Thalis o Milissios

“Thalis o Milissios” is a specially designed cable steamer. It was built in 1909 at the Newport News Shipyard in Virginia in the United States of America, on behalf of the US Government as SS Joseph Henry. In 1947 it was ceded to Greece and used by the TTT (Post, Telegraph, Telephony) until 1949, when it was transferred to the then newly established OTE. It was the first Greek cable ship that undertook service for the laying and maintenance of telephone cables between the Greek islands. During his service until 1983, when he was decommissioned, he laid 140 new cables and carried out repairs on more than 630 lines of older cables. “Thalis o Milissios” is the oldest cable ship in the world, which still maintains its original engine room with the two original propulsion locomotives. It is still the oldest ship registered in the Greek Register with high level technical specifications. He retired and was about to go for a cut, but on the initiative of ship-owners he was rescued and given in June 1991 by OTE. at the Aegean Maritime Museum which is a public benefit institution under private law and today is anchored in the Maritime Tradition Grove in Trocadero. The Piraeus Port Authority, satisfying a relevant request of the Hellenic Maritime Chamber, approved the reservoir of the floating museum “Thalis o Milissios” without any financial burden, in order for this historic ship to remain navigable and visit able. “Thalis o Milissios” has the peculiarity of being a Floating Telecommunication Museum, because, apart from its old construction, which reflects the technology of its time, it still has intact the steam-powered mechanism of cable laying. In addition, on board there are exhibits that refer to the evolution of telecommunications since the beginning of our century, as well as various related instruments such as optical telegraphs, radar, etc.