 Abessinia under way | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Germany | |
| Name | Abessinia |
| Namesake | Abyssinia |
| Owner | Hamburg America Line |
| Port of registry | Hamburg |
| Route | 1907: Hamburg –Seattle |
| Builder | Palmers' S&I Co,Jarrow |
| Yard number | 746 |
| Launched | 16 June 1900 |
| Completed | August 1900 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | wrecked 3 September 1921 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | cargo ship |
| Tonnage | 7,717 GRT, 5,784 NRT |
| Length | 452.1 ft (137.8 m) |
| Beam | 52.2 ft (15.9 m) |
| Depth | 28.3 ft (8.6 m) |
| Decks | 2 |
| Installed power | 642NHP |
| Propulsion | |
| Speed | 11+1⁄2 knots (21 km/h) |
| Notes | sister ships:Acilia,Alexandria,Artemisia |
SSAbessinia was acargosteamship of theHamburg America Line (HAPAG). She was built inNorth East England in 1900, and wrecked in North East England in 1921. In her early years she sailed from Hamburg to and from China, Australia, and theEast Coast of the United States. From 1907 to 1912 she sailed from Hamburg to and from theWest Coast of the United States and theBritish Columbia Coast. In 1913 she survived a storm in the North Atlantic that swept away her rudder and disabled her propulsion. She spent the First World War inChile. Her remains are now awreck diving site in theFarne Islands.
This was the first of two HAPAG steamships to be calledAbessinia, the German forAbyssinia. The second was built in Germany in 1920, and sold and renamed in 1933.[1]
In 1900 and 1901Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company inJarrow,County Durham, built a set of foursister ships for HAPAG.[2] Yard number 746 was launched on 16 June 1900 asAbessinia and completed that August.[3] Yard number 747 was launched on 24 September 1900 asAcilia and completed that October.[4] Yard number 748 was launched on 22 November 1900 asAlexandria and completed that December.[5] Yard number 749 was launched on 21 January 1901 and completed asArtemisia.[6]
Abessinia's registered length was 452.1 ft (137.8 m), herbeam was 52.2 ft (15.9 m), and her depth was 28.3 ft (8.6 m). Hertonnages were 7,717 GRT and 5,784 NRT. She had a singlescrew, driven by a three-cylindertriple-expansion engine that was rated at 642NHP and gave her a speed of11+1⁄2 knots (21 km/h).[7] She had one funnel and four masts.[3]
HAPAGregisteredAbessinia atHamburg. Hercode letters were RLSJ.[7]
In 1901 HAPAG bought the Yangtse Line fromRickmers.[8] One ofAbessinia's first voyages was toShanghai. On 4 January 1901 she left Shanghai, and on 22 January she reachedSydney, New South Wales, making her the first HAPAG ship to trade with Australia.[9] On 6 February she moved fromWoolloomooloo toPyrmont.[10] She loaded cargo including 10,529 bales of wool, 7,894 bags of wheat, and 1,000 tons of iron ore, forAntwerp,Bremen, and Hamburg, and left Sydney on 9 February.[11][12] On 11 February she reachedMelbourne,[13] where she loaded cargo including 9,000 bags of wheat for Bremen and other ports,[14] and sailed on 18 February for Europe.[15]
On 6 February 1902Abessinia left Hamburg, and on 20 February she arrived inPortland,Maine. ThereThe Portland Daily Press said of her "The German ship is one of the handsomest that has been here this winter and caused much favorable comment around the wharves".[16] She returned to Hamburg via a call atBoston on 25 February.[17][18]
On 17 April 1902Abessinia arrived inNew York carrying a wide range of animals thatCarl Hagenbeck was exporting from Hamburg to customers includingRingling Brothers Circus,Cincinnati Zoo,Bronx Zoo, and several animal dealers. The cargo included 81 baboons, 79 monkeys, 12 elephants, 12 horses, ninebig cats, four camels, six deer, onewildebeest, onesable antelope, onepolar bear, and various birds.[19]
On 20 September 1906Abessinia leftNew Orleans for Hamburg.[20]
HAPAG ran a joint freight service to the Pacific coast of North and South America viaCape Horn, in partnership withDDG Kosmos. By January 1907Abessinia was on this service. She called atValparaíso in Chile, where she embarked four passengers for San Francisco. On 21 February she leftCallao in Peru.[21] She took 1,600Salvadoran troops fromAcajutla inEl Salvador toAmapala inHonduras. She called at a port inGuatemala, where she loaded 60,000 bags of coffee and 500 tons of sugar.[22] She was due to leave the MexicanIslas San Benito on 4 April.[23] On 18 April she reachedSan Francisco to disembark her passengers from Valparaíso and discharge her cargo.[24] At the time, it was the largest amount of coffee yet brought to San Francisco by a single ship;[22] three times the size of the largest consignment ever landed in that port hitherto.[23] On 30 April she left San Francisco forSeattle.[25] On her return voyage she called at San Francisco from 3 to 7 June.[26][27]
