SS Parthia (1870)

SS Parthia/Victoria

SS Parthia of the Cunard Line.
History
United Kingdom
Name	Parthia
Namesake	Parthia
Owner	Cunard Line 1870–84 John Elder & Co. 1884 Guion Line 1884–92
Operator	Cunard Line 1870–83 Guion Line 1885–87 Canadian Pacific Railway Company 1887–91
Ordered	Late 1860s
Builder	William Denny and Brothers in Dumbarton
Cost	£94,970
Yard number	148[1]
Laid down	2 February 1870
Launched	10 September 1870
Decommissioned	1883 (by Cunard)
Maiden voyage	17 December 1870
In service	1870–83 1885–92
Out of service	1883–85 1891–92
Renamed	Victoria
Refit	1892
Fate	Rebuilt and renamed Victoria
United Kingdom
Name	Victoria
Owner	Guion Line 1892 Northern Pacific Steamship Company 1892–98
Operator	Northern Pacific Steamship Company 1892–98
Route	Tacoma, Washington to Hong Kong 1892–98
In service	1892–98
Out of service	1892 (was undergoing refit)
Fate	Transferred to American registry in 1898
United States
Name	Victoria
Owner	North American Mail Steamship Company 1898–1901 Northern Pacific Steamship Company 1901–04 Northwestern Steamship Company 1904–08 Alaska Steamship Company 1908–52 Dulien Steel Products 1952–54
Operator	North American Mail Steamship Company 1898–99 United States Army 1899–1900 North American Mail Steamship Company 1900–01 Northern Pacific Steamship Company 1901–04 Northwestern Steamship Company 1904–08 Alaska Steamship Company 1908–41 U.S. War Administration 1941–47
Route	Puget Sound to Nome, Alaska (1900–08) Seattle, Washington (1908–40?)
Acquired	1898
In service	1898–1924 1924–35 1938–47
Out of service	1924 (major refit) 1935–38 1947–54
Renamed	Straits No. 27
Reclassified	Cargo only vessel as of 1940
Refit	1924
Fate	Converted into a barge in 1954
Notes	Extensive refit in 1924, converted to oil fired boilers, raised superstructure and enclosed bridge to the ship's hull.
Canada
Name	Straits No. 27
Owner	Straits Towing and Salvage Company 1954–56
Operator	Straits Towing and Salvage Company 1954–56
Commissioned	1954
Decommissioned	1956
In service	1954–56
Renamed	Straits Maru
Fate	Sold to Japanese ship breakers
Japan
Name	Straits Maru
Owner	Japanese ship breakers
Port of registry	Osaka
Fate	Scrapped at Osaka in 1956
General characteristics
Type	Ocean liner (1870–1900) Coastal passenger liner (1900–40) Cruise ship (1934–40?) Cargo ship (1940–54) Barge (1954–56)
Tonnage	3,167 GRT
Length	360.5 ft (110 m)
Beam	40.3 ft (12 m)
Propulsion	screw propeller. Re-engined with Triple-expansion steam engines in 1885.
Sail plan	Barque (as Parthia)
Speed	13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph)
Capacity	200 first class passengers and 1,050 third class passengers (as Parthia)

SS Parthia (1870–1956) was an iron-hulled transatlantic

Under her new owners, the

In 1952, she was sold for scrap to Dulien Steel Products, a firm on Lake Washington. Instead, she was converted into a barge and used by the Straits Towing and Salvage Company as the Straits No. 27 until 1956. Later that year she was renamed Straits Maru and scrapped in Osaka.^[3]

History

Following the bankruptcy of its rival, the

On December 17, 1870, the Parthia embarked on her maiden voyage from Liverpool to New York City. Only able to travel 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph), Parthia was not able to take the Blue Riband, which was held at the time by Cunard's paddle steamer Scotia. Nevertheless, Parthia's performance was admirable and she quickly became the best vessel in Cunard's fleet and one of the top ocean liners on the Atlantic.^[4] Unlike her larger sisters, Abyssinia and Algeria, the Parthia was fitted with more efficient compound steam engines, reducing the space needed to carry coal. The extra space allowed Parthia to carry more freight. Another difference from her two sisters was her slightly thinner funnel.^[4]

