event during thick fog on 19 March 1884 she collided with the British steamer RUMNEY near Ile de Sein off Pointe du Raz on the French coast.
The FRIGORIFIQUE was rammed amidships and engine room and cabins flooded, she took a heavy starboard list, and the crew abandoned the vessel in haste and were taken on board the RUMNEY.
The RUMNEY steamed slowly ahead but suddenly another vessel appeared from out of the fog, steaming straight towards the RUMNEY, and before the RUMNEY could change course or speed, she was rammed by what was identified by the crew as the FRIGORIFIQUE. The RUMNEY now had so much damage that she started sinking, so both crews got in the boats and left the vessel.
Slowly the fog lifted and then the crews saw the FRIGORIFIQUE again, steaming around in great circles.
They boarded the FRIGORIFIQUE where they found that the engine was still running, with her rudder hard on board, but she was so damaged by the second collision that she started to sink and both crews again boarded their boats, and with their own eyes saw the FRIGIRIFIQUE sinking.
Both crews rowed to the shore, and nobody was injured or lost as a result of the loss of the two vessels.
Much of the above information was provided by Auke Palmhof who states that most of his 40 years at sea was on board Dutch reefer vessels which made this stamp issue of particular interest to him.

Sea Breezes September 1956.
France SG1281, St Pierre SG399
Attachments
SG 399.jpg
F1281.jpg

mariof
Posts: 11
Joined: Tue Oct 26, 2010 12:27 am

Re: Frigorifique

Post by mariof » Sun Nov 06, 2011 11:16 pm

I think that the stamp of S.Pierre & Miquelon with legend Le Frigorifique,show the building (is a frigorific) not the ship.
Regards
Mario

john sefton
Posts: 1816
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2009 1:59 pm

Re: Frigorifique

Post by john sefton » Mon Nov 07, 2011 10:53 pm

You are probably right Mario but I will leave the entry so others can make up their own minds. Thanks for your input.

aukepalmhof
Posts: 7771
Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 1:28 am

Re: Frigorifique

Post by aukepalmhof » Thu Dec 09, 2021 3:13 am

France 2021 9 Euro sgMS?, Scott?
Attachments
2021 FRIGORIFIQUE Design-of-Charles-Tellier-Stamp-of-1956 (2).jpg
2021 FRIGORIFIQUE Design-of-Charles-Tellier-Stamp-of-1956 (2).jpg (80.49 KiB) Viewed 1102 times

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