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Editorial communications should be addressed to the Editor.Subscriptions should be sent to the Provincial Archives, Parliament

Buildings, Victoria, B.C. Price, 50c. the copy, or $2 the year. Membersof the British Columbia Historical Association in good standing receive theQuarterly without further charge.

Neither the Provincial Archives nor the British Columbia HistoricalAssociation assumes any responsibility for statements made by contributorsto the magazine.

The Quarterly is indexed in Faxons Annual Magazine Subject-Indexand the Canadian Index.

!

I.

BRITISH COLUMBIA HISTORICAL QUARTERLYPublished by the Archives of British Columbia

in cooperation with theBritish Columbia Historical Association.

EDITOR.WILLARD B. IRELAND.

Provincial Archives, Victoria,, B.C.

ADVISORY BOARD.J. C. G00DFELL0w, Princeton.

W. N. SAGE, Vancouver.T. A. RIcKARD, Victoria.

BRITISH COLUMBIAHISTORICAL QUARTERLY

Any country worthy of a- futureshould be interested in its past.

VOL. XII VIcYoRIA, B.C., JANuARY, 1948. No. 1

CONTENTS.PAGE.

Empress Odyssey: A History of the Canadian Pacific Serviceto the Orient, 19131945.

By W. Kaye Lamb 1

John Foster McCreight.By Patricia M. Johnson

- 79

NOTES AND COMMENTS:

British Columbia Historical Association 93Unveiling of the Oregon Boundary Treaty Centennial Plaques 97Unveiling of the Memorial Plaque to Amor Be Cosmos 100

Contributors to this Issue 102

EMPRESS ODYSSEY: A HISTORY OF THECANADIAN PACIFIC SERVICE TO

THE ORIENT, 1913-45.1.

The harbours of Vancouver and Victoria are once again filledwith steamers in their peace-time colours, but for the ship-loversomething is still lacking from the scene. No white-clad Empressliners yet glide into port, or lie resplendent, tied up in theiraccustomed berth. World War II has broken the rhythm of thefamous service to the Orient that had been conducted withoutinterruption, except for a few months in 191415, for a fullhalf-century. The initial sailing of the line was made by theold Empress of India in April, 1891, and the Empress of Asiacompleted the last regularly scheduled voyage in January, 1941.A few months later the new Empress of Japan paid a secret wartime visit to Vancouver; but more than six years have passedsince an Empress stood into Royal Roads or passed under theLions Gate Bridge. In the interval three of the four Empressesthat the water-front knew so well in 1939 have been destroyed.Only the Empress of Japan, renamed Empress of Scotland, nowsurvives.

Clearly, the end of an epoch has been reached in the historyof the Empress service, and let us hope that the line will emergefrom its present difficulties as happily as it did from an earliercrisis of a very different kind that developed a few years beforethe First Great War. The three original Empresses were thenstill on the run, and the Canadian Pacifics troubles arose fromits tardiness in recognizing the fact that its wonderful old shipscould not carry on indefinitely. Small as they were (their grosstonnage was only 5,940), they had nevertheless been the largestand fastest steamers on the Pacific when they were completed in

(1) For an account of the original Empress liners and a history of thetrans-Pacific service generally to 1913 see W. Kaye Lamb, Empress to theOrient, British Columbia Historical Quarterly, IV (1940), pp. 2950,79110.

British Columbia Historical Quarterly, Vol. XII, No. 1.1

2W .

K A Y E L A M B .

J a n u a r y

1 8 9 1 .

F e w

s h i p s

h a v e

b e c o m e s o w e l l k n o w n

s o q u i c k l y ,

b u t

w h e n

t w e n t y

y e a r s

h a d p a s s e d

w i t h o u t

a n y n e w

E m p r e s s e s

b e i n g

a d d e d

t o t h e

f l e e t , t h e p r e s t i g e

o f t h e s e r v i c e

b e g a n

a t

l a s t t o

d e c l i n e . T h a n k s t o

t h e i r

r e p u t a t i o n , t h e i r

r e l i a b i l i t y ,

a n d

t h e

s h o r t e r

n o r t h e r n r o u t e u p o n

w h i c h

t h e y o p e r a t e d ,

t h e o l d

l i n e r s

s t i l l

m a n a g e d

t o h o l d t h e i r o w n

a s m a i l a n d

s i l k c a r r i e r s , b u t

a s

p a s s e n g e r - s h i p s

t h e y

h a d

b e e n d e f i n i t e l y

o u t c l a s s e d .

C o m p e t i

t i o n h a d b e e n

s e v e r e

e v e r s i n c e

t h e t u r n o f t h e c e n t u r y ,

w h e n

t h e

P a c i f i c M a i l C o m p a n y

a c q u i r e d f o u r n e w

l i n e r s ,

a l l o f

t h e m

t w i c e

a s

b i g

a s

t h e

E m p r e s s e s , f o r

t h e

r u n

f r o m

S a n

F r a n c i s c o

t o

t h e

O r i e n t . I t h a d

b e e n s t i l l

m o r e

s e v e r e

s i n c e 1 9 0 8 ,

w h e n

t h e P a c i f i c

M a i l s J a p a n e s e

r i v a l ,

t h e T o y o

K i s e n

K a i s h a ,

p l a c e d

i n s e r v i c e

t h e

C h i y o

M a r u a n d

t h e T e n y o

M a r u .

T h e s e

t u r b i n e - d r i v e n

s i s t e r

s h i p s

w e r e

t h e f a s t e s t

a n d b e s t - e q u i p p e d

l i n e r s

y e t

b u i l t

f o r t h e

P a c i f i c .

T h e i r l e n g t h

o v e r a l l

w a s

5 7 5

f e e t ,

a n d t h e i r

g r o s s t o n n a g e

1 3 , 4 5 0 .

O n

t r i a l

t h e y

a t t a i n e d

a

s p e e d

o f 2 0 . 6

k n o t s ,

a n d o n

o n e

o f h e r

f i r s t

v o y a g e s

t h e T e n y o

M c t r u

a v e r a g e d

1 8 . 2 5

k n o t s

f r o m H o n o l u l u t o

S a n

F r a n c i s c o .2 T h i s w a s f a rb e y o n d

t h e

c a p a b i l i t i e s

o f t h e

o l d E m p r e s s e s

i n

t h e i r

p a l m y

d a y s ,

l e t a l o n e

t h e i r

o l d

a g e .

T r u e ,

i t

s o o n

b e c a m e

a p p a r e n t

t h a t t h e

J a p a n e s e

d i d n o t

i n t e n d

t o

o p e r a t e

t h e i r

n e w

s h i p s a t

m o r e

t h a n

a b o u t

1 5 k n o t s ,

b u t

t h e y

c o u l d

a l w a y s

c h a n g e

t h e i r

m i n d s .

W h e n

t h e

C a n a d i a n

P a c i f i c

d e c i d e d

a t l a s t

t o

t a k e t h e

m e a s u r e

o f

t h e s e

r i v a l s ,

i t s

f i r s t

p l a n s

w e r e

c o n c e i v e d

o n

a

g r a n d

s c a l e .

A b o u t

t h e

b e g i n n i n g

o f

1 9 1 0

t h e

F a i r f i e l d S h i p b u i l d i n g

a n d

E n g i n e e r i n g

C o m p a n y

o f

G o v a n ,

o n

t h e

C l y d e ,

w a s

a s k e d t o p r e

p a r e

p r e l i m i n a r y

d e s i g n s

f o r s h i p s

n o l e s s

t h a n

7 0 0

f e e t i n

l e n g t h .

A n a i r o f

m y s t e r y

s u r r o u n d e d

t h e

i n q u i r y , f o r

o n l y

a

f e w

h i g h

o f f i c i a l s k n e w

t h a t i t c a m e

f r o m

t h e

C a n a d i a n

P a c i f i c .

W i t h i n

t h e

y a r d

i t

w a s

r e f e r r e d t o

m e r e l y

b y

t h e

c u r i o u s c o d e

w o r d

U B A B .

T h e

p r o p o s e d

s h i p s

w e r e

m u c h

l a r g e r

t h a n a n y

t h a t

t h e

F a i r f i e l d

C o m p a n y

h a d y e t

b u i l t , a n d t h e

d r a u g h t i n g - r o o m s

b u z z e d w i t h

e x c i t e m e n t .

U n f o r t u n a t e l y

d i s a p p o i n t m e n t s o o n

f o l

l o w e d ,

f o r

i t

b e c a m e

a p p a r e n t

t h a t 7 0 0 - f o o t

v e s s e l s w o u l d c o s t

m u c h

m o r e

t h a n t h e

C a n a d i a n

P a c i f i c

c a r e d

t o s p e n d .

I n

t h e

c o u r s e

o f

a

t w e l v e m o n t h

t h e

d e s i g n

w a s

c o m p l e t e l y

r e v a m p e d

( 2 )

S e e

S .

T e r a n o

a n d

C .

S h i b a ,

R e m a r k s

o n

t h e

d e s i g n a n d

s e r v i c e

p e r f o r m a n c e

o f

t h e

T r a n s p a c i f i c

l i n e r s

T e n y o

M a r u a n d

C h i y o

M a r u ,

i n

T r a n s a c t i o n s ,

I n s t i t u t i o n

o f

N a v a l

A r c h i t e c t s , L I I I

( 1 9 1 1 ) ,

p a r t

2 ,

p p .

1 8 5 ,

1 9 2 .

1948 EMPREss ODYssEY. 3

twiceonce for a proposed length of 650 feet, and then for theover-all length of about 600 feet that was finally accepted. Thisbrought the hull dimensions down to figures that the yard hadexceeded in some respects in the Cunarders Campania andLucania as long before as 1892, but in gross tonnage the finaldesign still established a record for Fairfield.3

The contract for the new liners was finally signed in the earlysummer of 1911, and the news was announced in Vancouver byW. T. Payne, then Oriental manager of the Empress service, ashe was about to sail in the Empress of China for his headquartersin Yokohama.4 It was assumed that the two new ships and twoof the old Empresses would between them maintain fortnightlysailings across the Pacific. This gave rise to some local speculation as to what would become of the third old Empress, and as ifto settle the matter, the Empress of China, with Mr. Payne onboard, piled up on a reef outside Yokohama on July 27 anddamaged herself so severely that she was never reconditioned.In September the press reported that one of the new steamerswould be named Empress Van Home,5 and if this quaint suggestion had been adopted one can only assume that the sister shipwould have been called the Empress Mount Stephen. Fortunatelythe idea, if it was ever seriously entertained, was quickly abandoned, and early in October it was stated officially that the vesselswould be named Empress of Russia and Empress of Asia.6

No one was surprised that the order went to the FairfieldCompany, for the Canadian Pacific was already an old customerof the yard. The Assiniboia and Keewatin for the Great Lakes,the Princess Charlotte and Princess Adelaide for the BritishColumbia coast fleet, and the Empress of Britain and Empressof Ireland for the trans-Atlantic service had all come from Fairfield since 1906. The surprise lay in the characteristics of thenew ships themselves. One might have expected them to bear atleast a family resemblance to the Atlantic Empresses, but in factit was quite otherwise. The Empress of Britain and her sisterwere orthodox in the extreme. They had old-style ellipticalsterns, reciprocating engines, and lounges and cabins that recalled

(3) Details given to the writer by Mr. W. D. McLaren, Vancouver.(4) Victoria Colonist, July 16, 1911.(5) Vancouver World, September 12, 1911.(6) Ibid., October 4, 1911.

