Joseph Bell, Chief Engineer on the R.M.S. Titanic

Joseph Bell we know served as  engineering department Chief of S S Suevic, that made her maiden voyage on the 23rd of March 1901.  It is thought that this was the 44th vessel built by Harland & Wolff in Belfast for the White Star Line.  She had a gross tonnage of 12482 tons, measured 565ft long, a beam of 63ft and a depth of 40ft and was at that time one of the largest ships afloat.

Suevic was specially built to provide the service for the Liverpool-Cape Town-Sydney route.  On her outward voyages she carried troops to the Cape and on return, Australian contingents to the Boar War.

Captain Alford R.N.R. was in command and his officers and crew numbered 146.  The ship’s Chief Engineer was Joseph Bell, who with his fellow engineers below decks maintained the smooth running of the engines driving twin propellers.  There were auxiliary engines, one of which  for example, produced  50 tons of fresh water from saltwater every 24 hours; others were utilized for pumping out the ship’s tanks, for distributing water for the ship’s sanitary purposes, for refrigerating and illuminating the ship with electricity.  There were five boilers, which required around 9000 tons of coal to sustain them for a round voyage.  There was refrigeration capacity for 100,000 carcasses of mutton and additionally accommodating 20.000 bales of wool.