TABOGA was built in 1896 by
Wigham Richardson & Co. at Newcastle with a tonnage of
649grt, a length of 185ft, a beam of 31ft 1in and a service
speed of 11 knots. Sister of the Chiriqui she was built for
the coastal service. She was seized by the Colombian Government
for war duties in 1901 but released after the intervention
of a British gun-boat. In 1909 she was sold to Pinel Bros.
of Panama and wrecked in May 1911.
PERLITA was built in 1896 by
Laird Bros. at Birkenhead with a tonnage of 49grt, a length
of 62ft, and a beam of 15ft 4in. She was a steam launch built
for PSNC to service ships lying at anchor in the Valparaiso
roadstead. With a permanent wooden awning over the stern and
midships deckhouse she may have had a brass funnel instead
of the customary black. Her career and subsequent disposal
is not recorded.
CHILE (3) was built in 1896
by Caird & Co. at Greenock with a tonnage of 3225grt,
a length of 350ft 4in, a beam of 43ft 1in and a service speed
of 12.5 knots. One of a pair she was built for the Valparaiso
- Callao service where she remained until 1921 when she was
transferred to the Valparaiso - Cristobal service. In 1923
she was sold to Soc. Maritima y Comercial R. W. James y Cia
of Valparaiso and renamed Flora. After a further eleven years
service she was finally broken up.
PERU (3) was built in 1896
by Caird & Co. at Greenock with a tonnage of 3225grt,
a length of 350ft 4in, a beam of 43ft 1in and a service speed
of 12.5 knots. Sister of the Chile she mirrored her career
until 1923 when she was sold to Soc. Anon. Gonzalez Soffia
y Cia retaining her name. A large white 'S' was painted on
the funnel. In 1928 she was sold to Soc. Anon. Maritima Chilena
without a change of name and was eventually broken up in 1944.
CORCOVADO (2) was built in
1896 by C. S. Swan & Hunter at Newcastle with a tonnage
of 4568grt, a length of 390ft, a beam of 47ft 2in and a service
speed of 10.75 knots. Built for the cargo services out of
the UK to most west coast South American ports these ships
had the wheelhouse on the poop, reminiscent of the old sailing
ships. She remained in service until 1921 when she was broken
up.
SORATA (2) was built in 1897
by C. S. Swan & Hunter at Newcastle with a tonnage of
4581grt, a length of 390ft, a beam of 47ft 2in and a service
speed of 10.75 knots. Sister of the Corcovado she entered
service in 1897 and during the First World War was requisitioned
for government duties. She was sold in 1922 to Schroder, Holken
und Fischer of Hamburg and renamed Otto Fischer for use as
a cargo ship only. She remained in service until 1934 when
it is believed that she was broken up.
ORTONA was built in 1899 by
Vickers, Sons and Maxim at Barrow with a tonnage of 7945grt,
a length of 515ft, a beam of 55ft 4in and a service speed
of 14 knots. A 'one off' she commenced her maiden voyage to
Australia under the joint Orient - PSNC service on 24th November
1899. In June 1902 she was requisitioned as Transport No.12
for troop ship duties to South Africa during the Boer War.
She returned to commercial service on the Australia run on
9th October 1903. In February 1906 she was acquired by the
Royal Line with the remainder of the fleet and on 30th April
1909 made her last voyage to Australia. She was converted
into a one class cruise ship with accommodation for 320 passengers
in 1910 and renamed Arcadian. During the First World War she
was used as a troopship and also acted as Headquarters ship
to Sir Ian Hamilton. On 15th April 1917 she was torpedoed
and sunk in the Eastern Mediterranean, during a voyage from
Salonika to Alexandria, with the loss of 279 lives out of
a total complement of 1335 persons.
COLOMBIA (2) was built in 1899
by Caird & Co. at Greenock with a tonnage of 3335grt,
a length of 359ft 4in, a beam of 43ft 2in and a service speed
of 12.5 knots. She was built for the Pacific coast express
service and remained on that route until 9th August 1907 when
she was lost off Lobos de Tierra in Peru.
GUATEMALA was built in 1899
by Caird & Co. at Greenock with a tonnage of 3227grt,
a length of 359ft 4in, a beam of 43ft 2in and a service speed
of 12.5 knots. Although the hull and engines were similar
to the Colombia her finished profile differed substantially
from that of her 'sister'. She was built for the South American
coastal service and operated the Valparaiso - Arica - Mollendo
- Callao route. She was transferred to the Valparaiso - Cristobal
service in 1921 and was sold to James y Cia of Valparaiso
in 1923 who renamed her Fresia. She was taken over by Soc.
Anon. Maritima Chilena of Valparaiso in 1935 and finally broken
up in 1914.
TALCA (2) was built in 1900
by Robert Napier & Sons at Glasgow with a tonnage of 1081grt,
a length of 209ft 11in, a beam of 35ft 1in and a service speed
of 10 knots. She started on the local Pacific coastal services
in 1900 and on 12th July 1901 was wrecked off Puchoco Point
in Chile.
POTOSI (2) was built in 1900
by Wigham Richardson & Co. at Newcastle with a tonnage
of 5300grt, a length of 400ft 6in, a beam of 50ft and a service
speed of 13 knots. Although built for the Valparaiso service,
due to lack of trade, she was sold immediately on completion
to the Russian Volunteer Fleet and renamed Kazan. In 1904
she was captured by the Japanese Navy Department and renamed
Kasato Maru. She was acquired by Osaka Shosen K. K. in 1918
who retained her name but later amended it to Kasado Maru.