4W .

K A Y B

L A M B . J a n u a r y

l a t e - V i c t o r i a n

i n t e r i o r

d e c o r a t i o n

a t i t s

p l u s h -

a n d

d r a p e r y - c l a d

w o r s t . T h e E m p r e s s

o f

R u s s i a ,

a n d . E m p r e s s o f A s i a , , o n t h e

o t h e r

h a n d , i n c o r p o r a t e d m a n y n e w i d e a s

a n d

a n t i c i p a t e d

t h e

g e n e r a l

t r e n d o f

p a s s e n g e r - s h i p

d e s i g n f o r m a n y y e a r s t o c o m e .

F o r t h i s t h r e e m e n w e r e

l a r g e l y

r e s p o n s i b l e : D r . P e r c y H i l i h o u s e ,

n a v a l

a r c h i t e c t f o r

t h e

F a i r f i e l d

C o m p a n y ;

W .

D . M c L a r e n ,

n o w

a

r e s i d e n t o f

V a n c o u v e r ,

w h o

w a s t h e n i n c h a r g e

o f

t u r b i n e

r e s e a r c h

a n d

d e s i g n

a t

F a i r f i e l d ;

a n d

M a j o r M a i t l a n d

K e r s e y ,

w h o

w a t c h e d o v e r t h e

p l a n n i n g

a n d

c o n s t r u c t i o n

o f t h e s h i p s

o n

b e h a l f

o f

t h e C a n a d i a n P a c i f i c .

T h e o v e r - a l l l e n g t h o f t h e

v e s s e l s w a s

5 9 2

f e e t , t h e i r w i d t h

6 8 . 2 f e e t , a n d

t h e i r m o u l d e d

d e p t h 4 6 f e e t . O w i n g

t o s m a l l v a r i a

t i o n s i n d e s i g n t h e E m p r e s s o f A s i a

w a s

s l i g h t l y

t h e l a r g e r

o f

t h e

t w o . H e r g r o s s t o n n a g e

w a s 1 6 , 9 0 9 , t h a t o f t h e

E m p r e s s

o f R u s s i a w a s 1 6 , 8 1 0 .

S i m i l a r l y ,

t h e A s i a s d i s p l a c e m e n t

w a s

2 5 , 4 0 0 t o n s ,

w h i l e

t h a t o f t h e R u s s i a

w a s 2 5 , 2 0 0 . T h e v i s i t o r .

o n

b o a r d h a d n o

d i f f i c u l t y

i n t e l l i n g

o n e

s i s t e r

f r o m t h e o t h e r ,

a s

d i f f e r e n t s c h e m e s o f

d e c o r a t i o n

w e r e

u s e d

i n t h e i r

l o u n g e s a n d

s m o k i n g - r o o m s .

E x t e r n a l l y ,

h o w e v e r ,

e v e n a n E m p r e s s o f f i c e r

c o u l d

d e t e c t

o n l y

o n e

d i s t i n g u i s h i n g

f e a t u r e : t h e

w h e e l - h o u s e o f

t h e E m p r e s s

o f

A s i a h a d

p o r t h o l e s ,

w h e r e a s t h a t o f t h e E m p r e s s

o f R u s s i a h a d s q u a r e

w i n d o w s .

T h e

E m

p r e s s e s w e r e n o t t h e l a r g e s t s h i p s

o n t h e P a c i f i c ,

a s

t h e y w e r e a t

f i r s t i n t e n d e d

t o b e , . f o r t h e G r e a t N o r t h e r n

S t e a m

s h i p

C o m p a n y s

M i n n e s o t a ,

o f 2 0 , 7 1 8 t o n s

g r o s s ,

w a s s t i l l i n

s e r v i c e w h e n

t h e y

w e r e c o m p l e t e d .8 B u t t h e y w e r e

t h e f a s t e s t ,

a n d

b y

f a r t h e b e s t

e q u i p p e d

a n d m o s t m o d e r n

i n

d e s i g n . A m o n g s t

o t h e r t h i n g s , t h e y w e r e t h e f i r s t b i g l i n e r s

t o h a v e

c r u i s e r

s t e r n s ,

a

f e a t u r e n o w

v i r t u a l l y u n i v e r s a l .

D r .

H i l l h o u s e

w a s

r e s p o n s i b l e

( 7 )

W h e n t h e E m p r e s s e s . w e r e n e w , C a n a d i a n P a c i f i c p u b l i c i t y

b o o k l e t s

s t a t e d

i n t h e i r e n t h u s i a s m t h a t t h e i r d i s p l a c e m e n t

w a s 3 0 , 6 2 5 t o n s ,

b u t

t h i s

w a s f a r

b e y o n d a n y f i g u r e e v e r r e a c h e d i n a c t u a l s e r v i c e . O n e

E m p r e s s

s k i p p e r , w h e n c o n s u l t e d o n

t h e p o i n t , s u g g e s t e d p l a y f u l l y

t h a t i t m u s t r e p r e

s e n t t h e

d i s p l a c e m e n t

o f

t h e v e s s e l s w h e n t h e y w e r e

t o t a l l y s u b m e r g e d !

( 8 )

F o r

a

d e t a i l e d a c c o u n t

o f

t h e M i n n e s o t a , w h i c h

w a s

w i t h d r a w n

f r o m

t h e t r a n s - P a c i f i c r u n i n 1 9 1 5 , s e e W . K a y e L a m b ,

T h e

T r a n s - P a c i f i c

V e n

t u r e o f J a m e s J .

H i l l : A H i s t o r y o f t h e G r e a t N o r t h e r n S t e a m s h i p C o m p a n y ,

A m e r i c a n

N e p t u n e ,

I I I ( 1 9 4 3 ) ,

p p .

1 8 5 2 0 4 . A s i s t e r s h i p ,

t h e D a k o t a ,

w a s

w r e c k e d n e a r Y o k o h a m a

i n

1 9 0 7 .

1948 EMPRESS ODYSSEY. 5

both for this innovation9 and for the attractive and distinctiveappearance of the vessels. Their cruiser sterns, long unbrokendeck-houses, and three funnels set the general pattern that wasto be followed in later Empresses for twenty years. To the bestof their designers knowledge they were also the first four-compartment shipsthat is, the first liners in which four watertight compartments could be flooded without sinking the ship.

A maximum speed of 20.5 knots and a service speed of 18to 19 knots were specified, and Parsons turbines were chosen asthe best means of developing the required power. The wholemachinery larout therefore became the responsibility of W. D.McLaren. Ordinarily a ship of the size would probably have hadthree turbines (one high-pressure and two low-pressure) drivingthree propellors. Mr. McLaren decided to use four turbinesdriving four propellors instead. This enabled him not only tokeep the individual turbines conveniently small, but also to introduce an intermediate-pressure turbine into the series. This inturn increased efficiency and cut down fuel consumption. Nolarge liner afloat had such turbines at the time the Empresseswere designed.

Major Kersey took a special interest in the passenger-quarters, which accommodated 284 in the first class, 100 insecond class, and 808 in the Oriental steerage. Every first-classcabin was either an outside or a Bibby-style room, but it isinteresting to note that to begin with only the eight specialsuites were fitted with running hot and cold water. A big shipsplumbing and wiring, the complexity of which adds prodigiouslynowadays to the cost of a liner, were still relatively simple in1911. The public rooms were designed at the height of theenthusiasm for period styles that swept the seven seas in the

(9) It is interesting to note that the first merchant steamers of any sizeto have cruiser sterns were built for service on the coast of British Columbia.These were the Prince George and Prince Rupert, completed at Newcastlein 1910 for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. The Prince George wasdestroyed by fire in 1945, but the Prince Rupert is still sailing for the Canadian National Railways between Vancouver and northern ports. Dr. Hill-house was an enthusiastic advocate of the new type of stern and stated hisviews in a paper entitled The Cruiser Stern in Merchant Ships, publishedin the Shipbuilding and Shipping Record, XIV (1919), pp. 737, 738.

6 W .

K A Y E L A M B .

J a n u a r y

y e a r s i m m e d i a t e l y b e f o r e

a n d a f t e r t h e G r e a t

W a r .

I t

i s t h e

f a s h i o n

n o w t o p o k e f u n a t s u c h r o o m s ,

b u t

t h e f a c t r e m a i n s

t h a t

t h e y w e r e u s u a l l y

a

v a s t i m p r o v e m e n t u p o n

t h o s e o f a n

e a r l i e r

d a y .

F e w

p l e a s a n t e r d i n i n g

s a l o o n s

h a v e b e e n p u t a f l o a t t h a n

t h o s e

i n t h e E m p r e s s

o f

R u s s i a

a n d E m p r e s s o f A s i a , a n d t h e

s m o k i n g - r o o m

o f

t h e A s i a , w h i c h

w a s

f i n i s h e d

i n c a r v e d w o o d i n

n a t u r a l

c o l o u r ,

w a s a f i n e

e x a m p l e

o f s u c c e s s f u l s h i p d e c o r a t i o n .

T h e k e e l o f t h e

E m p r e s s

o f

R u s s i a

w a s l a i d o n N o v e m b e r

7 ,

1 9 1 1 , B y t h a t

t i m e

t h e C a n a d i a n P a c i f i c s n e e d f o r

n e w

t o n n a g e

i n t h e P a c i f i c w a s

a c u t e ,

f o r t h e l o s s o f

t h e E m p r e s s o f C h i n a i n

J u l y h a d d i s r u p t e d s c h e d u l e s b a d l y . I n 1 9 1 2

t h e n u m b e r o f f i r s t -

c l a s s p a s s e n g e r s c a r r i e d t o a n d

f r o m

t h e

O r i e n t f e l l

t o

t h e a l l -

t i m e l o w o f

6 4 9 . 1 1

F o r t u n a t e l y t h e F a i r f i e l d C o m p a n y w a s a b l e

t o

d e l i v e r

t h e

n e w

s h i p s

i n r e l a t i v e l y

q u i c k

t i m e . T h e

E m p r e s s o f R u s s i a

w a s

r e a d y

f o r l a u n c h i n g b y

A u g u s t o f 1 9 1 2 , a n d o n t h e 2 8 t h

s h e

w a s

s e n t a f l o a t b y

M r s . W y n d h a m

B e a u c l e r k ,

d a u g h t e r o f S i r T h o m a s

( l a t e r

B a r o n )

S h a u g h n e s s y , t h e n p r e s i d e n t

o f t h e C a n a d i a n

P a c i f i c

R a i l w a y . T h e k e e l o f t h e E m p r e s s

o f A s i a w a s

l a i d o n

D e c e m b e r

4 , 1 9 1 1 ,

a n d

s h e

w a s

l a u n c h e d o n N o v e m b e r 2 3 , 1 9 1 2 ,

b y

M r s .

