RMS Empress of China (1891)

RMS "Empress of China" was an ocean liner built in 1890-1891 [The disambiguation date used in this article's title is not the year in which the hull is launched, but rather the year of the vessel's sea trial or maiden voyage.] by Naval Construction & Armament Co., Barrow, England for Canadian Pacific Steamships (CP). [Simplon Postcards: [http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/ "Empress of China", 3 images] ] This ship -- the first of three CP vessels to be named "Empress of China" [The second of three ships named SS "Empress of China" (1908) was built for Norddeutscher Lloyd Line (NDL), purchased by CP in 1921, then re-named; and the third SS "Empress of China" (1919) was built for Hamburg America Line (HAPAG), purchased by CP in 1921, then re-named.] -- regularly traversed the trans-Pacific route between the west coast of Canada and the Far East until she struck and underwater reef and sank in Tokyo harbor in 1911.Ship List: [http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/descriptions/ShipsE.html Description of "Empress of China"] ]

Royal Mail Ship

This "Empress" enjoyed the "RMS", meaning "Royal Mail Ship." This is the ship prefix still in use today by seagoing vessels which carry mail under contract by Royal Mail. Technically, a ship would use the prefix only while contracted to carry mail, and would revert at other times to a standard type designation such as "SS", meaning "Steam Ship" or "Steamer Ship."

In 1891, Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and the British government reached agreement on a contract for subsidized mail service between Britain and Hong Kong via Canada; and the route began to be serviced by three specially designed "Empress" liners. The RMS "Empress of China" and her two sister-ship ocean liners -- the RMS "Empress of India and the RMS "Empress of Japan" -- created a flexible foundation for the CPR trans-Pacific fleet which would ply this route for the next half century. [see above] ]

History

The "Empress of China" was built by Naval Construction & Armament Co. (now absorbed into Vickers Armstrongs) at Barrow, England. The keel was laid in 1890; and she was launched on March 25, 1891. [see above] ]

The 5,905-ton vessel had a length of 455.6 feet, and her beam was 51.2 feet. The graceful white-painted, clipper-bowed ship had two buff-colored funnels with a band of black paint at the top, three lightweight schooner-type masts, and an average speed of 16-knots. This "Empress" and her two sister-ship "Empresses" were the first vessels in the Pacific to have twin screws with reioprocating engines. [Tate, E. Mowbray. (1986). [http://books.google.com/books?id=OuUvlfcIGRQC&pg=PA148&lpg=PA148&dq=canadian+pacific+empress&source=web&ots=Ty9J-NVSiW&sig=g7UKEtRCOkLR_IWGfk5OUk4t95Q&hl=en#PPA145,M1 "Transpacific Steam: The Story of Steam Navigation from the Pacific Coast of North America to the Far East and the Antipodes, 1867-1941," p. 145.] ] The ocean liner provided accommodation for 50 first-class passengers and for 150 second class passengers. There was also room for 400 third-class passengers. [see above] ]

The SS "Empress of China" left Liverpool on July 15, 1891 on her maiden voyage via Suez to Hong Kong and Vancouver. Thereafter, she regularly sailed the route between Canada and the east coast of Asia. [see above] ] In the early days of wireless telegraphy, the call sign established for the "Empress of China" was "MPG." [Trevent, Edward. (1911) [http://books.google.com/books?id=6xxIAAAAIAAJ&pg=RA1-PA13&dq=SS+Empress+of+China "The A B C of Wireless Telegraphy: A Plain Treatise on Hertzian Wave Signalling," p. 13.] ]

Much of what would have been construed as ordinary, even unremarkable during this period was an inextricable part of the ship's history. In the conventional course of trans-Pacific traffic, the ship was sometimes held in quarantine, as when it was discovered that a passenger from Hong Kong to Yokohama showed signs of smallpox, and the vessel was held in Yokohama port until the incubation period for the disease had passed. [Dept. of Agriculture, Canada. (1907). [http://books.google.com/books?id=JFZJAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA12&lpg=PA12&dq=SS+Empress+of+China&source=web&ots=smrcgurzMN&sig=D3vCVvqCc0XZCQUjMty6yUVM41I&hl=en "Report of the Minister of Agriculture for Canada," p. 12.] ] The cargo holds of the "Empress" would have been routinely examined in the normal course of harbor-master's business in Hong Kong, Yokohama or Vancouver. [Parliament, Canada. (1892) [http://books.google.com/books?id=JSBOAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA7-PA223&lpg=RA7-PA223&dq=SS+Empress+of+China&source=web&ots=f4NhQOMj90&sig=CgcfBkRS789c3RTd8N6jwEl-BH0&hl=en "Sessional Papers," p. 223.] ]

Amongst the celebrities sailing with the "Empress," was Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. On August 25, 1893, the Archduke boarded the ocean liner at Yokohama for a voyage across the Pacific to Vancouver. [ [http://austrian-mint.at/images/content/pdfs/Download/Ausstellung/Katalog_Land_in_Sicht_D.pdf "Katalog Land in Sicht!"("Land Ahoy: Austria on the Seven Seas"), p. 8.] Exhibition of the Austrian Mint, August 17, 2005 - February 3, 2006. "Münze Österreich" (Austrian Mint).]