In 1930 she was broken up in Japan.
GALICIA (2) was built in 1901
by Wigham Richardson & Co. at Newcastle with a tonnage
of 5896grt, a length of 400ft 6in, a beam of 50ft and a service
speed of 13 knots. Sister of the Potosi she was built for
the Liverpool - Valparaiso service but was completed without
any passenger accommodation. On 31st July 1915 she struck
a mine in the English Channel in the Downs but managed to
reach port safely. Two years later, on 12th May 1917, she
sank after hitting a mine off Teignmouth.
PERICO was built in 1901 by
J. Jones & Sons at Birkenhead with a tonnage of 268grt,
a length of 125ft 6in, a beam of 23ft 1in and a service speed
of 9 knots. She was built as a replacement for Morro, the
tender at Panama. By 1924 she was out of service.
PANAMA (3) was built in 1902
by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. at Glasgow
with a tonnage of 5981grt, a length of 401ft 2in, a beam of
52ft 4in and a service speed of 13.5 knots. The first of a
class of four ships she was launched on 8th March 1902 and
sailed on her maiden voyage from Liverpool to Valparaiso in
the following May. With her sisters she was later transferred
to the coastal service. During the First World War she was
requisitioned for use as a hospital ship and November 1918
repatriated German POW's. I 1919 she repatriated wounded troops
from the eastern Mediterranean and in 1920 became the Admiralty's
permanent hospital ship and renamed Maine. On 24th May 1922
she took up her station ay Malta and in 1924 was based at
Constantinople. Between January and November 1927 she was
based on the China station. In 1935 she acted as a hotel ship
for 500 Government guests at King George V's Silver Jubilee.
During 1936 she was based at Alexandria for the Abyssinian
War and later at Haifa when trouble blew up in Palestine.
When the Spanish Civil War was being fought she steamed some
20,996 miles in the process of evacuating 6574 refugees of
41 nationalities. As the oldest hospital ship afloat she was
given the number '1' when the Second World War was declared
in 1939. On 6th September 1941 she was bombed at Alexandria
with the loss of 4 lives. In 1945 she was based at Piraeus
during the Greek Civil War. On 22nd October 1946 the Maine
went to the assist the British destroyers HMS Saumarez and
HMS Volage after they had struck mines laid by the Albanians
in the Corfu Channel with the loss of 45 lives. During the
rescue she severely grounded herself. She was finally decommissioned
at Rosyth on 21st February 1947 and arrived at Barrow on 8th
July 1948 where she was broken up.
VICTORIA was built in 1902 by Fairfield Shipbuilding &
Engineering Co. at Glasgow with a tonnage of 5967grt, a length
of 401ft 2in, a beam of 52ft 4in and a service speed of 13.5
knots. Sister of the Panama she was launched on 21st June
1902 and commenced her maiden voyage to Valparaiso on 5th
March 1903. On arrival at Valparaiso she was immediately put
on the Callao run. During the First World War she was requisitioned
for government service and finally broken up in Holland in
1923.
MEXICO was built in 1902 by
Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. at Glasgow with
a tonnage of 5549grt, a length of 401ft 2in, a beam of 52ft
4in and a service speed of 13.5 knots. Sister of the Panama
she was launched on 22nd March 1902 and on 2nd July operated
PSNC's first cruise to the Norwegian fjords with 114 passengers.
At the end of that voyage she was transferred to the South
American routes. On 23rd March 1917 she was either torpedoed
or hit a mine in the bow when passing through the English
Channel. Flooding was minimised by plugging the hole with
cotton bales and she avoided sinking by steaming stern first
to the nearest port. She was broken up in 1922.
CALIFORNIA was built in 1902
by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. at Glasgow
with a tonnage of 5547grt, a length of 401ft 2in, a beam of
52ft 4in and a service speed of 13.5 knots. Sister of the
Panama she was launched on the same day as the Victoria, 21st
June 1902. She commenced her maiden voyage on 2nd October
from Liverpool to Valparaiso whereupon she maintained the
Valparaiso - Callao service. On 17th October 1917 she was
torpedoed off Cape Vilano with the loss of 4 lives.
RUPANCO was built in 1895 by
Howaldtswerke at Kiel with a tonnage of 818grt, a length of
182ft, a beam of 32ft and a service speed of 9 knots. She
was built for Ferdinand Prehn of Keil and acquired by PSNC
in 1902 to replace the lost Talca and making sailings out
of Valparaiso. She sank at Valparaiso in 1914.
GALLITO was built in 1902 by
J. Shearer & Son at Glasgow with a tonnage of 130grt,
a length of 86ft, a beam of 19ft and a service speed of 9
knots. With a name meaning 'Little Rooster' she was a tug
built for deployment in South American waters. She was sold
and broken up in 1931.
ORITA (1) was built in 1903
by Harland & Wolff at Belfast with a tonnage of 9266grt,
a length of 485ft 5in, a beam of 58ft and a service speed
of 14 knots. She was launched on 15th November 1902 and, at
the time, was the largest liner on the route. Her maiden voyage
from Liverpool to Callao via Valparaiso commenced on 8th April
1903. On 10th February 1919 she undertook PSNC's second sailing
from Liverpool to Valparaiso via the Panama Canal and Callao
but the more profitable east coast route via Montevideo predominated.
She was laid up in the United Kingdom after making her final
sailing via Montevideo on 22nd September 1927 and was broken
up at Morecambe in Lancashire during 1931.
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