G .

M . B o s w o r t h , w i f e o f t h e m a n a g e r o f t h e C a n a d i a n

P a c i f i c s

o c e a n s t e a m s h i p s .

T h e

R u s s i a w a s r e a d y f o r h e r t r i a l s

i n

M a r c h , 1 9 1 3 ,

a n d

t h e

A s i a ,

f o l l o w e d

a t

t h e e n d o f

M a y .

T h e

f o r m e r

w a s

t h u s

c o m p l e t e d i n

l e s s

t h a n s e v e n t e e n

m o n t h s ,

a n d

t h e

E m p r e s s

o f

A s i a

i n

l e s s t h a n

e i g h t e e n m o n t h s .1 2

B e t w e e n

t h e m t h e

n e w

s i s t e r s

c o s t j u s t o v e r $ 5 , 0 0 O , 0 0 0 .

T h i s

w a s

l o o k e d u p o n

a s a

v a s t

e x p e n d i t u r e

a t

t h e t i m e ,

b u t

t h e i r

p e r f o r m a n c e o n t r i a l

i n d i c a t e d t h a t t h e c o m p a n y

w a s

g e t t i n g

i t s

m o n e y s

w o r t h . T h e c o n t r a c t

r e q u i r e m e n t s w e r e

a

s p e e d o f 2 0 . 5

k n o t s

o n t h e m e a s u r e d

m i l e ,

a n d a n

a v e r a g e

o f 2 0 k n o t s

o n

a 6 0 0 -

( 1 0 )

T h e b e s t g e n e r a l d e s c r i p t i o n o f t h e

E m p r e s s e s , c o m p l e t e w i t h p r o

f i l e , d e c k

p l a n s , a n d

i n t e r i o r v i e w s ,

i s

p r o b a b l y t h a t i n t h e S h i p b u i l d e r , I X

( 1 9 1 3 ) ,

p p .

1 2 2 1 3 0 .

( 1 1 ) D e t a i l s

w i l l

b e

f o u n d

i n

t h e r e p o r t o n

s u b s i d i z e d s t e a m s h i p s e r v i c e s

i n c l u d e d

i n t h e a n n u a l r e p o r t o f t h e

D e p a r t m e n t o f T r a d e a n d C o m m e r c e .

( 1 2 ) D a t e s , e t c . ,

a r e q u o t e d f r o m t h e

o f f i c i a l r e c o r d s

i n

t h e

f i l e s

o f

C a n a d i a n

P a c i f i c

S t e a m s h i p s

L i m i t e d ,

M o n t r e a l .

( 1 3 ) T o b e e x a c t , $ 5 , 0 0 5 , 7 3 8 . 8 4 . S e e

e n t r i e s i n t h e A n n u a l R e p o r t o f

t h e

C a n a d i a n P a c i f i c R a i l w a y , 1 9 1 2 ,

1 9 1 3 , a n d 1 9 1 4 . T h e c o s t o f

t h e l i n e r s

h a d f i r s t

b e e n e s t i m a t e d a t 4 4 0 , 0 0 0

e a c h . A s t h e t o t a l

g i v e n i n d i c a t e s , t h e y

c t u a l l y c o s t a b o u t 5 1 5 , 0 0 0

e a c h .

1948 EMPRESS ODYssEY. 7

mile sea trial. The turbines were expected to develop about22,500 shaft horse-power. Those of the Empress of Russiaactually developed a maximum of 26,285 s.h.p., and she attaineda speed of 21.178 knots on the measured mile. The Empress ofAsia did even better. Her fastest runs were made at 21.43 knots,and her turbines developed 27,280 s.h.p. This was probably theonly time in their whole careers that their turbines were forcedto the limit, and the 600-mile sea trials gave a much better ideaof the maximum speeds that might be expected in regular service.The Empress of Russia averaged 21,030 s.h.p. and a speed of20.14 knots; the Empress of Asiaonce more doing just a littlebetter than her sisteraveraged 21,810 s.h.p. and 20.33 knots.Equally satisfactory was the fact that the intended ordinaryservice speed of 18 to 19 knots was reached when the turbineswere developing considerably less than the designed power.4

There had been talk of equipping the Empresses to burn oil,but they were completed as coal-burners. This is surprising,for even in 1913 oil fuel was coming to the fore on the Pacific.The Chiyo Maru and Tenyo Maru could burn oil or coal at will,and so could the new Canadian-Australasian liner Niagara. Asin all coal-burning ships, poor-quality coal or inefficient firemencould slow the Empresses down, but through the years theyestablished a fine record for consistent performance, and rarelyfell far behind schedule.

The Empress of Russia dropped anchor at Greenock, after hertrials, on March 24, 1913. That same day she was formallyhanded over to her owners, and her log commences with thenotation: Hoisted C.P.R. flag. Her first commander wasCaptain Edward Beetham, who had joined the old Empress ofJapan when she was first commissioned, and in recent years hadbeen in command of the Empress of India. A. J. Hosken waschief officer, and James Adamson, another old-timer who hadbeen in the Empress of India since 1891, was chief engineer.

The Empresss maiden voyage commenced at Liverpool onApril 1, when she sailed with a large party of round-the-worldexcursionists. Proceeding by way of the Mediterranean and the

(14) Details from the official records in the office of Canadian PacificSteamships Limited, and from data in the possession of Mr. W. D. McLaren,Vancouver, who supervised the trials.

8W .

K A Y E L A M B .

J a n u a r y

S u e z

C a n a l ,

s h e

c a l l e d

a t

G i b r a l t a r

a n d

M o n a c o ,

p a s s e d t h r o u g h

t h e

S t r a i t s

o f

M e s s i n a ,

p a u s e d

a t

P o r t S a i d ,

g a v e h e r p a s s e n g e r s

t i m e

t o

s e e s o m e

o f t h e s i g h t s

i n C o l o m b o , v i s i t e d

S i n g a p o r e ,

a n d

t i e d

u p a t H o n g

K o n g

o n M a y

9 .

T w e l v e

d a y s l a t e r s h e s e t

o f f t o

m a k e

t h e r o u n d

o f t h e O r i e n t a l

p o r t s s h e

w a s t o k n o w

s o w e l l i n

y e a r s

t o

c o m e :

S h a n g h a i ,

N a g a s a k i ,

K o b e , a n d Y o k o h a m a .

T h i s

f i r s t

v i s i t

t o N a g a s a k i

w a s m e m o r a b l e ,

f o r

b e t w e e n

8

a . m . a n d

2

p . m .

o n

M a y

2 5 t h e

h u m a n

c h a i n s

o f

J a p a n e s e

c o a l - h a n d l e r s ,

f o r

w h i c h

t h e

p o r t

w a s

l o n g

f a m o u s ,

s w a r m e d

u p h e r

s i d e s

a n d

p o u r e d

n o

l e s s

t h a n

3 , 2 0 0

t o n s

o f

c o a l

i n t o

h e r

b u n k e r s .

T h i s

w a s

a n

a v e r a g e

o f

5 3 3

t o n s

p e r

h o u r a

r e c o r d

t h a t

h a s

n e v e r

b e e n

e q u a l l e d . 5O n

M a y 2 9 t h e E m p r e s s

l e f t

Y o k o h a m a

a n d

s e t o f f

a c r o s s

t h e

P a c i f i c .

I n s p i t e

o f s t r o n g

w i n d s ,

r o u g h

f o l l o w i n g

s e a s ,

a n d

s o m e

d e n s e

f o g ,

s h e

m a d e

s t e a d y

p r o g r e s s ,

a n d

c o m p l e t e d

t h e

p a s s a g e

t o

W i l l i a m

H e a d i n

9 d a y s

5

h o u r s

a n d

2 9

m i n u t e s .

T h i s

r e d u c e d

b y

m o r e

t h a n

2 8 h o u r s

t h e

o l d e a s t - b o u n d

r e c o r d

o f

1 0

d a y s

1 0

h o u r s ,

h e l d

f o r m a n y y e a r s

b y

t h e E m p r e s s

o f

J a p a n .

T h e

R u s s i a s

a v e r a g e

s p e e d a b o u t

1 9

k n o t s w a s

h i g h e r

t h a n

a n y

o t h e r

v e s s e l o n a n y

c o m p e t i n g

r o u t e

h a d e v e r

a v e r a g e d ,

a n d w h e n

s h e

t i e d

u p

i n V a n c o u v e r ,

s h e

w a s

i n d i s p u t a b l y

Q u e e n

o f

t h e

P a c i f i c .

Q u i t e

a s

s a t i s f a c t o r y

f r o m

t h e

p o i n t

o f v i e w

o f

h e r

o w n e r s

w a s

t h e

f a c t

t h a t s h e

b r o u g h t

n o

l e s s t h a n

1 , 0 6 6 pass e n g e r s 1 9 8

o f

t h e m

i n t h e f i r s t c l a s s a n d

a

c a r g o

t h a t

t o t a l l e d

3 , 8 5 4

t o n s

m e a s u r e m e n t . 6T h e

E m p r e s s o f

A s i a

w a s

d e l i v e r e d

t o

h e r o w n e r s

o n M a y

3 1

a n d

s a i l e d

f r o m

L i v e r p o o l

o n

J u n e

1 4 .

I n

o r d e r

t o

a v o i d

t h e

e x t r e m e

h e a t t h a t

p r e v a i l s

i n

t h e

R e d S e a

d u r i n g

t h e s u m m e r

m o n t h s ,

s h e

t r a v e l l e d

t o

H o n g

K o n g

b y

w a y

o f

t h e

C a p e

o f

G o o d

H o p e .

S h e

a r r i v e d

o f f

V i c t o r i a

l a t e o n

t h e

n i g h t

o f

A u g u s t

3 0 ,

d o c k e d

t h e r e

t h e n e x t m o r n i n g ,

a n d t i e d

u p

i n

V a n c o u v e r l a t e r

i n

t h e d a y .

C a p t a i n

S a m u e l

R o b i n s o n ,

o n e

o f t h e

b e s t

k n o w n

o f

a l l t h e

E m p r e s s

s k i p p e r s ,

w a s

i n c o m m a n d ,

L .

