CORCOVADO (1) was built in
1872 by Laird Bros. at Birkenhead with a tonnage of 3805grt,
a length of 387ft 6in, a beam of 43ft in and a service speed
of 13 knots. She was built for the Liverpool - South America
- Valparaiso service and sailed on her maiden voyage on 19th
February 1873. She was sold to Royal Mail Line in 1875, who
purchased her to replace the lost Shannon, and renamed her
Don. Under the command of Captain Woolward, who remained with
the ship for 18 years and 81 round voyages, she commenced
her first sailing for Royal Mail on 17th January 1876 from
Southampton to the West Indies. She was modernised in 1889
when she was equipped with a triple expansion engine and broken
up in 1901.
PUNO (1) was built in 1873
by Laird Bros. at Birkenhead with a tonnage of 3805grt, a
length of 387ft 6in, a beam of 43ft 1in and a service speed
of 13 knots. Sister of the Corcovado she was built for the
Liverpool - South America - Valparaiso service and commenced
her maiden voyage on 14th May 1873. In 1875 she was sold to
Royal Mail Line as a replacement for their lost Boyne, and
renamed Para. She was placed on the Southampton - West Indies
service in June 1876 and during the second voyage, on 16th
October 1876, an explosion in the after hold tore a large
hole in the saloon killing three persons. The hold had been
temporarily converted to carry bananas in carbon dioxide at
a low temperature. She was refurbished and modernised in 1890
and finally broken up in 1901.
SANTA ROSA was built in 1872
by Laird Bros. at Birkenhead with a tonnage of 1817grt, a
length of 308ft, a beam of 38ft 2in and a service speed of
11 knots. She was built for the Valparaiso - Callao - Panama
service. Sold, initially, to Lota Coal Co. in 1890 she was,
a few months later, transferred to Cousina Cia of Valparaiso,
renamed Luis Cousino and operated by Compania Esplotadora
de Lota y Coronel. She was broken up in 1902.
COLOMBIA (1) was built in 1873
by Laird Bros. at Birkenhead with a tonnage of 1823grt, a
length of 308ft, a beam of 38ft 2in and a service speed of
11 knots. Sister of the Santa Rosa she was built for the Valparaiso
- Callao - Panama service and sold for breaking up in 1890.
RIMAC was built in 1872 by
Evans & Co. at Liverpool with a tonnage of 1805grt, a
length of 291ft 9in, a beam of 40ft and a service speed of
11 knots. One of two similar vessels she was built for the
services starting at Valparaiso. She was sold to Valparaiso
Steamship Co. at Valparaiso with out a change of name and
her subsequent career is unrecorded.
ILO was built in 1872 by John
Elder & Co. at Glasgow with a tonnage of 1794grt, a length
of 289ft 8in, a beam of 38ft 2in and a service speed of 11
knots. Similar to the Rimac and costing £47,728 she
entered service in January 1872 and was converted into a hulk
in 1882.
TRUXILLO was built in 1872
by John Elder & Co. at Glasgow with a tonnage of 1449grt,
a length of 251ft 4in, a beam of 35ft 7in and a service speed
of 11 knots. A side wheel paddle steamer she cost £44,000
and was launched for the Pacific coast service on 14th November
1871, entering service in the following January. Built as
a replacement for the Santiago which was lost in 1869 she
was converted into a hulk in 1882.
TACORA was built in 1872 by
John Elder & Co. at Glasgow with a tonnage of 3525grt,
a length of 375ft 7in, a beam of 41ft 4in and a service speed
of 13 knots. Launched on 23rd May 1872 she cost £103,475
and was equipped with engines built for the Acongagua after
it was decided to improve the performance of that vessel with
alternative engines. She sailed on her maiden voyage under
the command of Capt. C. M. Stewart on 4th October 1872 with
the intention of beating the White Star Line's Republic, which
was due to sail on the following day, on the Liverpool - Rio
de Janeiro - Valparaiso - Callao route. On 28th October the
Tacora was wrecked off Cape Santa Maria near Montevideo with
the loss of 3 crew members and 10 passengers. Although she
came off the rocks she had to be run ashore to avoid sinking.
GALICIA (1) was built in 1873
by Robert Napier & Sons at Glasgow with a tonnage of 3829grt,
a length of 383ft 5in, a beam of 43ft and a service speed
of 13 knots. Slightly larger than the Tacora she commenced
her maiden voyage to Valparaiso on 23rd April 1873. In 1898
she was sold to the Canadian Steam Navigation Co. of Liverpool
and renamed Gaspasia. She was broken up at Genoa in 1900
VALPARAISO (2) was built in
1873 by John Elder & Co. at Glasgow with a tonnage of
3575grt, a length of 379ft 2in, a beam of 41ft 9in and a service
speed of 12 knots. Costing £129,850 she was similar
to the Tacora and entered the Birkenhead - Valparaiso service
on 8th October 1873. On 28th February she was lost at Vigo
in Spain.
BAJA was built in 1872 by John
Elder & Co. at Glasgow with a tonnage of 74grt, a length
of 81ft 2in, and a beam of 16ft. All that is known of her
is that she was a tug built for service at Callao..