On July 27, 1911, the "Empress" encountered rough seas and thick fog 65 mile south of Tokyo harbor. She struck a submerged rock off the Nojima Saki Light while trying to round the southern tip of the Awa peninsula inbound for Yokohama. Submerged rocks extend about a mile from the coast in an area of the bay which is known for its dangerous currents. This accident occurred very close to where another ship foundered on the rocks in 1907. The Japanese cruisers "Aso' and "Soya" were dispatched to assist in removing mail, baggage, and passengers. The ship was abandoned with no loss of life. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9A0CE1DB1E3EE033A2575BC2A9619C946096D6CF&oref=slogin "Another Liner on Rocks near Tokio; Canadian Pacific Steamer Empress of China Strands -- She Is Badly Damaged,"] "New York Times." July 28, 1911.] A year later, the "Empress" was re-floated; and in October 1912, she was towed into Yokohama where she was dismantled and scrapped. [see above] ]

CP "Empresses of China"
In 1921, Canadian Pacific added two German-built vessels to the "Empress" fleet; and initially, both were confusingly re-named "Empress of China." A quick explanation will help distinguish these the quite different ships which each sailed with the same name.

* The first "Empress of China" was a 5,905-ton vessel launched in 1891 from Barrow, England. She was wrecked on a reef at Tokyo Bay in 1911, and subsequently scrapped in 1912.White Empress fleet: [http://www.angelfire.com/pe2/pjs1/eos22.html 20 ships, descriptions] ]

* The second SS "Empress of China" was a 16,992-ton vessel launched in 1907 from Gestemunde, Germany as the SS "Prince Freidrich Wilhelm" for the Norddeutscher Lloyd Line (NDL). The ship was purchased in 1921 by Canadian Pacific and then immediately, the ship was re-named "Empress of China" for a short time. Later in that same year, the ship was re-named yet again as the "Empress of India." Subsequent names for this vessel were: the SS "Montlaurier" (1922); and the SS "Montnairn" (1925). The ship was scrapped 1929. [see above] ]

* The third SS "Empress of China" was a 21,860-ton vessel launched in 1913 from Stettin, Germany, as the SS "Tirpitz" for Hamburg-America Line (HAPAG). The ship was purchased in 1921 by CP and re-named the "Empress of China". [ [http://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=FA0615FA385F177B93C3A9178ED85F468585F9 40-year-old Ship Makes Last Trip; "Empress of Australia", Luxury Liner and Troop Carrier, on Way to Scrap Heap,"] "New York Times." May 1, 1952.] Then next year, in 1922, the ship was re-named "Empress of Australia" after re-fitting at Clydebank. The ship was ultimately scrapped in 1952. [see above] ]

In other words, this vessel from Barrow was the first of three ships named "Empress of China."

Notes

References

* Dept. of Agriculture, Canada. (1907). [http://books.google.com/books?id=JFZJAAAAMAAJ&dq=SS+Empress+of+China&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0 "Report of the Minister of Agriculture for Canada."] Ottawa: S.E. Dawson (King's Printer).
* Parliament, Canada. (1892) [http://books.google.com/books?id=JSBOAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA7-PA223&lpg=RA7-PA223&dq=SS+Empress+of+China&source=web&ots=f4NhQOMj90&sig=CgcfBkRS789c3RTd8N6jwEl-BH0&hl=en "Sessional Papers."] Ottawa: S.E. Dawson (King's Printer).
* Tate, E. Mowbray. (1986) [http://books.google.com/books?id=OuUvlfcIGRQC&dq=canadian+pacific+empress&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0 "Transpacific Steam: The Story of Steam Navigation from the Pacific Coast of North America to the Far East and the Antipodes, 1867-1941."] Cranbury, New Jersey : Cornwall Books/Associated University Presses. 10-ISBN 0-845-34792-6; 13-ISBN 978-0-845-34792-8 (cloth)
* Trevent, Edward. (1911) [http://books.google.com/books?id=6xxIAAAAIAAJ&printsec=titlepage&dq=SS+Empress+of+China&source=gbs_summary_r&cad=0 "The A B C of Wireless Telegraphy: A Plain Treatise on Hertzian Wave Signalling."] Lynne, Massachusetts: Bubier Publishing.

ee also

* CP Ships
* List of ocean liners
* List of ships in British Columbia
* Samuel Robinson, chief officer (1899)

External links

* The Ships List: [http://www.theshipslist.com/index.html Passenger ships web site]
* Simplon Postcards: [http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/ Canadian Pacific postcard images]