D . D o u g l a s

w a s

c h i e f

o f f i c e r ,

a n d W i l l i a m A u l d w a s

c h i e f

e n g i n e e r . A l l t h r e e

h a d

b e e n

p r o m o t e d

t o

t h e

A s i a

f r o m

t h e

f a m o u s

o l d

E m p r e s s

o f

J a p a n .

( 1 5 )

A

f i n e

p h o t o g r a p h

o f

t h e

E m p r e s s ,

t a k e n

w h i l e

s h e

w a s

c o a l i n g

a t

N a g a s a k i , h a n g s

i n t h e

o f f i c e

o f

t h e

G e n e r a l

S u p e r i n t e n d e n t ,

C a n a d i a n

P a c i f i c

S t e a m s h i p s ,

i n V a n c o u v e r .

( 1 6 )

D e t a i l s

f r o m

t h e

s h i p s

l o g ;

a l s o

V i c t o r i a

T i m e s ,

J u n e

7 ,

1 9 1 3 .

1948 EMPREsS ODYssEY. 9

For the next few months the Empress of Russia and Empressof Asia, running in conjunction with the Empress of India andEmpress of Japan, shuttled back and forth across the Pacificwithout incident. Then, in the spring of 1914, there came aspate of record-breaking. On May 3 Captain Robinson broughtthe Empress of Asia to William Head after a record run of 9 days2 hours and 44 minutes from Yokohama. The average speedmaintained was 19.19 knots.17 If she had not encountered heavygales that persisted for two days, the Asia would have done betterstill, for her best days run was made at an average of 20.4 knots.But her performance was not to go unchallenged for long. OnMay 29 the Empress of Russia, now commanded by CaptainA. W. Davison, regained her laurels by completing a voyage inonly 8 days 18 hours and 31 minutes, at an average speed of 19.86knotsa record that was to stand for nine years.8

A month later, on June 29, the Russia added another page tothe story of the Empresses when she tied up in the harbourat Manila. Hitherto the Canadian Pacific liners had not gonebeyond Hong Kong, but it was found that the superior speed ofthe new Empresses left them with a few days in hand at the endof their run. The service was therefore extended to the Philippines, and the initial sailing fell to the lot of the Empress ofRussia,. Four weeks later the Empress of Asia followed, butthereafter the schedule was completely disrupted by the outbreakof war between Great Britain and Germany.

2.

For the Empresses the Great War proved to be a drama consisting of three acts and an interlude. The first act opened infamiliar waters, but was played for the most part in the IndianOcean. The second act was staged in the Red Sea. The inter-

(17) Mctrine Engineer cnd Navcl Architect, June, 1914, p. 417 (wherethe length of the voyage is incorrectly stated to have been eight days nineteen hours); Victoria Colonist, May 5, 1914. On her best day the Asicssteamed 473 miles in twenty-three hours and ten minutes.

(18) Victoria Colonist, May 30, 1914. The Russi&s log shows that shecrossed at an extraordinarily steady pace. Her daily runs were as follows:386, 460, 461, 466, 460, 464, 463, 452, 451, 224. During the last three hoursof the voyage she speeded up to an estimated 21 knots.

10 W. KAYE LAMB. January

lude consisted of a return to regular trading across the Pacific,while the closing act took place in the Atlantic.

The Empress of Asia was actually requisitioned on August 3,before hostilities commenced. She was lying at Hong Kong, andthe naval base there had been a hive of activity for some dayspast. She was quickly stripped of superfluous fittings, armedwith eight old 4.7-inch guns, and prepared for service as anauxiliary cruiser. Mustering a naval crew proved to be a difficult problem, and when she finally sailed, her complement consisted of a strange conglomeration that included most of herregular officers, engineers, and Chinese seamen; men of the RoyalNaval Reserve; detachments from the French Yangtse Rivergunboats and the Royal Garrison Artillery; and some PathanSepoys. Her first naval captain was Commander C. C. Walcott,R.N. (Ret.), who was succeeded later by Commander P. H.Colomb, R.N. Captain Robinson stayed with his ship, servingin the capacity of navigating officer.

Her first cruise took her to the Yellow Sea, where she joineda squadron headed by the old battleship Triumph that was keeping a watch on the German naval base at Tsingtau. When theentry of Japan into the war made her presence there no longernecessary, the Empress was sent to the Philippines. A dozenor more German merchantmen had taken refuge in variousharbours there, and it was highly important that they shouldbe prevented from sailing and carrying supplies to the enemycruisers known to be close by.

The blockading squadron off the Philippines included theEmpress of Japan, which had also been commandeered, and sheand the Empress of Asia were joined presently by the Empressof Russia,. The Russia had sailed from Vancouver on August 6,on schedule, in spite of the outbreak of war. Two days out herwireless operator picked up signals that two German vesselsone apparently near bywere exchanging in code, and moreGerman messages were heard the next morning. Otherwise thevoyage was completed without incident, and the Empress arrivedat Hong Kong on the 22nd. At midnight on the 23rd she wastaken over by the naval authorities, who fitted her out as anauxiliary cruiser. Like the Empress of Asia she was armedwith eight 4.7-inch guns, but this armament was less formidable


than it sounds; the guns were of an ancient pattern, and theireffective range was only about 10,000 yards. Commander Archibald Cochran, R.N., took command, and Captain Davison becamenavigating officer. The Empress of Russias first cruise was toSingapore, and from there she was ordered first to Hong Kongand then to the Philippines. The only excitement encounteredcame one day when the North German Lloyd steamer Mark wassighted on the horizon. The Empress of Russia gave chase, butin spite of her efforts to cut the enemy off the Mark managedto take refuge in American waters.

About the middle of September the first exploits of the famouscommerce-raiding cruiser Emden became known, and to emphasize her presence in the Indian Ocean the Emclen boldly bombarded and fired some oil-tanks at Madras on the 22nd. At thistime the Empress of Asia and the Russian cruiser Askoldanancient five-funnelled craft of questionable combat valuewereescorting three transports that were carrying garrison troopshome to Europe from the Far East. When they got as far asColombo, the Empress was sent off in company with the Britishcruiser Hampshire to patrol trade routes and try to run downthe Emden. Within a fortnightalthough this was not knowntill long afterwardsthe Asia came within an ace of doing so.She first got definite track of the raider on October 15, whenshe called at Diego Garcia, in the Chagos Archipelago, far tothe south of Colombo. The little port had no wireless station,and its people were astonished to learn that war had broken out.The officers of the Empress, in their turn, were equally astonishedto hear that the Emclen had spent two days there the previousweek. Captain von Muller had told the curious islanders thatjoint German-French-British naval mancuvres were being heldin the Indian Ocean, and several pleasant social functions hadmarked the Emdens visit. The Hampshire and Empress of Asia,returned at once to Colombo, to protect shipping thereabouts.Then, on the 20th, they sailed with orders to sweep the seasbetween Ceylon and the Maldive Islands. All night long theysteamed in line ahead, but when daylight came on October 21Trafalgar Daythey prepared to spread out, so as to scan thewidest possible area. Their general course was to the southwest, and about 6.30 a.m. the Asia swung round to the north-


west, the intention being that she should maintain this coursefor an hour or so, and then swing back to the south-west andproceed on a course parallel to that of the Hampshire. At thissame hour, as it happened, the Emden, which had decided toleave the now heavily patrolled Colombo region and seek victimsin safer waters, was in the same vicinity, steaming to the southeast. About 8 a.m. she and the Empress of Asia, steaming onvirtually parallel courses but in opposite directions, cannot havebeen more than 10 miles apart. But it was a case of so near andyet so far, for the Empress failed to sight her quarry.

In the closing days of the search for the Emden, both theEmpress of Asia and Empress of Russia were based on Colombo.On November 9, when the welcome news came that the raiderhad at last been found in the Cocos Islands and engaged by theAustralian cruiser Sydney, both the Empresses were ordered toproceed thither immediately. Four days later the Empress ofRussia met the Sydney at sea and took on board 230 survivorsof the Emden. Many of the men were wounded, and it wasimpossible to care for them properly in the cruiser. TheEmpress brought them to Colombo. Meanwhile search partiesfrom the Empress of Asia had combed the Cocos Islands in anunsuccessful effort to find a landing party that the Emden hadleft behind, and the Asia later joined in a search for the raidersattendant colliei.19

Before the end of 1914 both Empresses had shifted their baseto Aden; the second act of their war drama had commenced.Turkey had allied herself with Germany on November 1, and it

(19) This account of the war-time movements of the Empresses in 1914is based chiefly on the log of the Empress of Russs, conversations withCaptain L. D. Douglas, and Sir Julian Corbett, History of the Great WarNaval Operations, revised edition, I, London, 1938, pp. 142149, 302, 333337,379384; also chart entitled Operations against S.M.S. Emden August toNovember 1914. The latter is the British official history. See also FranzJoseph, Prince of Hohenzollern, Emden, New York, 1928, in which the beliefis expressed that the Emden once actually sighted the Empress of Russia(p. 162). As happens so often in accounts of sea warfare, times and placesdo not coincide exactly, but it is entirely possible that the Emclen did sightthe Empress of Asia (not the Russia, which was many miles away). Eventhough the Empress was only a converted merchantman, the Emden wouldnot seek to engage her; her great anxiety was to avoid damage, and she wasprobably aware that the Empress and a cruiser usually operated in company.

Courtesy Canadian Pacific Railway.

First ciass smoking-room in the Empress of Asia.

T h e

E m p r e s s o f

R u s s i a i n t h e c o a t o f c a m o u f l a g e w h i c h s h e w o r e

w h i l e s e r v i n g

a s a

t r o o p s h i p o n t h e A t l a n t i c i n 1 9 1 8 .

I .

