SS Princess Victoria de la Canadian Pacific Railway entrant dans le port de Vancouver

SS Princess Victoria de la Canadian Pacific Railway entrant dans le port de Vancouver. (coll agence Adhémar)

Princess Victoria a été construit sur les chantiers de la Tyne de la Swan and Hunter Co de Wallsend, Newcastle. Il a été baptisé le 18 novembre 1902. De 1943 tonneaux, il faisait 91,44 mètres par 12,35 mètres. Ses deux machines à vapeur triple expansion produisaient 5800 ch et lui permirent une vitesse de 18 à 20 nœuds pendant ses essais le 26 janvier 1903. Il brûlait alors du charbon. Trois jours plus tard, il voguait vers le Pacifique avec une superstructure provisoire en bois qui sera terminée à Victoria (Colombie britannique) où il arrive le 28 mars. Il passe alors entre les mains de Robertson & Hackett de Vancouver puis se rend aux chantiers de la British Columbia Marine Railway à Esquimalt pour les finitions des emménagements. Il a été doté d'un vaste salon d'observation et d'un fumoir donnant sur le pont promenade supérieur. Il proposait 152 couchettes dans 78 cabines au pont suivant et pouvait emporter 1000 passagers de jour. Le troisième pont offrait une salle à manger de 90 places. Princess Victoria fut réaménagé et agrandi en 1930 à Esquimalt. C'était l'un des plus rapides sur le trajet de jour Victoria-Vancouver qu'il réalisait en 3h20, aussi fut-il reversé sur la ligne de nuit de Victoria à Seattle, utilisé 16 heures par jour. Sa vitesse était due à Hawthorn, Leslie & Company qui avaient conçu un moteur pour bateau de guerre et l'en avaient équipé par souci d'économie. Princess Victoria fut finalement affecté sur le trafic triangulaire Vancouver-Victoria-Seattle le 4 avril 1912 où la princesse devint une légende pendant ses presque quarante ans de service. Vendu en novembre 1951, il fut transformé en transport de fuel sous le nom de Tahsis N°3. Il heurte un rocher et coule dans la Welcome pass (!) le 10 mars 1953.

Princess Victoria was built at the Wallsend, Newcastle on Tyne yards of C.S.Swan and Hunter Company, England, and on Nov. 18 1902. She was christened by Mrs. Archie Baker, wife of the European traffic manager.
She was 1943gt. and 300 ft. long, 40.5 ft. wide, and had 5800hp. with two triple expansion steam engines that drove her at between 18 to 20 knots, at her trials on Jan 26, 1903, at that time she was a coal burner. When she sailed for Victoria 3 days later, she had an unfinished wooden superstructer, that was completed on he arrival in Victoria, B.C.
The new ship was built for the Victoria to Vancouver route, and she sailed from Newcastle on January 29, 1903, after two months at sea, she arrived in Victoria on March 28, 1903, and went immediately to Robertson & Hackett, in Vancouver, and then on to British Columbia Marine Railway at Esquimalt, B.C. for the completion of her superstructure, and passenger accomodation. Which included a large observation room an lounge forward on the promenade deck, and a smoking room aft on the same deck. The deck below that was mostly cabins and social halls, there were 152 berths in 78 staterooms, and she could carry 1000 day passengers. One deck lower was a 90 seat dining salon at the after end of the ship. Princess Victoria was rebuilt at Esquimalt in 1930 her width increased by being sponsored out on both port and starboard sides to 57.6 ft. and gt. to 3167, She was one of the fastest ships on the Victoria, Vancouver day run, she could make the trip in about 3hr. and 20 min. so they put her on the Victoria to Seattle return night run as well for awhile, for that short time she was operational 16 hours a day. The reason for her speed, was that Hawthorn, Leslie & Company had designed an engine for a warship, and to save money they used those designs and duplicates were made for the Princess Victoria, which turned out to be very sucessful. She finally went on the triangle route and stayed there for about forty years. She began her run on April 4, 1912, as an oil burner after a conversion from coal. She was sold in November 1951, and converted to a hog fuel carrier, named Tahsis No. 3. She struck a rock and foundered in Welcome pass on March 10, 1953.