SS Parthia (1870)

An illustration of Cunard's Parthia under steam.

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 White Star Line began operations with their new Oceanic. Oceanic was superior to Parthia in both size and passenger accommodations. Despite this, Parthia continued to hold her own.[3] On 27 February 1872, Parthia collided with the British steamship Nina in the River Mersey. Nina heeled over onto the Spanish steamship Emiliano, severely damaging the latter, which had to be beached at Tranmere, Cheshire.[5][6] In 1874, Parthia collided with White Star's Adriatic outside of New York, causing the latter to return to New York for repairs. Parthia however, received very minimal damage. In March 1880, Parthia began towing the partially flooded and damaged barque, Mary A. Marshall, to safety. 36 hours after Parthia began towing her, the Mary A. Marshall sank, but the barque's crew was able to be rescued. In November 1880, Parthia rescued the crew of the sunken James Edwards, after which, Parthia's third officer was awarded for his assist in the rescue.[4]

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]

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 John Elder & Co. in 1884 to help cover part of the cost of the new liners Umbria and Etruria along with covering part of the cost for purchasing the ex-Guion Line liner Oregon (1883).[3][7] With the larger Umbria, Etruria and Oregon fulfilling Cunard's new ambitions, Sir William Pierce, the owner of John Elder & Co. had a new future in store for the old Parthia. Pierce planned on transferring the Parthia to his other company, the aforementioned Guion Line, for passenger/livestock service from Glasgow to Canada.[3][4]

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]

The Parthia in Vancouver while in service with the Canadian Pacific Railway Company

In 1887, the Guion Line chartered Parthia to the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, which used her to inaugurate its new transpacific service, while awaiting the delivery of its new vessels.[3] The transpacific service was intended to link its railroad line to eastern Asia.[4] She arrived in Vancouver, British Columbia on July 4 and began service as a transpacific vessel.[3] After completing 20 voyages for Canadian Pacific between 1887 and 1891, Parthia was returned to the Guion Line. Canadian Pacific had been granted a subsidy agreement with the British government for the construction of three new "Empress" steamers, which would serve as mail ships in peace time and auxiliary cruisers in time of war.[4]

The Victoria with her hull painted white

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 U.S. Government during the Spanish–American War. She made six voyages between the United States and Manila, the Philippines, before being returned to her owners. In 1900, Victoria sailed from the Puget Sound to Nome carrying hundreds of prospectors as part of the Klondike Gold Rush. In 1901, she was re-sold to the Northern Pacific Steamship Company, only to be resold three years later to the Northwestern Steamship Company. Under this new ownership, she permanently entered Alaskan service. Victoria's inch-thick wrought-iron hull proved excellent for ice-breaking capabilities. In 1905, Victoria was used as a blockade runner in the Russo–Japanese War, assisting the port of Vladivostok, Russia.[3]

A side view of the Victoria before her 1924 refit

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]

Victoria, following her 1924 refit. Her superstructure has been increased, her bridge has been fully covered and her boilers have been converted to oil fire.

During World War I, Victoria carried large quantities of cargo in transpacific service, earning her owners sizeable profits. Using the excess money earned during the war, Victoria underwent a major refit in 1924. The superstructure was increased and heightened, she was given extra decks, the bridge was closed off from the elements and she was re-engined and re-boilered to burn oil rather than coal.[3][4] Despite being 54 years old, the Victoria emerged as a brand new looking ship.[3] In 1927, Victoria's engine blew a cylinder cover, forcing her to be towed to Akutan, Alaska by a U.S. Coast Guard cutter. In 1934, Victoria embarked on the first Alaskan cruise operated by the Alaska Steamship Company. She called to the ports of Nome and Kotzebue and sailed to an Arctic ice cap within four miles of Wrangell Island in Siberia.

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]