I I

C o u r t e s y C a n a d i a n

P a c i f i c R a i l w a y .


was essential that the trade and transport route from Aden tothe Mediterranean be kept open and secure. The duties involvedwere of the most varied description. Some of the Red Sealighthouses had to be taken over from the Turks or defendedfrom them. At Hodeida the British and French consuls hadbeen bundled off inland to Sana when hostilities commenced, andwhen their release had been arranged for, after protractednegotiations carried on through the intermediary of the Spanishauthorities, the Empress of Russia, sent in a steam pinnace undera flag of truce to bring them off. Later it was decided to takepossession of Kamaran, the island port where many pilgrimsbound for Mecca passed through quarantine. This the Russia,accomplished, thanks to the combined efforts of her own gunsand some Indian territorials brought along for the occasion.At one time the Turks were in a position to threaten Adenitself, and the Empress of Asia, and Empress of Russia, defendedthe port until British reinforcements arrived from Suez. A littlelater the Minto, of the Royal Indian Marine, was struck anddamaged at Lohaia, to the north of Kamaran. The Empressof Russia answered her call for assistance, bombarded the port,and set a spectacular blaze alight when she fired the Turkishoil-supplies that were stored there. Salif, Port Sudan, andShaiksaid were the scenes of further incidents in which one orother of the Empresses was engaged. For the most part, however, they served as patrol ships. Five German steamers hadtaken refuge in Italian waters at Massaua, and one of their chiefconcerns was to keep an eye on them, and to prevent the dhowsthat dodged from one shore to the other from smuggling theircargoes across to the Turks. Some of these dhows the Empressessank; others they towed to Aden. As dhow-towing in thestifling heat of the Red Sea was tedious in the extreme, theofficers of the Empress of Russia devised slings that would holda dhow against the ships side, clear of the water, and so permitthe liner to proceed at speed. One dhow, unable to stand thestrain, collapsed amidshipsan accident that called for elaborateexplanations in high places!

In the course of time it became evident that the valuableEmpresses were being wasted in the Red Sea; the routine dutiesthey performed could be done just as well by much smaller and

1 4

W . K A Y E L A M B .

J a n u a r y

s l o w e r

s h i p s . I n

t h e

f a l l

o f 1 9 1 5

i t

w a s

t h e r e f o r e

d e c i d e d t o t u r n

t h e m b a c k

t o

t h e i r o w n e r s .

T h e

E m p r e s s o f

R u s s i a

c o n c l u d e d

h e r a c t i v e

n a v a l

d u t i e s a t B o m b a y

o n O c t o b e r 1 9 , a n d

t h e E m p r e s s

o f A s i a

f o l l o w e d

o n

t h e

2 2 n d .

T h e

l a t t e r h a d

t r a v e l l e d

a

t o t a l

o f 6 4 , 0 2 4 m i l e s

d u r i n g

h e r c o m m i s s i o n .

F r o m

B o m b a y

t h e

E m p r e s s e s

p r o c e e d e d

t o

H o n g K o n g ,

w h e r e

t h e y

w e r e

o v e r h a u l e d ,

r e f i t t e d , a n d

r e s t o r e d

t o

t h e i r

p r e - w a r c o n d i t i o n .

B y t h e e a r l y

s p r i n g t h e y

w e r e

r e a d y f o r s e r v i c e .

J u s t b e f o r e

t h e E m p r e s s

o f

R u s s i a s a i l e d

f r o m

H o n g

K o n g ,

i n s t r u c t i o n s

w e r e

r e c e i v e d

f r o m

M o n t r e a l t h a t

t h e

s i s t e r s

w e r e

t o e x c h a n g e

c o m m a n d e r s ,

a n d

i t

w a s

t h e r e f o r e

C a p t a i n

R o b i n s o n

w h o

b r o u g h t

t h e

E m p r e s s

o f

R u s s i a

i n t o

V a n c o u v e r

o n

A p r i l

8 ,

a n d

C a p t a i n

D a v i s o n

w h o w a s

o n

t h e

b r i d g e

o f t h e

E m p r e s s

o f

A s i a

w h e n

s h e d o c k e d

f o u r

w e e k s l a t e r .2T h e

i n t e r l u d e i n

t h e

w a r d r a m a

o f

t h e E m p r e s s e s

l a s t e d f o r

t w o

w h o l e

y e a r s .

I n

s p i t e

o f

m o u n t i n g

s h i p p i n g

l o s s e s ,

i t

w a s

n o t

u n t i l

1 9 1 8

t h a t

t h e y w e r e

a g a i n

t a k e n

o f f t h e i r

r e g u l a r

r u n

t o t h e O r i e n t . T h e

s e r v i c e

t h e y

m a i n t a i n e d

w a s

i n i t s e l f

i m p o r

t a n t ;

t h e y

c a r r i e d

t h o u s a n d s

o f

C h i n e s e

c o o l i e s ,

b o u n d

f o r

F r a n c e ,

w h e r e

t h e y w o r k e d

i n

l a b o u r

b a t t a l i o n s

b e h i n d t h e

b a t t l e -

f r o n t s ,

a n d

b o t h t h e

C a n a d i a n

P a c i f i c a n d t h e

B r i t i s h

G o v e r n

m e n t

w e r e

r e l u c t a n t

t o a b a n d o n

t h e w h o l e

o f t h e t r a n s - P a c i f i c

t r a d e

t o

t h e

J a p a n e s e .

I t

w a s

t h e

n e e d

f o r

t r a n s p o r t s

t o

m o v e

A m e r i c a n

t r o o p s t o E u r o p e

t h a t

f i n a l l y

l e d

t o

t h e s e c o n d r e q u i s i

t i o n i n g

o f

t h e

E m p r e s s e s .

T h e

E m p r e s s

o f A s i a

l e f t V a n c o u v e r

i n M a y ,

1 9 1 8 ,

t r a v e l l e d

t o

N e w Y o r k

b y w a y

o f

t h e

P a n a m a

C a n a l ,

a n d m a d e

s i x v o y a g e s

t o E u r o p e

b e f o r e

t h e e n d

o f

t h e

y e a r .

F i v e

o f t h e s e

w e r e

t o L i v e r p o o l ,

a n d t h e

s i x t h

t o

B r e s t .

T h e E m p r e s s

o f

R u s s i a

f o l l o w e d

i n

d u e

c o u r s e ,

a n d m a d e

t h e

f i r s t o f

h e r

f o u r

t r a n s - A t l a n t i c

s a i l i n g s

a s a

t r o o p - s h i p

o n

J u l y

6 .

C o m p l e t e

f i g u r e s

a r e

n o t

a v a i l a b l e ,

b u t

w e

k n o w

t h a t o n

f i v e

t r i p s


c a r r i e d

a

t o t a l

o f 1 4 , 4 8 9

o f f i c e r s a n d

m e n .

A s

m a n y

a s

3 , 2 2 2

w e r e

c a r r i e d

b y t h e

E m p r e s s

o f

R u s s i a

a t

o n e

( 2 0 )

U s e f u l

a c c o u n t s

o f

t h e R e d

S e a

a d v e n t u r e s

o f t h e

E m p r e s s e s

a p p e a r e d

i n t h e p r e s s

w h e n

t h e y

r e t u r n e d

t o

t h e

t r a n s - P a c i f i c

r u n .

O n

t h e

E m p r e s s

o f

R u s s i a ,

s e e V i c t o r i a

C o l o n i s t ,

A p r i l

9 ,

1 9 1 6 ,

a n d

o n

t h e

E m p r e s s

o f

A s i a , s e e

i b i d . ,

M a y

7 ,

1 9 1 6 . C a p t a i n

D o u g l a s

p o s s e s s e s

a n

i n t e r e s t i n g

c h a r t

i l l u s t r a t i n g

t h e

m o v e m e n t s

o f t h e

A s i a w h i l e

s h e

w a s i n

c o m m i s s i o n

a s

a n

a u x i l i a r y

c r u i s e r .


time.21 Most of the voyages were without incident, and CaptainDavison reported later that the Empress of Asia never sighteda submarine nor, so far as he knew, was she ever attacked. Uponone occasion it was known that a submerged submarine was lurk..ing under the convoy, but at the surface the fog was so dense thatit could take no action, and eventually it made off. Needless tosay, this was before the days of Asdic, wolf packs, or the acoustictorpedo !22

Once the war ended, the Canadian Pacific was able to securethe release of the ships in remarkably short order. The Empressof Asia was able to sail from Liverpool for Vancouver on January 2, 1919, less than two months after the signing of the armistice. Travelling by way of Panama, she made the passage in23 days, and the 1,100 veterans she carried received a great welcome at Victoria on January 24 and in Vancouver the next morning. The Empress was reconditioned by the Wallace yard, atNorth Vancouver, and the work was completed so quickly thatshe was able to sail for the Orient on February 27. Meanwhilethe Empress of Russia had returned to her station by way of theSuez Canal. Leaving Liverpool on January 10, she picked upseveral thousand Chinese at Havre on the 14th and landed themsafely at Tsingtau before proceeding to Hong Kong for refitting.In less than a month she, too, was ready for service, and onMarch 31 she tied up in Vancouver.

Both ships had fared far better than most of the big Britishliners had done during the war. They were on active war dutyfor only about two years in all, and at no time were they badlyknocked about. When they returned 4o peace-time service, theywere virtually as good as new. Indeed, the only visible markthe war left upon them was a new colour on their hulls. Whenthey went to the Atlantic in 1918, they were both given coats ofcamouflage, and the Empress of Russia received one of the mostelaborate dazzle-paint jobs of the war. At refit time it wasdecided not to restore the white hulls that had been a distinctivefeature of the Empress liners since 1891, and they returned tothe trans-Pacific run with an all-over coat of light grey.

(21) See Benedict Crowell and Robert Forrest Wilson, The Roctd toFrance, New Haven, 1921, II, pp. 553559.

(22) Vancouver Province, January 25, 1919.2

1 6

W .

K A Y E L A M B .

J a n u a r y

3 .

T h e

o n l y

r u n n i n g - m a t e s

a v a i l a b l e

f o r

t h e

E m p r e s s

o f A s i a

a n d E m p r e s s o f

R u s s i a i n

1 9 1 9 w e r e t h e

o l d E m p r e s s

o f

J a p a n

a n d t h e M o n t e a g l e .

T h e

l a t t e r

w a s

p r i m a r i l y

a

f r e i g h t e r ,

a n d

h a d n e i t h e r

t h e s p e e d

n o r t h e p a s s e n g e r

a c c o m m o d a t i o n

n e c e s

s a r y

t o e n a b l e

h e r

t o f i t c o m f o r t a b l y

i n t o t h e

m a i l s e r v i c e .

S u c h

a

m i x t u r e

o f s h i p - t y p e s ,

a g e s ,

a n d s i z e s m a d e

t h e f l e e t

d i f f i c u l t

t o

h a n d l e ,

a n d a l l

t h a t

c o u l d

b e

d o n e

w a s t o

a r r a n g e

a

r e g u l a r

s c h e d

u l e

f o r t h e

t w o

b i g l i n e r s

a n d

l e t

t h e

o t h e r s

f i l l

i n

w i t h

e x t r a

s a i l i n g s

a s

t h e y

w e r e

a b l e .

T h i s

w a s

r e g a r d e d

a s a

t e m p o r a r y

a r r a n g e m e n t

o n l y ,

f o r

a

n e w

E m p r e s s w a s o r d e r e d s o o n

a f t e r

t h e

A r m i s t i c e ,

a n d

t h e

i n t e n t i o n

w a s

t h a t

a s e c o n d

n e w

l i n e r

s h o u l d f o l l o w

s h o r t l y .

