Ships That Carried the Name Savannah
A number of ships carried the name "Savannah." They included warships and merchant vessels. One of the most important was the SS Savannah, the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Near the turn of the 20th century two steamers named the City of Savannah connected Savannah merchants and travelers with the ports of New York and Boston. In March 1938, the U.S. Navy commissioned a light cruiser christened USS Savannah. In honor of the first steamship Savannah, the first nuclear powered merchant ship was named NS Savannah in 1959.
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Ocean Steamship Company of Savannah Advertisement
City of Savannah 1907
City of Savannah 1877
USS Savannah (CL-42)
Launched in 1937, the light cruiser patrolled waters that ranged from the Georgia Coast to Brazil, Hawaii, the British Isles and North Africa. CL-42 supported U.S. naval operations that transported President Franklin to the historic Yalta conference. USS Savannah earned three battle stars for World War II service.
Steam Ship Savannah
The SS Savannah's remarkable voyage from Savannah to Liverpool, England in 1819 marked "one of the world's maritme epochs." While critics called the 300-ton steamship a "steam coffin," Captain Moses Rogers navigated the elegant vessel through the North Sea to Russia and back to Savannah. Europeans hailed Rogers as the "Columbus of trans-Atlantic navigation." After several round trips from New York to Savannah the ship wrecked off Fire Island, New York on November 5, 1821.
SS Savannah's Collapsible Paddle Wheel
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Paddle wheels on the Savannah rotated at 18 revolutions per minute and could be folded to reduce drag while the ship was under sail.
Cutaway View of NS Savannah's Reactor
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NS Savannah is equipped with a uranium dioxide fueled reactor with a maximum power rating of 80 thermal megawatts. During its service,NS Savannah consumed 163 pounds of uranium, the equivalent of 29 million gallons of fuel oil.
Nuclear Ship (NS) Savannah
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In 1955, President Eisenhower proposed construction of a nuclear powered merchant vessel to promote the visionary Atoms for Peace program. NS Savannah was hailed as a "bold and enterprising experiment in the daring and distinguished annals of American science and seafaring." The 596-foot ship had cargo capacity of 9,900 tons and accommodated 60 passengers. From 1962 to 1972, NS Savannah operated as an experiment to assess the feasibility and cost effectiveness of nuclear power in commercial shipping. Due to high operating costs, the ship was
taken out of service in 1972. NS Savannah was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1991 and is currently moored of Newport News, Virginia.
Marker is on East River Street, on the left when traveling east.
Courtesy hmdb.org