In late 1907Abessinia leftLondon for San Francisco. On 18 January 1908 she called atPunta Arenas in southern Chile.[28] On 16 March she left Callao.[29] She brought 18,000 barrels of cement from Europe; loaded a cargo of coffee inCentral America;[30] reached San Francisco by 20 April;[31] and had moved from Seattle toTacoma by 30 April.[32] On her return voyage she called at San Francisco from 10 to 14 May, bound for Antwerp.[33][34][35]
In May 1910Abessinia left Hamburg, and that September she reachedSalina Cruz in Mexico. There she loaded 4,000 tons of express cargo from Europe that was destined for San Francisco andPuget Sound, and cargo from New York that was destined forVictoria, British Columbia. TheFerrocarril Transístmico had brought the freight overland from ports on theGulf of Mexico.Abessinia was already part-laden with cargo from Europe that she had brought around Cape Horn. On 25 September she left Salina Cruz with more than 7,000 tons of cargo.[36] She called atMazatlán inBaja California, and on 6 October reached San Francisco, 146 days out from Hamburg.[37] On 15 November she left San Francisco on her return voyage to Hamburg.[38]
In March 1911Abessinia left Hamburg, and on 17 April she passedFernando de Noronha off the northeast tip of Brazil.[39] On 13 July she leftGuayaquil in Ecuador.[40] She called atLos Angeles, and on 7 August reached San Francisco, 144 days out from Hamburg.[41] On 11 August she left San Francisco for Seattle and Tacoma.[42] On 15 December she reached Hamburg, but ran aground in theElbe.[43]
Abessinia was refloated, and on 16 January 1912 left Hamburg.[44] She passedSão Vicente, Cape Verde on 9 February;[45] called at Los Angeles from 27 to 28 April;[46] and was due in San Francisco on 30 April.[47] On 6 May she left San Francisco for Victoria, BC.[48] She called atBellingham, Washington, and on 20 May reached Seattle.[49]
In a storm in the North Atlantic on 2 January 1913Abessinia lost her rudder; broke either her propeller shaft or crankshaft (sources differ); and was drifting.[50][51] On 11 January theWhite Star LinerRMS Cedric sightedAbessinia at position42°40′N53°21′W / 42.667°N 53.350°W /42.667; -53.350, about 100 nautical miles (190 km) southwest ofCape Race, flyingdistresssignal flags.Cedric was unable to towAbessinia, but stood by her and signalled for help bywireless telegraph.Leyland Line'sArmenian received the signal, andCedric resumed her course.[52][53]
Armenian steamed 29 or 50 nautical miles (54 or 93 km) (accounts differ) toAbessinia's position, but took five hours to arrive due to rough weather.Armenian then encountered fog, in which she was unable to findAbessinia. By midnight on 12 JanuaryArmenian was still searching.[52][53]Armenian firedsignal rockets and burned light signals, but received nor reply fromAbessinia, soArmenian resumed her course.[54]
On 14 January the linerMinnetonka reported that HAPAG'sPisa would look forAbessinia and take her in tow.[52][53] However,Abessinia's crew rigged an emergency rudder and repaired whichever shaft had broken, which enabled her to proceed slowly under her own power.[55] On 15 January she reachedHalifax,Nova Scotia unaided.[50][51]
When the First World War began in August 1914,Abessinia took refuge in Callao inneutral Peru. On 9 October 1914 she left Callao, reportedly to be escorted by theGermancruiserSMS Leipzig.[56] She then took refuge inPisagua in northern Chile.[2]
In 1918 her crew sabotaged her machinery in an attempt to make her useless to theEntente Powers.[3] In 1920 she was towed to Hamburg, where she arrived on 3 August.[57] In 1921 she sailed from Hamburg, bound forLeith in Scotland. She was to be surrendered asWorld War I reparations underArticle 231 of the Treaty of Versailles. On 3 September 1921 she grounded on Knivestone Reef offLongstone Lighthouse in theFarne Islands. All of her crew survived. When the tide receded, she was left on the reef with her keel plates out of the water.[3] She then toppled off the reef into the sea.
Abessinia's wreck is at position55°39.950′N001°36.049′W / 55.665833°N 1.600817°W /55.665833; -1.600817 at a depth of 59 to 66 feet (18 to 20 m). It is one of the largest shipwrecks in the Farnes, and is popular withrecreational divers.[57][58] The wreck is much broken up, and is only one of several shipwrecks around the Knivestone, so it is possible to confuse parts ofAbessinia with parts of other ships.[59][60] Marine life in and aroundAbessinia includes seals,starfish,brittle stars,sponges, crabs, lobsters, and fish includingwolf eels.[58]
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1911 | |
|---|---|
| Shipwrecks |
|
| Other incidents |
|
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1913 | |
|---|---|
| Shipwrecks |
|
| Other incidents |
|