T h e

f i r s t

t w o

y e a r s

o f p e a c e

s a w

a n u n p r e c e d e n t e d

r u s h

o f

t r a f f i c

a c r o s s

t h e

P a c i f i c . T o c o p e

w i t h

i t , v a r i o u s

m o d i f i c a

t i o n s

w e r e

m a d e i n

t h e p a s s e n g e r

a c c o m m o d a t i o n

o f

t h e

l a r g e r

E m p r e s s e s .

H i t h e r t o

t h e y

h a d

c a r r i e d

o n l y

t h r e e

c l a s s e s :

f i r s t ,

s e c o n d ,

a n d

O r i e n t a l

s t e e r a g e . I n

1 9 1 9

s t a t e r o o m s f o r

n i n e t y -

t w o

p e r s o n s i n

a

n e w t h i r d

c l a s s

w e r e

a d d e d . T h e

n e x t y e a r

i t

b e c a m e

n e c e s s a r y

t o

e x t e n d

t h e f i r s t - c l a s s

a c c o m m o d a t i o n .

B y

a p p r o p r i a t i n g

a l l t h e

o r i g i n a l

s e c o n d - c l a s s

c a b i n s ,

w h i c h

w e r e

r o o m y a n d

c o m f o r t a b l e ,

t h e n u m b e r

o f

b e r t h s

w a s

i n c r e a s e d

f r o m

2 9 6

t o

3 7 4 .

N e w s e c o n d - c l a s s

q u a r t e r s

w e r e

a d d e d

p r e s e n t l y ,

further a f t . I ns p i t e

o f

t h i s

t h e

s h i p s

w e r e

f r e q u e n t l y

t a x e d

t o

t h e

l i m i t i n d e e d ,

d e m a n d s w e r e

s o p r e s s i n g

t h a t

t h e y

w e r e

o f t e n

b o o k e d far b e y o n d t h e i r n o m i n a lc a p a c i t y . S a l o o n

l i s t s

t o t a l l i n g

4 5 0

w e r e

n o t

u n u s u a l ,

a n d

t h e

p e a k

s e e m s

t o h a v e

b e e n

r e a c h e d

i n M a y , 1 9 2 0 ,

w h e n

t h e

E m p r e s s

o f R u s s i a

a r r i v e d

w i t h

n o l e s s

t h a n

4 8 0 i n

t h e

f i r s t

c l a s s .

T o

a c c o m m o d a t e

t h e m ,

c o t s

h a d

b e e n

p l a c e d

i n s t a t e r o o m s ,

o f f i c e r s

h a d

g i v e n

u p

t h e i r

c a b i n s ,

a n d

t h e

p a t i e n c e

a n d

i n g e n u i t y

o f

t h e

s h i p s

s t a f f

h a d

b e e n

t r i e d

t o

t h e

u t m o s t .

I t w i l l b e r e c a l l e d

t h a t

i n

1 9 1 2

t h e

C a n a d i a n P a c i f i c

h a d carn e d

o n l y

6 4 9

f i r s t - c l a s s p a s s e n g e r s

t o

a n d

f r o m

t h e

O r i e n t .

I n

t h e y e a r e n d e d J u n e

3 0 ,

1 9 1 4 t h e

f i r s t

t w e l v e m o n t h

i n

w h i c h

t h e

E m p r e s s

o f

A s i a

a n d

E m p r e s s

o f

R u s s i a

w e r e

i n

s e r v i c e t h e

t o t a l

j u m p e d

t o 2 , 5 1 4 .

B u t

i n t h e

y e a r

e n d e d

J u n e

3 0 , 1 9 2 1 ,

n o

l e s s

t h a n

9 , 7 6 1

f i r s t - c l a s s

p a s s e n g e r s s a i l e d

b y

t h e

E m p r e s s

194S EMPRESS ODYssEY. 17

route28a .volume of traffic that must have brought at least$3,000,000 into the coffers of the company. Second class, thenew third class, and Oriental steerage all added to the total, andthe number of passengers carried in all classes, which had been14,575 in 191314, rose to no less than 35,555 in 1920_21.24

Cargo holds as well as cabins were well filled, and the freightdepartment shared in the boom. Silk was the most importantsingle item in Empress inward manifests, and many inTmenselyvaluable shipments were landed at Vancouver. For example, inAugust, 1919, the Empress of Asia arrived with 10,800 bales ofraw silk which, according to Harbor and Shipping, were valuedat $8,500,000, and in addition she brought 2,053 cases of silkgoods that increased the total to more than $10,000,000.2 Tea,rice, and miscellaneous Oriental goods were for years the chiefadditional items in the cargoes carried from the Orient. Outward bound, the two staple items soon came to be spelter (zinc)and wheat products. When flour and wheat shipments first commenced on any scale, it was assumed that the trade would betemporary, but between the wars a shipment totalling severalhundred tons, and upon occasion consisting of as much as 2,300tons, became a fixture in Empress cargoes. On a smaller scalethe same was true of spelter. Machinery, manufactured goods,timber products, and canned goods made up the bulk of the restof the cargo.

In spite of their size the Empresses were not big cargocarriers; their dead-weight cargo capacity was only about3,500 tons. They were primarily passenger and express ships,intended to carry shipments that were of great value, or forwhich rapid transit was essential. In order to share in theprosperous general freight business, the Canadian Pacific decidedto bring to the Pacific two of the freight steamers that had beenpurchased during the war to run on the Atlantic. The first ofthese was the Methven, a 10-knot steamer of 4,852 tons gross,completed in 1906. She came to Vancouver by way of thePanama Canal, arriving early in March, 1919. More than a

(23) E. W. Beatty, Canada and the Orient, Harbor and Shipping, IV,p. 209 (April, 1922).

(24) Ibid.(25) Harbor and Shipping, I, p. 389 (September, 1919).

1 8

W .

K A Y E

L A M B . J a n u a r y

y e a r p a s s e d

b e f o r e s h e

w a s j o i n e d b y

t h e M a t t a w c ,

w h i c h

c a m e

t o t h e

P a c i f i c

b y

w a y

o f

S u e z ,

a n d

a r r i v e d i n

V a n c o u v e r

f o r

t h e

f i r s t t i m e

i n A u g u s t , 1 9 2 0 .

T h e

g r o s s

t o n n a g e o f t h e M c t t t a w c t

w a s

4 , 8 7 4 ,

h e r s p e e d w a s 9 k n o t s , a n d s h e h a d b e e n b u i l t i n1 9 1 2 .

O n

s o m e

o f

t h e i r t r a n s - P a c i f i c t r i p s

t h e s e f r e i g h t e r s

t u r n e d b a c k a t

H o n g

K o n g , b u t

t h e i n t e n t i o n w a s

t h a t

t h e y

s h o u l d

c o n t i n u e

o n a n d m a i n t a i n

a

s e r v i c e

a s

f a r

a s

S i n g a p o r e .

A s

i t

t u r n e d

o u t ,

t h e i r

c a r e e r s

o n t h e

P a c i f i c

p r o v e d t o b e

b r i e f . B y

t h e

e n d o f

1 9 2 0

t h e

f r e i g h t

m a r k e t

w a s

c o l l a p s i n g ,

a n d

i n Janua r y ,

1 9 2 1 ,

b o t h

s h i p s

w e r e

l a i d

u p

i n

H o n g

K o n g .

L a t e r

t h e y

w e r e

e m p l o y e d

f o r

a

t i m e i n

t h e

A s i a t i c

c o a s t a l

t r a d e .

T h e

M e t h v e n

c a r r i e d

r i c e

f r o m

S a i g o n ,

a n d

u p o n o n e

o c c a s i o n

w e n t

a s

far a f i e l da s

t h e

P e r s i a n G u l f ,

b u t

b e f o r e

t h e

e n d o f

1 9 2 2

b o t h

v e s s e l s

h a d

f o u n d

t h e i r

w a y

b a c k t o .

t h e

Atlantic.26T h e

M e t h v e n w a s

t h e

f i r s t p e r m a n e n t

c o m m a n d o f

C a p t a i n

L .

D .

D o u g l a s ,

a

f u t u r e

c o m m o d o r e o f

t h e

P a c i f i c

E m p r e s s

f l e e t ,

a n d

s u c h

w e l l - k n o w n

f i g u r e s

a s C a p t a i n

A . J .

H o l l a n d ,

C a p t a i n

H e r b e r t

J a m e s ,

C a p t a i n

A .

V .

R .

L o v e g r o v e ,

a n d

C a p t a i n

G e o r g e

G o o l d

s e r v e d

i n h e r

o r

i n t h e

M a t t a w a , .

T h e s p r i n g

o f 1 9 2 1

w a s

a n i n t e r e s t i n g

t i m e

f o r

t h e

E m

p r e s s e s .

F o r

o n e

t h i n g ,

e a c h

o f

t h e m ,

a s

t h e y

c a m e

b a c k

i n t o s e r v i c e

a f t e r

t h e

u s u a l a n n u a l

o v e r h a u l ,

a p p e a r e d

i n

a

n e w

c o l o u r

s c h e m e .

T h e

l i g h t g r e y

o f

1 9 1 9

n o w

g a v e w a y t o

b l a c k

h u l l s

a n d

w h i t e

u p p e r

w o r k s ;

t h e i r

f u n n e l s

w e r e

b u f f ,

a s

b e f o r e .

F o r

a n o t h e r ,

a

n e w

p a s s e n g e r

s e r v i c e

w a s

s t a r t e d

f r o m

S e a t t l e t o

t h e O r i e n t ,

a n d

t h i s

i n e v i t a b l y a r o u s e d

t h e s p i r i t

o f

c o m p e t i t i o n .

T h e f i v e

n e w A m e r i c a n

l i n e r s

p l a c e d

o n

t h e r u n

w e r e a l l o f

t h e

w e l l - k n o w n

535 t y p e r e d e s i g n e d a r m y t r a n s p o r t s w i t h a l e n g t h o f 5 3 5f e e t ,

a g r o s s

t o n n a g e o f

o v e r

1 4 , 0 0 0 ,

a n d

a

m a x i m u m

s p e e d o f

a b o u t

1 8

k n o t s .

O u t w a r d l y

t h e y

w e r e

u n a t t r a c t i v e ,

a n d t h e

a r r a n g e m e n t

o f t h e i r c a r g o

h o l d s m a d e

i t

i m p o s s i b l e

t o

g i v e

t h e m

t h e s p a c i o u s

p u b l i c

r o o m s

t h a t

c h a r a c t e r i z e d t h e

E m p r e s s e s .

T o

c o m p e n s a t e

f o r

t h i s ,

s p e c i a l

a t t e n t i o n

w a s

l a v i s h e d

o n t h e i r

c a b i n s , w h i c h

w e r e

u n u s u a l l y

l a r g e

a n d

a b o u n d e d i n

p r i v a t e bathr o o m s .

