Built under yard No. 31 as a wooden paddle steamer by William H.Webb at New York for a consortium of 33 persons headed by Charles H.Marshall of the Black Ball Line of New York.
30 Jan. 1847 keel laid down.
20 August 1847 launched under the name UNITED STATES.
Tonnage 1.857 tons, dim. 81.9 x 12.2 x 7.0m., beam over paddle boxes 19.5m., draught 4.7m.
Powered by two side-lever steam engines, manufactured by Theodosius F.Secor & Braistatt, New York. 375 nhp., speed 10 knots. Coal consumption 48 tons a day, bunker capacity 860 tons coal on either side of the engines and the orlop deck.
Passenger accommodation for 10 first class, 50 second class.
Cargo space on the main deck for 900 tons cargo, but part of this space could be when necessary being converted into staterooms.
Barkantine rigged.
Building cost $270.000.
26 Feb. and 14 March, trials under command of Capt. William G.Hackstaff.
08 April 1848, sailed from New York for her maiden voyage under command still of Capt Hackstaff, made the crossing New York – Liverpool in 13 days and 20 hours. Carried this voyage 46 passengers, fare $ 120.
She was the first American vessel solely propelled by steam to enter the River Mersey.
17 May 1848 sailed from Liverpool with 43 passengers and arriving New York quarantine station 14 days later, having met, severe bad weather from Cape Clear to the Grand Banks.
By stiff competition of the Cunard Line, who dropt freight rates so drastically, she could not find any freight against a profit, and Marshall decided to drop Liverpool as his European terminus for Le Havre in France.
10 June 1848, sailed New York in the first voyage in the new service, arrived Cowes 23 June, and after a call at Southampton sailed to Le Havre.
12 July 1848 sailed from Le Havre with 112 passengers including the new French Ambassador to the United States, and the largest cargo ever shipped from Le Havre to New York.
Arrived off Sandy Hook 12 days 16 hours later.
05 Aug. 1848 second voyage in this service New York-Southampton-Le Havre.
Her homeward voyage was not so lucky, with 80 passengers and a large cargo, she touched at Cowes on 3 September, then down the English Channel off the Scillies, she got problems when a defective casting in one of the condensers gave way. Had to return to Southampton for repair, her passengers were transferred to the HERMANN and the others to the ACADIA.
She was repaired by Smith & Ashby in Southampton.
12 October 1848 sailed and arrived on 26 October at New York, after a long delay because of dense fog.
Marshall discovered that a single steamship running a two month interval service and without a mail subsidy was too costly, and as an experiment sent the UNITED STATES on a single voyage to New Orleans via Havana from New York. Sailed New York 04 Nov. 1848 where she arrived 14 November. Fares $ 75 for first class and $25 for steerage passengers. Her return voyage she made in 6 days 8 hours. It looks the experiment was not successful, she made only one voyage.
06 Dec. 1848, made her last voyage in the service between New York-Southampton and Le Havre. Arrived 20 December at Le Havre, sailed 9 January 1849 from Southampton; met 17 successive days of westerly gales. After passing the Grand Banks ran into an even severe storm and simultaneously, floating ice, which damaged her paddleboxes and paddles? Had to make a call at Halifax for repair and bunkering.
03 Febr. 1849 sailed from Halifax.
05 Feb. arrived at New York.
Further sailings were advertised for March, May and July 1849.
In February 1849 Marshall and his shareholders accepted an offer from the Confederated German States Weiland Deutsche Reichsflotte) to purchase the UNITED STATES for $265.000.
She was refitted in a warship by the builder of the vessel; he removed her uppermost deck, reducing her rig.
Armed with 3 – 25 cm. pivot guns and 8 - 20cm howitzers.
Because of the war over Schleswig-Holstein the UNITED STATES sailed from New York for Liverpool on 31 May 1849 with an American crew and under command of Capt. Nathaniel Palmer.
The first of June she ran aground on the Nantucket Shoal’s, she was refloated, but during the voyage damaged one of the boilers, it had been taken out of service.
