SS Republic (1872)

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White Star Line logo and house flag

SS Republic was an ocean liner built in 1871 by Harland and Wolff for the White Star Line. She was originally intended to be named Arctic, but the name was changed before launching.

Republic had a length of 420 feet and a beam of 41 feet, with a gross tonnage of 3,984 tons. She was both steam and sail powered, with four masts, a single funnel and a single screw. There were initially accommodations for 166 first class passengers and over 1,000 steerage passengers.

Republic was launched on July 4, 1871, and set sail on her maiden voyage from Liverpool to New York City on February 1, 1872. She worked this route uneventfully for seventeen years, with the final voyage departing on January 16, 1889.

White Star then sold Republic to Holland America Line who renamed her Maasdam and sent her to G. Forrester & Co., Liverpool, for re-engining and refitting. When completed, Maasdam could accommodate 150 in first class, 60 in second and 800 in steerage. She began sailing between Rotterdam and New York on March 15, 1890. Nine years later, with the changing market, Maasdam was again refitted to carry second and steerage class passengers only, continuing on the Rotterdam-New York route until March 6, 1902.

She was then sold to an Italian shipping company and renamed Vittoria, and later in 1902, she was sold again to La Veloce of Genoa and renamed Citta di Napoli. Another refitting at this time configured her to carry 1,424 steerage class passengers for the immigrant trade, and she began sailings on September 30 between Genoa, Naples and New York. She plied this trade until April 27, 1907. After being laid up, she was sold in 1908 and lingered on for two more years until being scrapped in 1910 at Genoa.

References

• Info from theshipslist.com
• Bonsor, N. R. P., North Atlantic Seaway, Vol 2.