N o r

w e r e

t h e

A m e r i c a n s

c o n t e n t

t o

l e t t h e

s p e e d

l a u r e l s

o f


g o u n c h a l l e n g e d ,

a t

l e a s t

o n

p a p e r .

T i m e

a f t e r

t i m e

t h e

c l a i m

w a s

a d v a n c e d u s u a l l y

b y

t h e

S e a t t l e

P o s t

- I

ntellig e n c e r t h a t

s i l k

b r o u g h t

t o

S e a t t l e

b y

t h e

n e w

s t e a m e r s

h a d

( 2 6 )

F o r

f u r t h e r

d e t a i l s

o f

t h e

M e t h v e n a n d

M a t t a w a ,

s e e

A p p e n d i x .


been delivered in New York in less time than shipments landedin Vancouver by the Empresses. It was a difficult point tocounter conclusively, but an opportunity came finally at the endof April, 1922. The American steamer Bay State (soon afterrenamed President Madison) left Yokohama for Seattle sometime before the Empress of Russia sailed for Vancouver. Setting out in pursuit, the Russia overhauled the Bay State, passedher at sea, and arrived at William Head on May 7, after a passageof 8 days 21 hours and 43 minutes. The average speed maintained was 19.6 knots, which was only a quarter of a knot belowthe record established by the Russia, in 1914. The Bay Statetook 10 days 5 hours and 22 minutes to make the crossing, anddid not arrive until May 8. True, her captain contended that hewas under orders not to exceed 171/2 knots, but this speed wasbelow the voyage average regularly scheduled for the Empresses,and it was difficult to reconcile the captains instructions with aclaim that the line offered the fastest route for the shipment ofsilk from the Orient to New York.27 Actually the PresidentGrant (ex-Pine Tree State) seems to have been the fastest of theAmerican liners, and she has to her credit a crossing at anaverage of 18.63 knots.

It may be well to add that this was not the only time that theEmpress of Russias record was closely approached. In the summer of 1919 the Empress of Asia completed a passage in 8 days21 hours and 4 minutes at an average speed of 19.6 knots,28 andin April, 1921, she came within minutes of repeating this performance.2 Two months later the Empress of Russia crossedin 8 days and 21 hours at an average speed of 19.65 knots.8Later still, as we shall see, the Empress of Asia was to averagemore than 20 knots, and set a mark that neither of the sistersever improved upon.

A memorable adventure befell those on board the Empress ofAsia in October, 1921. The Empress had sailed from Vancouver(as the superstitious will note) on the 13th. A week later she

(27) The whole matter is dealt with in some detail in th Victoria Timesfor May 8 and May 9, 1922.

(28) Harbor and Shipping, I, p. 307 (July, 1919).(29) See Victoria Colonist, April 19, 1921; Victoria Times, April 18,

1921.(30) See Victoria Times, July 11, 1921.

2 0

W .

K A Y E L A M B .

J a n u a r y

e n c o u n t e r e d w h a t m a y

w e l l h a v e b e e n t h e w o r s t s t o r m

t o s t r i k e

t h e P a c i f i c i n

a

q u a r t e r

o f

a

c e n t u r y .

A t n o o n o n O c t o b e r

2 0 t h e

b a r o m e t e r s t o o d

a t

2 9 . 8 1 . B y

4 p . m . i t

h a d

f a l l e n

t o 2 9 . 2 9 , a n d

w a s

s t i l l

f a l l i n g r a p i d l y .

A t 1 0 p . m . t h e r e a d i n g

w a s 2 8 . 1 3 .

E v e n i n t h e w o r s t

s t o r m s o f f t h e

C h i n a

c o a s t

t h e b a r o m e t e r

r a r e l y f a l l s

a s

l o w a s 2 8 . 0 0 , b u t o n

t h i s o c c a s i o n i t f e l l m u c h

f a r t h e r . A t m i d n i g h t i t s t o o d a t

2 7 . 5 3 , a n d a t 1 a . m . r e a c h e d

t h e

l o w e s t l e v e l o f a l l , a b o u t

2 7 . 4 8 . B y t h a t

t i m e

t h e n e e d l e

w a s

o f f

t h e

b a r o g r a p h , a n d o n l y a n e s t i m a t e

o f i t s p o s i t i o n

w a s p o s

s i b l e . I t

w a s

t h e l o w e s t p o i n t t h a t

C a p t a i n L . D .

D o u g l a s , w h o

w a s i n c o m m a n d , h a d e v e r

s e e n

t h e

b a r o m e t e r r e a c h i n

t h e c o u r s e

o f

a

l i f e t i m e

s p e n t a t

s e a .

F o r t u n a t e l y

t h e E m p r e s s w a s

a

l i t t l e

t o t h e n o r t h o f t h e c e n t r e o f t h e s t o r m ,

t h e v e l o c i t y o f w h i c h

f a r

e x c e e d e d

1 0 0 m i l e s p e r h o u r . I n

s p i t e o f t h e p o u n d i n g

s h e

r e c e i v e d

s h e s u f f e r e d n o s t r u c t u r a l d a m a g e , t h o u g h

a t t i m e s h e r

s p e e d

h a d

t o b e r e d u c e d

t o

a s

l i t t l e a s 8 k n o t s . O n e

o f

C a p t a i n

D o u g l a s s

m o s t v i v i d m e m o r i e s r e l a t e s

t o

a

m i n o r

i n c i d e n t t h e

w a y .

i n w h i c h

t h e s t o r m s u d d e n l y t o r e t h e

c a n v a s c o v e r s f r o m t h e

l i f e - b o a t s . I n h i s o w n

a m u s i n g

p h r a s e ,

t h e y w e n t

a w a y

l i k e

a

f l o c k

o f

g u l l s !

3 1

4 .

B y

t h e a u t u m n

o f

1 9 2 1 t h e n e w E m p r e s s

o f C a n a d a

w a s

i n

t h e f i n a l s t a g e s o f c o m p l e t i o n

a t

G o v a n . B u i l t

b y

t h e

s a m e

F a i r

f i e l d

y a r d t h a t h a d

c o n s t r u c t e d

t h e

E m p r e s s

o f R u s s i a a n d

E m p r e s s

o f

A s i a ,

s h e

r e s e m b l e d t h e m c l o s e l y i n g e n e r a l

a p p e a r

a n c e . I n t e r n a l l y , h o w e v e r ,

s h e w a s

a

v e r y d i f f e r e n t s h i p ,

f o r

h e r l a r g e r d i m e n s i o n s

e n a b l e d

h e r d e s i g n e r s

t o p l a n

h e r

a c c o m

m o d a t i o n u p o n

a

m o r e

l a v i s h

s c a l e . S h e

h a d

a n e x t r a d e c k ,

a n d

t h e w h o l e

o f h e r

p r o m e n a d e d e c k

w a s

d e v o t e d t o a n e l a b o r a t e

s u i t e o f f i r s t - c l a s s p u b l i c r o o m s . T h e o l d e r E m p r e s s e s h a d

b o a s t e d

l o u n g e s , w r i t i n g - r o o m s ,

s m o k i n g - r o o m s ,

g y m n a s i u m s ,

a n d

v e r a n d a

c a f s . I n a d d i t i o n t o t h e s e , t h e C a n a d a

o f f e r e d

a

l o n g g a l l e r y , d r a w i n g - r o o m , c a r d - r o o m , a n d c h i l d r e n s r o o m .

S h e w a s a l s o t h e f i r s t

P a c i f i c

E m p r e s s t o h a v e s u c h

l u x u r y - l i n e r

a t t r a c t i o n s

a s a n

e l e v a t o r a n d

a

s w i m m i n g - p o o l . A l l h e r c a b i n s

h a d h o t a n d

c o l d r u n n i n g

w a t e r , a n d

f o r t y

o f

t h e m

h a d

p r i v a t e

b a t h s o r

t o i l e t s .

( 3 1 )

H a r b o r

a n d S h i p p i n g , I V ,

p .

6 0

( D e c e m b e r , 1 9 2 1 ) , a n d p e r s o n a l

n o t e s a n d

r e c o l l e c t i o n s

o f C a p t a i n

D o u g l a s .

1948 EMPREss ODYSSEY. 21

Compared with the earlier Empresses, over-all length hadbeen increased from 592 feet to 653 feet, width from 68.2 to 77.5feet, and gross tonnage from just under 17,000 to 21,517. TheCanadas maximum displacement was 32,250 tons, and she wasboth the largest ship ever built for the trans-Pacific trade andthe largest yet built by the Fairfield Company. Like most of thebig liners built just after the Great War, the Empress was propelled by double-reduction geared turbines driving twin screws..She burned oil fuel, and her boilers were grouped compactly intwo boiler-rooms under the two forward funnels. The third funnel was a dummy, added for the sake of appearance, and usedonly as a ventilating-shaft for the engine-room.

The Empress of Canada, had been laid down as soon as possible after the Armisticetoo soon, as it proved, for her owngood. Skilled labour and first-quality materials were bothextremely scarce at the time, and her builders frequently foundthe going most difficult. Fine ship as she undoubtedly was, theCanada was never particularly lucky, and the minor mechanical.troubles that dogged her throughout her career doubtless sprangin great part from the circumstances of her construction. Thosecircumstances, and the rapid rise in ship-building costs, hadbetween them the further result of robbing her of a sister ship.A fourth big liner was required to maintain a fortnightly serviceacross the Pacific, and by the summer of 1919 the Empress ofCanadas projected sister was being referred to in the press byname as the Empress of Australia,32 but within a few monthsplans for her construction were definitely abandoned.

The Empress of Canada herself was launched on August 17,1920, by Mrs. G. M. Bosworth, who, it will be recalled, had sponsored the Empress of Asia eight years before. The intentionwas that the Canada should leave Liverpool in March, 1921, andcruise to Vancouver by way of the Mediterranean, but the workof fitting her out progressed so slowly that this plan was soonabandoned. By June, 1921, the installation of her machineryhad been completed, and she was able to leave the shipyard andrun a series of builders trials in the Firth of Clyde.33 Newspaper stories credited her with having worked up to a speed of

(32) See for example, ibid., I, p. 349 (August, 1919).(33) Shipbuilding ctnd Shipping Record, XVII (1921), P. 781.

2 2 W .

K A Y E L A M B . J a n u a r y

2 5 . 6

k n o t s ,3 4 b u t s h e

w a s ,

i n f a c t , q u i t e

i n c a p a b l e

o f a n y s u c h

p e r f o r m a n c e .

