Pacific Steam Navigation Company (PSNCo)
 
Page 1: Pre-1900
 
 
This page is one of a series devoted to postcards and photographs of the ocean passenger services of Pacific Steam Navigation Company (PSNCo). Their many coastal vessels on South American Pacific Coast services are not covered. An alphabetical list of ships shown on this page is shown below. Below this is the Fleet List - Part 1 in chronological order.
 
The Pacific Steam Navigation Company (PSNCo) was formed by an American, William Wheelwright, to operate steamship services along the Pacific coast of South America. Having failed to raise money in the USA, he succeeded in London and was granted a Royal Charter of Incorporation in 1839. Services started in 1840 with two wooden paddlesteamers, Chile and Peru. The company built up a large fleet of coastal steamers, and 1867 it was decided to introduce a through service from Liverpool via the Straits of Magellan. Five screw steamers were ordered to operate this service. Rather than wait for delivery of these, PSNCo inaugurated the new venture in 1868, using their paddler Pacific, built for coastal services in 1865. The ships ordered in 1867 began arriving in 1869, operating between Liverpool and Valparaiso. In 1870, the PSNCo decided to extend services to Callao, and a further four steamers were ordered. In 1872, a mail subsidy of £10000 per annum was granted and the PSNCo began operating a weekly service from Liverpool. The calls at this time included Bordeaux (later Pauillac), Lisbon, Sao Vincente (Cape Verde Islands), Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo and Punta Arenas.
 
The PSNCo was the largest steamship company in the world in 1873, but their success was short-lived. Due to a combination of circumstances, including political unrest, and competition from other shipping lines (White Star amongst them), PSNCo found themselves in financial difficulties and many ships were laid, service speeds were reduced, and departures became fortnightly again. Two ships were sold to Royal Mail Lines, and four others were chartered (and later sold) to the Orient Line for a new steamship service from London to Australia via the Suez Canal. Conditions in the PSNCo original trade area continued to deteriorate, and Chile went to war with Peru and Bolivia in 1879. The Orient Line venture had been so successful, that sailings were increased from monthly to fortnightly, and the extra ships required again came from the PSNCo, which then entered into a joint venture with Orient Line, marketed as Orient-Pacific Line. The best PSNCo vessels were now all deployed on the Australian route. The Or- prefix was introduced for the Australian ships, in line with Orient practice, though it was subsequently used on ships for the South American routes too.
 
 
Ships on This Page:-
Oravia (1897-1912)
Orissa (1895-1918)
Orizaba (1886-1905)
Oropesa (1) (1895-1914)
Orotava (1890-1919)
Oroya (2) (1887-1906)
Ortona (1899-1906)
Oruba (1) (1889-1915)
 
PSNCo Pages:-
PSNCo - Header Page
PSNCo - Page 1 - Pre-1900
PSNCo - Page 2 - 1900-1913
PSNCo - Page 3 - 1914-1939
PSNCo - Page 4 - 1939-1964
 
Associated Pages:-
Orient Line
Royal Mail Lines
Ferry Postcards
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards Home Page
 
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PSNCo Fleet List
Page 1: Pre-1900
 
 
 
Orizaba (1886-1905)
Oroya (2) (1887-1906)
 
Orizaba and Oroya (2) were designed by the PSNCo for the joint Australian service with Orient Lines. As built, they were 6050 gross tons and 466 feet long, and passenger totals were:- 126-1st, 154-2nd and 412-3rd. Tonnage later increased to 6300 gt and funnels were lengthened in 1905. In 1895, Oroya (2) was stranded in the Bay of Naples. On 15th February 1905, Orizaba ran ashore on Garden Island, near Fremantle, and became a total loss. Surviving sister Oroya (2) passed to Royal Mail Lines for Orient-Royal Mail service in 1906. They were built with four masts, but Royal Mail removed the the second and third from Oroya (2). She was scrapped in 1909.
 
 
Orient-Royal Mail postcard of Oroya (2) at Tilbury.
 
Kingsway postcard S2168 of Oroya (2) in Royal Mail service after 1906.
 
 
 
 
 
Orotava (1890-1919)
Oruba (1) (1889-1915)
 
Orotava and Oruba were designed by the PSNCo as smaller versions of Orizaba with funnels placed closer together. They were built for the Valparaiso trade and re-allocated to the Australian run in in mid-1890. They were 5850 gross tons, 430 feet long and passenger totals were:- 126-1st, 120-2nd and 400-3rd. In 1896, Orotava capsized in Tilbury, but was raised for further service. She was used for Boer War trooping between 1899-1903. They passed to Royal Mail Lines in 1906, and their second and third masts were removed. From 1909 they served on the West Indies route. Orotava became an armed merchant cruiser in WW1, and was scrapped afterwards in 1919. Oruba was taken over by the Admiralty for conversion as a dummy replica of the battleship Orion, and was later scuttled to form a breakwater in the Aegean.
 
 
Tuck's "Celebrated Liners" postcard of Orotava.
 
Postcard of Oruba in Royal Mail Lines service with two masts.
 
Advertising postcard of Oruba.
 
Official Orient-Royal Mail postcard of Oruba with two masts.
 
 
 
 
 
Orissa (1895-1918)
Oropesa (1) (1895-1914)
Oravia (1897-1912)
 
These three sisters were built for the Valparaiso service. They were inferior to the ships built for the Australian route which preceded them. They were 5300 gross tons, 421 feet long, and had single funnels. Oravia was wrecked in Port Stanley in 1912. Oropesa became an armed merchant cruiser in 1914, and was passed to the French Navy in 1915. She was sunk by a submarine in 1917. Orissa was lost to a submarine in 1918, having remained in commercial PSNCo service.
 
 
Official PSNCo art postcard of Orissa.
 
Postcard of Oreposa at La Pallice (port of La Rochelle).
 
Postcard of Oreposa at La Pallice (port of La Rochelle).
 
Postcard dated 1907 of Oravia at La Pallice (port of La Rochelle).
 
Postcard of Oravia at La Pallice (port of La Rochelle).
 
 
 
 
 
Ortona (1899-1906)
 
Ortona was built by PSNCo for the Australian run. She was 7950 gross tons and 500 feet long, carrying 130-1st, 162-2nd and 300-3rd class passengers. She passed to Royal Mail Lines in 1906, and was used briefly on their West Indies route. In 1910 she was rebuilt as the cruise ship Arcadian (8950 gross tons, 320 First Class passengers). She was sunk by a submarine in 1917 whilst on trooping duty.
 
 
Tuck's "Celebrated Liners" postcard of Ortona.
 
 
 
 
 
 
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