Ancient Vessels Tall Ships Pirate Ships Sailboats Riverboats Classic Boats Classic Yachts Modern Yachts Half Hulls    Ocean Liners    Cruise Ships    Merchantmen Exploration Tugboats Civil War Spanish War Warships Aircraft Carriers Coast Guard Metal Models Submarines Other Types Large Models Small  Models  Clearance deals! Display cases Repair Service Remote Control COMMISSIONING

Paypal payment Guarantee View Cart Shipping  About Us Why Us Contact Us Work Opportunity Feedback News

   256-bit encryption
 $500,000 protection
    
 

SS REPUBLIC

SS Republic was a sidewheel steamship that was lost in a hurricane off the coast of Georgia in October 1865. She was launched in 1853 as SS Tennessee.

Not long after her completion, the Tennessee was sent on the first trans-Atlantic crossing by a Baltimore steamship, sailing to Southampton, England, and Le Havre, France. A short time later Tennessee was used to open the first regular passenger steamship service between New York City and Central America.

During the California Gold Rush, the Tennessee transported people to the eastern shores of Panama and Nicaragua to travel to California's Sierra Nevada mountains.

Tennessee, for several years, regularly served the Vera Cruz, Mexico–New Orleans route, often transporting immigrants to America as well as large sums of Mexican gold and silver. She was  seized for use as a Confederate blockade runner as the CSS Tennessee when the American Civil War began. After the Union capture of New Orleans, the ship was put into armed Union service, including as the flagship of United States Navy Admiral David G. Farragut for the conclusion of the Mississippi Campaign. As USS Tennessee, she was not only a fast and effective blockade ship in the West Gulf Squadron, but also a powerful gunship used to bombard Ft. Morgan during the Battle of Mobile Bay.

In September 1864, the USS Tennessee was renamed USS Mobile to allow a famous Confederate armored ram ship to carry the name Tennessee after its capture. This second CSS Tennessee had been taken during a dramatic encounter at Mobile Bay. USS Mobile was damaged in a hurricane off the mouth of the Rio Grande in October 1864. She was sold at auction in March, 1865, renamed SS Republic, repaired, and returned to the New York–New Orleans route hauling passengers and cargo.

On her fifth civilian voyage after the war, the SS Republic left New York on October 18, 1865, bound for New Orleans. She was carrying passengers and a cargo of $400,000 in coins, mostly in gold $10 and $20 pieces, intended for use as hard currency after the Civil War. A hurricane off the coast of Georgia sank the ship at 4 pm on October 25, 1865. The passengers and crew escaped in four lifeboats and a makeshift raft in 40-foot seas throughout the night. It was not until two days later, on October 27 that the survivors were found by the sailing ship Horace Beals. Most of the passengers and crew survived. All the coins were lost.

In August 2003, the wreck of the SS Republic was located by Odyssey Marine Exploration about 100 miles southeast of Savannah, Georgia, in about 1,700 feet of water. A salvage effort recovered about one-third of the rare 19th-century gold and silver coins carried aboard, worth an estimated $75 million. Most of the hull of the ship is now gone, but the rudder, parts of the paddle wheel and the steam engine are still present.

We build this primarily wood SS Republic model the following sizes:

30" long $3,490 Shipping and insurance in the contiguous US included. Other places: $400 flat rate.

24" long  $2,990  Shipping and insurance in the contiguous US included. Other places: $300 flat rate.