M o r e o v e r ,

t h e t y p e o f

g e a r i n g

u s e d

i n t h e C a n a d a

r e q u i r e d e x t r e m e l y c a r e f u l h a n d l i n g w h e n n e w , a n d i t g o e s

w i t h

o u t

s a y i n g t h a t s h e

w a s

n o t f o r c e d i n a n y w a y o n t h i s

i n i t i a l

c r u i s e .

O w i n g

t o

a

j o i n e r s s t r i k e t h a t k e p t w o r k

o n h e r

c a b i n s

a n d

l o u n g e s a t

a

s t a n d s t i l l f o r

m a n y m o n t h s , t h e E m p r e s s

w a s

n o t

f i n a l l y c o m p l e t e d u n t i l A p r i l , 1 9 2 2 . H e r o f f i c i a l t r i a l s

f o l l o w e d ,

b u t t h e s e w e r e

i n e v i t a b l y a n a n t i c l i m a x , t h a n k s t o t h e w i l d

r u m o u r s

t h a t h a d c i r c u l a t e d t h e

y e a r b e f o r e . T h e m a x i m u m

s p e e d

r e a c h e d o n t h e

m e a s u r e d

m i l e

w a s

2 0 . 3 k n o t s , w i t h t h e

e n g i n e s

d e v e l o p i n g 2 4 , 0 0 0 s h a f t

h o r s e - p o w e r . I t w i l l

b e

n o t e d

t h a t

n e i t h e r i n p o w e r n o r s p e e d

d i d

s h e

e q u a l t h e s h o w i n g m a d e

b y

t h e E m p r e s s o f R u s s i a a n d

E m p r e s s o f A s i a

i n

1 9 1 3 .

I t

w a s

n e v e r t h e l e s s c l e a r

t h a t s h e w o u l d

h a v e n o d i f f i c u l t y

i n m a i n t a i n

i n g t h e s e r v i c e s p e e d o f

1 8 k n o t s t h a t h e r o w n e r s

h a d i n m i n d ,

a n d o n

a

3 6 5 - m i l e s e a t r i a l s h e a v e r a g e d

2 0 k n o t s ,

a s

r e q u i r e d

i n t h e

c o n t r a c t .3 5

T h i s

s e a t r i a l e n d e d a t

F a l m o u t h , a n d

f r o m t h e r e t h e E m p r e s s

p r o c e e d e d t o H o n g K o n g

w i t h o u t d e l a y , t r a v e l l i n g b y w a y o f

t h e

M e d i t e r r a n e a n . C a p t a i n A . J .

H a i l e y

w a s

i n

c o m m a n d . I n t h e

R e d S e a t h e n e w

l i n e r m e t t h e

f r e i g h t e r M e t h v e n , w h i c h w a s

r e t u r n i n g t o t h e

A t l a n t i c a f t e r h e r b r i e f

s o j o u r n

o n

t h e P a c i f i c ;

o t h e r w i s e

t h e v o y a g e w a s

u n e v e n t f u l . O n h e r

f i r s t

p a s s a g e

f r o m

Y o k o h a m a

t o W i l l i a m

H e a d t h e E m p r e s s

o f

C a n a d a

c o v e r e d t h e

d i s t a n c e

i n

9

d a y s 2 h o u r s a

g o o d a v e r a g e

r u n , b u t w e l l

b e l o w

t h e m a r k s s e t b y

t h e R u s s i a

a n d

A s i a .

V i c t o r i a a n d V a n c o u v e r

w e r e

b o t h a g o g t o

w e l c o m e t h e l a r g e s t s h i p

e v e r t o c r o s s

t h e

P a c i f i c , b u t

o n e

o f

t h o s e

m i n o r m i s f o r t u n e s

t h a t w e r e

t o

t r o u b l e

t h e

E m p r e s s o f C a n a d a s o

f r e q u e n t l y

m a r r e d t h e o c c a s i o n . A c a s e

o f s m a l l p o x

d e v e l o p e d

o n

b o a r d , a n d

t h i s n o t o n l y

d e l a y e d h e r

a r r i v a l

u n t i l J u n e 2 4 ,

b u t m a d e i t

n e c e s s a r y t o c a n c e l

a l l f e s t i v i

t i e s , i n c l u d i n g

a

r e c e p t i o n t o w h i c h

t h o u s a n d s o f

i n v i t a t i o n s h a d

b e e n i s u e d .

( 3 4 ) S e e

V a n c o u v e r

P r o v i n c e , A u g u s t 2 2 ,

1 9 2 1 ; H a r b o r c t n c l

S h i p p i n g ,

I I I ,

p .

9 0 1 ( A u g u s t ,

1 9 2 1 ) .

( 3 5 )

F i l e s o f

C a n a d i a n P a c i f i c

S t e a m s h i p s ,

M o n t r e a l ;

E n g i n e e r i n g ,

C X I V ,

p .

3 8 8

( S e p t e m b e r 2 9 , 1 9 2 2 ) .


Less than a month later Vancouver we!comed another newEmpress, and we must next describe the circumstances thatbrought this interesting vessel to the Pacific.

When ship-building costs soared in 192021, one of the factorsthat caused the Canadian Pacific to abandon plans to build asister ship to the Empress of Canadci was undoubtedly the factthat a number of German passenger liners, seized by the Alliesat the end of the Great War, were coming on the market at knockdown prices. The Cctnctda was costing 1,700,000; German shipsof comparable size were selling for a fraction of this sum. Tobuy instead of to build would save time as well as money, andthe company ended by making several purchases. One of thesewas the former North German Lloyd liner Prinz Freidrich Wilhelm, a vessel of 17,082 tons that had been operated for half adozen years on the New York run. She was renamed Empressof Chinct, and the work of refitting her, to make her suitable forthe trans-Pacific trade, actually began. Before it had proceededfar, however, it was decided to bring a larger and much newersteamer to the Pacific in her stead.36 This was the Tirpitz, oneof a class of three ships that the Hamburg Amerika Line wasbuilding in 1914 for a new de luxe service to South America.37Her length over all was 615 feet, her width 75.2 feet, and hergross tonnage 21,861. She was thus much the same size as theEmpress of Cctnada, and, like her, she had three funnels. Butthere all similarity ended. The Tirpitz had the old-style ellipticalstern and the ungraceful, bulky upper works that were typicalof the German ships of the period. Built in the famous Vulcanyard at Stettin, she had been launched on December 20, 1913.

In several respects she was an unusual vessel. To begin with,she had achieved a certain notoriety because rumour insistedthat when the war was going well for the Germans, she had been

(36) The Prinz Freidrich Wilhelm sailed under four different nameswhile in the service of the Canadian Pacific: Empress of Chinct, Empress ofIndia, Montlaurier, and Mon tnairn. She was used most of the time as areserve ship, and niade a voyage as a trooper to the Near East during thecrisis of 1922. She was sold finally to Italian ship-breakers in December,1929.

(37) For further details of this project, see Appendix. An interestingaccount of the Tirpitz and her sisters will be found in the Shipbuilding andShipping Record, V (1915), pp. 339340.


selected to carry the Kaiser on the triumphal cruise that wouldhave followed a German victory. It was even stated that herluxurious suites had been specially designed with this cruise inmind. The whole story is highly improbable, though work onher, which had come to a standstill, does seem to have beenresumed for a time during the war, and her accommodation certainly included several palatial suites in which even an emperorshould have felt at home. Her fittings throughout were elaborate, and her deck plans followed, on a reduced scale, those ofthe monster liners of the Vaterlctnd class that the HamburgAmerika Line was building at this same time. In particular,the uptakes to the two forward funnels were brought up throughthe passenger accommodation in two sections, some distanceapart, and these did not come together until they reached theboat deck, at the base of the funnels proper. This made it possible to provide a broad hallway along the centre line of the ship,extending from one public room to another. On the promenadedeck the effect was impressive, but on the cabin decks it gave riseto such a maze of corridors that the plan has not been repeated.

Mechanically the Tirpitz was frankly an experiment. Hertwo sisters were fitted with machinery of orthodox design, butshe had been chosen for a full-scale test of the hydraulic transformers upon which Dr. Fottinger had been working for someyears. Instead of using mechanical gearing (as in the Empressof Canada) to reduce the high speed of her Brown-Curtis turbines to the relatively low speeds at which propellors operatemost efficiently, the Tirpitz was fitted with what would nowadaysbe called a variety of fluid drive. In effect, her turbines drovewater-pumps, and the water from these in turn drove water-wheels which were attached to the propellor shafts. It was aningenious idea, and tests made with a full-scale set of turbines.and transformers in 1912 seemed to show that it would provereliable and economical in operation.38

The Tirpitz was completed about May, 1919, and after aperiod of uncertainty she was finally allocated to Great Britain,on reparations account. On February 3, 1921, she arrived atImmingham, and there she lay at anchor until she was purchased

(38) For an account of these tests, see Marine Engineer and NavalArchitect, March, 1912, p. 127.


by the Canadian Pacific in July.5 She was sent first to Hamburg, where she was dry-docked, refitted, and equipped to burnoil fuel instead of coal. Captain Samuel Robinson arrived totake command of her early in 1922, and he presently took her tothe Clyde for a few last-minute touches.4 She had by this timebeen twice renamed. She first became the Empress of China. (theother ship so named having by this time become the Empress ofIndia,), but this was soon changed to Empress of Australia.. OnJune 16 she finally cleared for Vancouver, by way of Panama,and she reached her destination on July 19. Only a skeletoncrew travelled out in her, but her complement was brought up tofull strength as soon as she arrived in Vancouver. Many ofthose who joined her came from the old Empress of Japan, whichhad just completed her last voyage from the Orient. The Australia was given a thorough spring cleaning, took on cargo, provisions, and passengers, and sailed for Yokohama on July 28.

Her departure was a landmark in the history of the Empressservice, for the Canadian Pacific now possessed the four big shipsthat were required to provide fortnightly sailings to the Orient.As all four of them were larger, and all but the Empress of Austra,.lia were faster than the ships of any other line, the competitive position of the Empresses seemed to be an exceptionallystrong one. But unsuspected difficulties lay ahead, and anothereight years were to pass before the state of the Empress fleetbecame really satisfactory.

5.

The most serious of these difficulties was presented by thelatest addition to the fleet, the Empress of Australia, whoseengineers quickly discovered that they had a problem on theirhands. She was fitted with water-tube boilers, and these were

(39) A photograph of the ship arriving at Immingham appears in theShipbuilding and Shipping Record, XVII (1921), p. 172.

(40) The late G. M. Bosworth, then general manager of the CanadianPacifics ocean steamships, visited the Tirpitz while she was refitting. Thestory is told that he was horrified to find that the nymphs that figured inthe ships decorations were very scantily clad, and instantly gave the order,Put clothes on them! When he later paid the ship another visit, he wasnot satisfied with the changes made and issued a further order, Put moreclothes on them!

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bchq_1948_1