SS Gallic (1894)

{{other ships|SS Gallic}}

{{More footnotes needed|date=July 2022}}{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}}

{{Use British English|date=January 2017}}

{{Infobox ship begin}} {{Infobox ship image |Ship image=White Star Line Gallic II.jpg |Ship caption=Gallic }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship country=United Kingdom |Ship flag={{shipboxflag|UKGBI|civil}} |Ship name =*1894: Birkenhead 1907: Gallic |Ship owner =*1894: Birkenhead Corporation 1907: Oceanic Steam Navigation Co |Ship operator=1907:23px White Star Line |Ship identification=*UK official number 102164 |Ship route= |Ship ordered= |Ship builder=John Scott & Co, Kinghorn |Ship yard number=87 |Ship way number= |Ship laid down=1894 |Ship launched=7 June 1894 |Ship completed=June 1894 |Ship christened= |Ship acquired= |Ship renamed= |Ship in service= |Ship out of service=1914 |Ship registry=Liverpool |Ship fate=Scrapped 1914 |Ship notes=Only paddle steamer operated by White Star Line }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship class= |Ship tonnage= {{GRT|461}}, {{NRT|185}} |Ship displacement= |Ship length={{cvt|150.0|ft|abbr=on}} |Ship beam={{cvt|28.2|ft|abbr=on}} |Ship height= |Ship draught= |Ship depth={{cvt|10.2|ft|abbr=on}} |Ship decks=1 |Ship power=177 NHP |Ship propulsion=*2 × paddle wheels 2 × 4-cylinder compound engines |Ship speed= {{convert|13|kn|km/h mph|0|lk=in}} |Ship capacity=1,200 passengers and mail |Ship crew= |Ship notes= }}

SS Gallic was a paddle steamer that built in Scotland 1894 as Birkenhead, renamed Gallic in 1907 and scrapped in Liverpool in 1914. She was designed and built as a Mersey Ferry for Birkenhead Corporation. White Star Line bought her in 1907 to use as a passenger tender, and renamed her Gallic.{{cite web |url= http://www.clydeships.co.uk/view.php?exact=1&year_built=&builder=&ref=50437 |title=Birkenhead |work=Scottish Built Ships |publisher=Caledonian Maritime Research Trust |access-date=5 July 2022}}

John Scott & Co built Birkenhead at its Abden shipyard in Kinghorn in Fife as yard number 87. She was launched on 7 June 1894 and completed that same month. Her registered length was {{cvt|150.0|ft|abbr=on}}, her beam was {{cvt|28.2|ft|abbr=on}} and her depth was {{cvt|10.2|ft|abbr=on}}. Her tonnages were {{GRT|461}} and {{NRT|185}}.{{cite book |year=1914 |title=Lloyd's Register of Shipping |volume=I–Steamers |place=London |publisher=Lloyd's Register of Shipping |at=GAL–GAM}}

Birkenhead was a side-wheel paddle steamer. Each wheel was driven by a four-cylinder diagonal compound steam engine. Between them her two engines were rated at a total of 177 NHP and gave her a speed of {{convert|13|kn|km/h}}.{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EA0AAAAAMAAJ&dq=%22paddle+steamer%22+%22birkenhead%22+1894+%22150%22&pg=PA176 | title=Marine Engineer and Motorship Builder | date=1895 }}

Birkenhead Council registered Birkenhead at Liverpool. Her United Kingdom official number was 102164.{{cite book |year=1895 |title=Mercantile Navy List |page=36 |url= https://www.crewlist.org.uk/data/viewimages?&name=Birkenhead&steamsail=Steam&submit=Enter&year=1895 |access-date=5 July 2022}}

White Star Line based Gallic at Cherbourg. She was soon considered too small for tending the company's increasingly large ocean liners. When J. Bruce Ismay proposed the {{sclass|Olympic|ocean liner}}s, the company ordered two new tenders: {{SS|Nomadic|1911|6}} (for first- and second-class passengers) and the {{SS|Traffic|1911|6}} (for third-class passengers and mail).{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}

Gallic was retained for a short time at Cherbourg, where she was occasionally used as a baggage vessel.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}} The success of Nomadic and Traffic obviated the need for Gallic and she was scrapped at Garston, Liverpool in the summer of 1914 after a short period of being laid up.{{cite web | url=https://www.clydeships.co.uk/view.php?year_built=&builder=&ref=50437&vessel=BIRKENHEAD | title=Google }}