SS Victoria (1902)
{{Short description|Merchant ship}}
{{more citations needed|date=January 2018}}
| {{Infobox Ship Begin}}
{{Infobox Ship Image |Ship image=StateLibQld 1 40655 Victoria (ship).jpg |Ship caption= }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship country= United Kingdom |Ship flag={{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|civil}} |Ship name=Victoria |Ship namesake= |Ship owner=*Pacific Steam Navigation Company |Ship operator=Pacific Steam Navigation Company |Ship ordered= |Ship awarded= |Ship builder=Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, Govan |Ship yard number=420{{cite web |url=https://www.clydeships.co.uk/view.php?year_built=&builder=&a1Page=6&ref=6399&vessel=VICTORIA |title=Scottish Built Ships: Victoria |accessdate=January 21, 2018}} |Ship laid down= |Ship sponsor= |Ship christened=Victoria |Ship completed= |Ship acquired= |Ship commissioned= |Ship recommissioned= |Ship decommissioned= |Ship in service= |Ship out of service= |Ship identification =*UK Official Number 115316
|Ship renamed= |Ship reclassified= |Ship refit= |Ship struck= |Ship reinstated= |Ship homeport=*Liverpool |Ship motto= |Ship nickname= |Ship honors= |Ship captured= |Ship fate=Scrapped, 1924 |Ship notes= |Ship badge= }} {{Infobox Ship Characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship class= |Ship type=Cargo-Passenger Ship |Ship tonnage=*{{GRT|5967}}{{cite book |year=1908–1909 |title=Lloyd's Register, Steamships and Motorships |location=London |publisher= Lloyd's of London Press Ltd}} |Ship displacement= |Ship length={{convert|401|ft|4|in|m|abbr=on}} |Ship beam={{convert|52|ft|3|in|m|abbr=on}} |Ship height= |Ship draught= |Ship draft= |Ship depth={{convert|26|ft|2|in|m|abbr=on}} |Ship hold depth= |Ship ice class= |Ship sail plan= |Ship power= 550 Nhp |Ship propulsion=2 x Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company 3-cylinder triple expansion |Ship speed={{convert|13.5|kn|mph km/h}} |Ship range= |Ship endurance= |Ship test depth= |Ship boats= |Ship capacity= |Ship complement= |Ship crew= |Ship time to activate= |Ship troops= |Ship sensors= |Ship EW= |Ship armament= |Ship armour= |Ship armor= |Ship aircraft= |Ship aircraft facilities= |Ship notes= }} |
Victoria was a steam ship built in 1902 by the Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company of Govan. She was employed by the Pacific Steam Navigation Company on their routes along the West coast of South America, from Valparaiso to Callao.
Design and construction
Victoria was one of the four sister ships ({{SS|Panama|1902|2}}, {{SS|California|1902|2}} and {{SS|Mexico||2}} being the other three) ordered by the Pacific Steam Navigation Company in early 1900s to serve their South American routes. The ship was launched on August 2, 1902, and commissioned later the same year. As built, the ship was {{convert|401|ft|4|in|m}} long (between perpendiculars) and {{convert|52|ft|3|in|m}} abeam, a mean draft of {{convert|26|ft|2|in|m}}. Victoria was assessed at 5,967 GRT and {{NRT|3,742}}. The vessel had a steel hull, and two 550 nhp triple-expansion steam engines, with cylinders of {{convert|22+1/2|in|cm|adj=on}}, {{convert|38|in|cm|adj=on}}, and {{convert|63|in|cm|adj=on}} diameter with a {{convert|48|in|cm|adj=on}} stroke, that drove twin screw propellers, and moved the ship at up to {{convert|13.5|kn|mph km/h}}.
The vessel was designed to carry as many passengers as possible given her size. On her main deck, besides quarters for the crew, there were accommodations for about 120 second-class and over 140 third-class passengers. On her spar-deck there were smoking and dining rooms for 30 second-class and about 70 first-class passengers. Her promenade deck boasted a spacious dining saloon for 130 and rooms for 42 first-class passengers.The Advertiser (Adelaide), September 12, 1902, p.6 Overall, the vessel could accommodate 106 first, 104 second and 595 third class passengers.
Operational history
Upon entering the service Victoria was put on England to South America route and departed for her maiden voyage on March 5, 1903 to Valparaiso.London Standard, March 6, 1903, p.10 Upon arrival at Valparaiso she was immediately put on the Callao route.
On July 23, 1908 Victoria sailed from Coronel at around 11:50 for Penco. At around 12:20 a dense fog set in the Bay of Arauco forcing the ship to reduce her speed. At 12:35 a whistle was heard on the starboard side, prompting the captain to order engines full stop. At 12:42 a steamer appeared in sight crossing from the starboard to port side. The engines were put in full speed astern but about 90 seconds later the ships collided. The ship, Victoria collided with, was 2,213 GRT Chilean steamer {{SS|Don Matias||2}}, on a passage from Tocopilla for Lota with a cargo of copper ore. {{SS|Don Matias||2}} foundered almost immediately after the collision, but her crew was saved in their entirety by Victoria and landed at Coronel.{{Cite news |author= |newspaper=London Standard |title=Disasters and Marine Notes |date=28 July 1908 |page=3}}{{Cite news |author= |newspaper=London Standard |title=Marine Insurance |date=27 July 1908 |page=3}}{{cite web |url=http://www.plimsoll.org/images/80132_tcm4-325011.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180122125703/http://www.plimsoll.org/images/80132_tcm4-325011.pdf |url-status=usurped |archive-date=January 22, 2018 |title=Wreck Report for Victoria and Don Matias, 1908 |accessdate=January 21, 2018}}
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The attached picture originates from the State Library of Queensland and depicts SS Victoria at Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Further, the National Museum of NZ (Te Papa) has a ships postcard which positively identifies the ship as SS Victoria.{{Cite web |title=Loading... {{!}} Collections Online - Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa |url=https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/object/327790 |access-date=2025-02-01 |website=collections.tepapa.govt.nz}} However, surviving passenger manifests held in Archives NZ{{Cite web |url=https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DR5S-1GJ?view=index&action=view&cc=1609792 |access-date=2025-02-01 |website=www.familysearch.org}} indicate disembarkation of passengers at Auckland New Zealand following passage from Sydney, Australia in 1908.
This calls into question the preceding text as it conflicts with the aforementioned surviving passenger manifest. Specifically, the text indicates a collision at sea whereas the passenger manifest shows the ship disembarking passengers in a completely different part of the world.
Although this does not rule out the ship being in both places, it seems highly unlikely. There were a number of ships named Victoria so it's entirely possible that the text and the picture refer to two different ships. Alternatively, perhaps the same ship operated in different portions of the world in different seasons (Summer / Winter). Further scholarly investigation would likely be warranted to clear up the confusion.
TBC