IBERIA was built in 1873 by
John Elder & Co. at Glasgow with a tonnage of 4671grt,
a length of 433ft 6in, a beam of 45ft and a service speed
of 14 knots. She cost £151,600 to built and when launched,
on 6th December 1873, was the world's largest ship with the
exception of the Great Eastern. Because of strikes which delayed
her completion she did not commence her maiden voyage until
21st October 1874. On 12th May 1880 she made her first voyage
to Australia for the joint PSNC - Orient Line service and
in the following year replaced the Acongagua as a standby
ship on the London - Suez - Melbourne - Sydney service. During
the Egyptian Arabi Pasha Campaigns in 1882 she was used by
the Government for trooping duties. On 25th January 1883 she
began to operate a regular service to Australia which continued
until 11th June 1890 when she returned to the Liverpool -
Valparaiso route. She was fitted with a triple expansion engine
in 1893 and, at the same time, had the yards removed from
the masts. In 1895 she undertook a positioning voyage to Australia
to replace a disabled ship and completed the non-stop voyage
via the Cape in 32 days at an average speed of 14 knots. She
was broken up at Genoa in 1903.
LIGURIA was built in 1874 by
John Elder & Co. at Glasgow with a tonnage of 4666grt,
a length of 433ft 6in, a beam of 45ft and a service speed
of 14 knots. Sister of the Iberia she cost £150,350
to build and made her first sailing from Birkenhead to Valparaiso
on 9th September 1874. In 1880 she was one of four vessels
transferred to Orient Line management and commenced her first
sailing from London - Suez - Melbourne - Sydney on 12th May.
She commenced her final voyage to Australia on 9th May 1890
before reverting to the Valparaiso service on 17th September.
Like her sister she was equipped with a triple expansion engine
and had her yards removed in 1893 and was sold for breaking
up at Genoa in 1903.
POTOSI (1) was built in 1873
by John Elder & Co. at Glasgow with a tonnage of 4218grt,
a length of 421ft 7in, a beam of 43ft 9in and a service speed
of 13 knots. During construction she had 25ft added to her
length at a cost of £10,000. She was launched for the
Birkenhead - Valparaiso service on 14th May 1873 and remained
on that run until 1880 when she was transferred to Orient
Line management commencing her first voyage to Australia on
7th July of that year. On 26th May 1887 she commenced her
final voyage to Australia before reverting to the Valparaiso
service and was broken up at Genoa in 1897.
COTOPAXI (1) was built in 1873
by John Elder & Co. at Glasgow with a tonnage of 4022grt,
a length of 402ft 2in, a beam of 42ft 9in and a service speed
of 13 knots. Costing £105,750 she was launched on 15th
March 1873 and commenced her maiden voyage on the Birkenhead
- Valparaiso service on 18th June. In 1879 she was transferred
to Orient Line management for operation on the Australia service.
On 14th April 1880 she made her final voyage to Australia
before reverting to the Valparaiso service. She collided with
the German steamship Olympia on 8th April 1889 in the Straits
of Magellan and was beach, careened and repaired in situ.
She was refloated on 15th April 1889 but struck another rock
and sank. The 202 passengers and crew on board were all rescued
by the Setos which was owned by Kosmos Line of Germany.
ILLIMANI was built in 1873
by John Elder & Co. at Glasgow with a tonnage of 4022grt,
a length of 402ft 2in, a beam of 42ft 9in and a service speed
of 13 knots. Sister of the Cotopaxi and costing £106,725
she commenced her maiden voyage on the Birkenhead - Valparaiso
service on 26th March 1873. On 18th July 1879 she ran aground
and was lost on Mocha Island on the Yemen coast whilst undertaking
a voyage on the Australia service.
BRITANNIA was built in 1873
by Laird Bros. at Birkenhead with a tonnage of 4129grt, a
length of 411ft 5in, a beam of 32ft 9in and a service speed
of 12.75 knots. Costing £140,450 she was launched on
27th May 1873 and commenced her maiden voyage on the 2nd August.
On 30th March 1885 the threat of war became imminent when
Russian troops crossed the Afghan border and were confronted
by British troops. Together with 15 other ships she was taken
over as an auxiliary cruiser, requisitioned at Valparaiso
on 22nd April and sent to Coquimbo for conversion. Following
the Russian withdrawal she was decommissioned at Coquimbo
from where she sailed to the UK and resumed commercial service.
On 4th September 1895 she grounded whilst leaving Rio de Janeiro,
was sold locally for £1000, salvaged, repaired and sold
to Camuyrano y Cia of Buenos Aires. In 1900 she was sold to
Nogueira, Vives y Cia of Valparaiso and was broken up during
the following year at Preston, Lancashire, still as the Britannia.
AYACUCHO was built in 1873
by T Wingate & Co. at Glasgow with a tonnage of 1916grt,
a length of 311ft 9in, a beam of 38ft 2in and a service speed
of 12 knots. One of three ships built for the coastal service
out of Callao she remained in service until 1890 when she
was converted into a hulk.
LIMA (2) was built in 1873
by T Wingate & Co. at Glasgow with a tonnage of 1804grt,
a length of 310ft 7in, a beam of 38ft 2in and a service speed
of 12 knots. Sister of the Ayacucho she was the second of
the trio built for the coastal service out of Callao. In 1880
during the war between Peru and Chile she towed a ship full
of contraband into Peru. The company was not impressed with
this action and the master, Captain Steadman, was dismissed.
BOLIVIA (2) was built in 1874
by T Wingate & Co. at Glasgow with a tonnage of 1925grt,
a length of 311ft 9in, a beam of 38ft 2in and a service speed
of 12 knots. The last of the trio she entered service in 1874
and had an uneventful career until 1895 when she was converted
into a hulk.
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