In 1871, Cunard once again faced competition, when the

At only nine years old, Parthia had already become an obsolete vessel in a world of rapid progress. Her life with Cunard was wearing thin. On October 27, 1881, Parthia was used as a troopship during the Mahdist War, backing up General Charles George Gordon with his attack on Khartoum. The following year, Parthia ran aground while attempting to avoid a collision with the liner St. Germain.^[4]

Guion service

In November 1883, Parthia made her 119th and final crossing for Cunard. After returning to Liverpool, Parthia was laid up. As part of Cunard's larger plans, Parthia was sold to

To prepare for her new service, the Parthia was re-engined with triple expansion engines and pressure boilers, which nearly cut her coal consumption in half. Shortly before entering her new service, Parthia was once again called for use in the Mahdist War in hopes of saving General Gordon, which ultimately ended in failure. After being returned to her owners, the Guion Line chartered the Parthia to Money Wigram and Company to transport immigrants from Sydney to Yokohama via New York and Suez.^[4] After this, she was placed on the Guion Line service from Australia to South America, via the Hebrides.^[3]

Transfer to the Pacific

In 1887, the Guion Line

The Guion Line returned Parthia to John Elder & Co., where the ship underwent a massive refit.^[4] Following the refit, she only sported two masts and was renamed Victoria. Guion subsequently sold Victoria to the Northern Pacific Steamship Company, which placed Victoria in service between Hong Kong and Tacoma, Washington. After only six years of service with the Northern Pacific Steamship Company, Victoria was sold to the North American Mail Steamship Company and was transferred to the American flag.^[3]

In 1899, Victoria was drafted for use as a troopship by the

In 1908, the Northwestern Steamship Company was purchased by the Seattle-based Alaska Steamship Company. Now at an age of 38 years, Victoria was still deemed an important vessel by her new owners. Victoria was re-routed to serve between Nome and San Francisco, California, via Seattle.^[3] In 1910, the Victoria almost ran aground at Cape Hinchinbrook, Alaska,^[4] where the steamer Oregon (1878) had met her end only four years earlier.^[8]

During

In 1935, time began running out for the Victoria. She spent three years being laid up in Lake Union, due to increased safety and fire precautions laid forth by the U.S. Government. After resuming passenger service briefly for two more years, Victoria was converted into a cargo-only vessel in 1940. When the United States got involved in World War II, Victoria was chartered by the U.S. federal government's War Shipping Administration between 1942 and 1947. Victoria completed 46 voyages to Alaska.^[3] When she was returned to the Alaska Steamship Company, her hull was found to be in remarkable shape. In 1950, Victoria's bell was returned to the Cunard Line, for use on their new passenger/cargo liner, the second Parthia (1947). The Victoria continued to serve with the Alaska Steamship Company until 1952. At this point, she had been serving for almost 80 years.^[4]

Victoria was sold to Dulien Steel Products for demolition in 1954 and she was laid up in Houghton, Washington.^[3] Realising her value, Dulien Steel instead sold her to the Straits Towing and Salvage Company of Vancouver in 1955. She was converted into a lumber carrying barge named Straits No. 27. The next year, she was sold to Japanese shipbreakers and renamed Straits Maru for her final voyage. She was towed to Osaka by the tugboat Sudbury and finally scrapped.^[4]

See also

• List of ships built by William Denny and Brothers
• SS George W. Elder – a passenger liner on the Pacific Coast that also reached an unusually old age

References

External links

• - The Great Ocean Liners - A detailed article explaining the history of the SS Parthia.
• Parthia I (UK) - Ships Named Parthia or Parthian - An article which summarizes the long history of the SS Parthia.