16 June 1849 arrived at Liverpool, where her boiler was repaired, and was she handed over to the German Confederated States, she was renamed HANSA.
Aug. 1849 arrived at Geestemünde, en 18 March 1850 commissioned as flagship of the Deutsche Reichsflotte at Brake, and commanded by Admiral Rudolf Brommy.
The Deutsche Reichsflotte was short-lived and disbanded by the German Bundestag on 02 April 1852, the ships of the Reichsflotte sold.
During a public auction at Bremen sold on 16 March 1853 to W.A.Fritze & Co. at Bremen.
She was again converted in a passenger vessel with an accommodation for 50 passengers in the first class and 700 steerage passengers, crew 70.
Put in the service with emigrants from Bremen to New York.
30 August 1853 first voyage under Capt. Ludwig Geerken, arrived 20 Sept. with on board 48 cabin and 469 steerage passengers, fare $ 100 for cabin and $40 for steerage passengers. During the passage she got trouble with one of the cylinders, and the last part of the voyage could use only one cylinder. Not a fast passage, she was passing above Scotland on the voyage to New York.
She made then an other three voyages between Bermerhaven and New York. Carried on her last two voyages 659 and 754 passengers.
1855 Chartered by the British Government to carry troops and supplies to the Crimea.
24 March 1855 as Transport No. 206 she sailed from the Thames for Genoa by way of Spithead, Gibraltar and Marseilles where she arrived 20 April. Returned to England and handed back to her owners by 18 November, then laid up at Bremen.
Made again a voyage in the emigrant trade from Bremerhaven sailed on 09 April 1857 bound for Boston, where she arrived on 29 April, short of coal, and landed 78 passengers. Arrived New York on 2 May, with 505 passengers.
07 May sailed from New York and arrived Bremerhaven 24 May, with 93 passengers.
The HANSA under command of Capt. Geerken arrived at Cowes on 10 Oct. 1857, chartered by the Honourable East India Company as a transport during the Indian Mutiny.
After returned to her owners she was sold on 19 May 1858 by John Orr Lever, a Manchester business man, who had together with associates established the Atlantic Steam Navigation Co. (Galway Line), to run a steam ship service between Galway –Halifax and New York.
Renamed in INDIAN EMPIRE, tonnage 2.516 tons.
29 May 1858 inspected at Southampton by a large number of guests.
13 June 1858 sailed from Southampton for Galway but by entering the port she was not so lucky, she struck a submerged rock, and was slightly damaged.
19 June 1858, first voyage for her new owner in the new service, with only 12 passengers and some mail, got a broken piston rod, and had to sail part of the voyage on one engine, arrived 12 days later at Halifax, 17 days to New York.
23 July sailed from New York, arrived Galway 05 August, by entering the port hit again a submerged rock, and was sent to Southampton for repairs.
28 Sept. 1858 sailed from Galway, with on board more as 400 passengers, delayed by bad weather during the voyage and had to put in at Newport, Rhode Island for coal. Arrived New York 14 October with on board 250 passengers.
23 October sailed from New York, due to engine problems and had to make a call at Halifax for repairs, sailed from that port on 30 October.
When in a position about 300 miles from Galway encountered heavy weather, and had to hove to for 7 days. Run out of coal and had to burn cotton from her cargo, woodwork and spars to reach Broadhaven, Ireland on 26 November. After arrival laid up.
.
1862 Purchased by Z.C.Pearson of Hull, who brought her to the Thames for repair. When at anchor off Deptford, caught fire and badly gutted she sank; both decks and masts were gone but the bowsprit, paddleboxes and stack remained.
After the fire towed to the Victoria Dock in London.
04 May 1866 she sprang a leak and sank in the Victoria Dock. Most probably scrapped thereafter as she lay.
St Thomas & Prince 1984 8d sg?, scott755d
Source: Palmer List of Merchant Vessels. North Atlantic Seaways. Navicula.