|
''Murtaja'' was a Finnish state-owned steam-powered icebreaker. Built in 1890 by Bergsunds Mekaniska Verkstads AB in Stockholm, Sweden, she was the first state-owned icebreaker of Finland and one of the first purpose-built icebreakers in the world.〔Jones, S. A history of icebreaking ships. Ocean Sovereignty, Vol. 3, No. 1, 2008. Page 55.〕 ''Murtaja'' remained in service for 68 years until she was decommissioned and broken up in 1958 after having been replaced by the diesel-electric ''Karhu''. == Background == The history of winter navigation in Finland dates back to the 17th century when mail was carried year-round between Turku, Finland and Grisslehamn, Sweden, over the Sea of Åland. During the winter season, the postmen used ice boats, strengthened sleigh-boats that were pushed over the ice until it gave in under the weight of the boat. Once in water, the men began rocking the boat back and forth until it slowly began to break the ice and proceed towards open water. The mail route was often called the most dangerous in Europe.〔Laurell 1992, p. 14.〕 In the 1860s there were plans to start year-round traffic from the Hanko, the southernmost tip of the continental Finland, but even people in the Finnish Pilot and Lighthouse Authority were doubtful about the project – the director's aide was quoted saying that this close to the 60th parallel north winter traffic to Hanko would forever be a distant dream. Despite the opposition, a harbour and railway connection were built in 1872–73. Several domestic and foreign shipping companies attempted year-round traffic with varying commercial success, but the port of Hanko remained closed for several months nearly every year.〔Laurell 1992, p. 17-19.〕 In 1889, the Finnish factory owners encouraged the Danish shipping company Det Forenede Dampskibs-Selskab to send their icebreaker, ''Bryderen'', to the northern Baltic Sea and try to open a path to the icebound port of Hanko. ''Bryderen'', the most powerful icebreaker in Europe at that time, had steam engine and could easily break ice up to thick. As word got around, people in the Senate of Finland became interested in the experiment as its result would affect the general opinions regarding icebreakers and winter navigation.〔Laurell 1992, p. 23-24.〕 On 16 April 1889, two steamships were spotted approaching the lighthouse of Russarö from the south and news about unidentified vessels coming through the ice field began spreading immediately. The ships were the icebreaker ''Bryderen'' and a 912-ton cargo steamer ''Vesuv'',〔Ramsay 1949, p. 142.〕 owned by the Danish shipping company, that was following on the channel broken by the icebreaker. During the following night, the icebreaker lost all four propeller blades, but once the replacement blades had been installed, the convoy arrived at the port of Hanko on 20 April 1889 at 13:00. Large headlines in the major Finnish newspapers reported how the ice blockade had finally been broken — a foreign icebreaker had come through the ice and was now moored at a Finnish port.〔Laurell 1992, p. 24-26.〕 The successful arrival of ''Bryderen'' was seen as the definite answer to the question whether or not an icebreaker would be needed in Finland.〔Ramsay 1949, p. 144.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Murtaja (1890 icebreaker)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|