By Somenath Mukherjee
Swami Vivekananda was an Indian Monk who first took Vedanta Philosophy to the West when he attended the World’s Parliament of Religions at Chicago in 1893. For those yet to know who exactly this Monk was may note that, a simple search with his name in any browser shall bring about no less than ten million responses in less than 60 seconds.
During the last decade of the nineteenth century Vivekananda had twice been to America and Europe where he ceaselessly moved from one place to another, and delivered his message for slightly less than five years for which mankind would seemingly remember him forever. His travels kept him afloat on the Seven Seas aboard ten great steamships of giant companies. Here a broad canvas is made available with the history of those ships that took him around the world during his two Western sojourns.
The Backdrop
When the Swami left Bombay for his first West-bound voyage on 31 May 1893, Indian History was utterly unaware that this journey would open its vistas to episodes of unlimited impact. Vivekananda was waved off by two men, Munshi Jagmohanlal, the private secretary of an Indian Raja; and Alasinga Perumal, a South Indian school teacher. The latter, foremost among his early admirers of Madras, was instrumental in making the voyage possible. Both the men accompanied the Swami up the gangway and remained on board till the final hour came when they prostrated themselves before their beloved Swami in final salutation and left the ship with moist eyes. The Ship chugged out of the port with the monk who, barring those having had interacted with him meanwhile around the country, was almost unknown in the subcontinent he always referred to as ‘My India’. The following nine grueling years tasted every ounce of his physical and mental stamina. But he kept the prophecy he had made a few years back while leaving Benares, ‘…[I] shall not return until I have burst on society like a bomb-shell…’. Posterity raised him to immortality for his spiritual abundance and, more so, for what he gave to mankind during those nine exhausting years. But before leaving the earth he knew that what he gave would never wane.
The Burgeoning Steamships
History has it that: ‘On July 4, 1840, Britannia, the first ship under the Cunard name [Cunard Line], left Liverpool with a cow on board to supply fresh milk to the passengers on the 14-day transatlantic crossing. The advent of pleasure cruises is linked to the year 1844, and a new industry began. During the 1850s and 1860s there was a dramatic improvement in the quality of the voyage for passengers. Ships began to cater solely to passengers, rather than to cargo or mail contracts, and added luxuries like electric lights, more deck space, and entertainment. … The endorsement by the British Medical Journal of sea voyages for curative purposes in the 1880s further encouraged the public to take leisurely pleasure cruises as well as transatlantic travel.’
Besides, ‘The steamship, by virtue of its regularity even more than speed, revolutionized world-wide mail communications and there was no prouder vessel than bearing the imposing prefix “R.M.S.”, Royal Mail Steamship, “conveying the Mails and Dispatches, under contract with Her Majesty’s Government.” For the traveler, taking passage in an R.M.S. meant safety and speed, and promised the Victorian virtues of seasoned British officers, stout seamen, whether from Bristol or Bengal, a plentiful bill of fare and an irreproachable dignity derived from sailing with the English Mails.’
Ships That Took The Swami Around
•SS Peninsular (Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company)
• RMS Empress of India (Canadian Pacific Steamship Company)
• SS La Touraine (Compagnie Générale Transatlantique Or The French Line)
• SS Britannic (White Star Line)
• SS Germanic (White Star Line)
• SS Prinz Regent Luitpold (Norddeutscher Lloyd)
• SS Golconda (British India Steam Navigation Company)
• SS Numidian (Allan Line)
• SS La Champagne (Compagnie Générale Transatlantique Or The French Line)
• SS Rubattiono (Navigazione Generale Italiana Or NGI)
These ships had played enormous roles during the flourishing days of passenger shipping that witnessed continuous improvements in amenities and luxuries in ocean travels. Two things are two be noted here; first, this story will follow the chronology of the Swami’s travels aboard the ships; and secondly, to add a perspective, Interludes with essential facts about the Swami in between his voyages are inserted.
Vivekananda first left the Indian shore aboard the SS Peninsular on 31 May 1893 from Mumbai, the then Bombay. The ship took him to Japan.
SS Peninsular
The Company’s history goes back to 1835 when young Brodie McGhie Willcox with little influence and limited pecuniary means decided to start a business. He opened an office in London’s Lime Street to become a ship-broker and agent, and took Arthur Anderson as a clerk in his venture. Soon they became partners and managed to have the patronage of Captain Richard Bourne, a Dublin ship-owner, who since 1820s was successfully running paddle steamers. Finally the Peninsular Steam Navigation Company begun their journey with their first Prospectus issued in August 1834. The ambition of the men behind the company is somehow expressed in these lines of the Prospectus: ‘The very imperfect state of the communication between Great Britain, Spain and Portugal, for Passengers, Mails and Goods, has led many persons…to contemplate a more efficient and regular establishment of Packets than has yet existed.’ Three years later, on 22 August 1837, Richard Bourne secured a Government contract for mails to be managed by the Peninsular Steam. This has ever since become regarded as the foundation day of the Company. Another Government Contract for carrying mails to Egypt opened the company’s doors to the Orient beyond the Mediterranean. And when the Peninsular Steam went for a merger with the Transatlantic Steam Navigation Company, the move further strengthened their base and, as a result, the ‘Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company’, later largely known as P&O, was formally incorporated by Royal Charter in 1840.
The P&O’s first service to India left Southampton on 24 September 1842, and it took 91 days to reach Calcutta. This long route needed larger ships to contain more coal and bigger engines to withstand the monsoon season in the Indian Ocean. These ships reportedly had cabins with marble-covered basin stands, mirrors, drawers and writing desks together with a gorgeous gilded saloon and a well-stocked library. The advent of such well-equipped ships in the service which gradually became able to cover the 4787 miles distance between Calcutta and Suez in less than a month had its obvious impact on countries and commerce falling en route. This once even encouraged Queen Victoria and Prince Edward to visit a ship of the Company in July 1849.
However, in around 1844 the Company took up regular mail services from England to Alexandria, and from Suez to Ceylon, Madras and Calcutta — which, by 1845, was extended to Penang, Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai. By 1852 steam service to Australia was established, and the Company managed to take over the Bombay mail service from the East India Company. When the Suez Canal was opened in 1869, the P&O had to withstand a huge loss for their previous investment for enjoying an overland route between Alexandria and Suez when the Canal was not there. But somehow with plans and prudence the Company eventually reversed their loss, and became able to acquire 11 shipping companies worldwide.
The SS Peninsular had been built by the Caird & Co, Yard Greenock Country, UK. She was in service from 1888 to 1909. With a Cargo capacity of 155,437 cubic feet, the ship could accommodate 170 passengers in her first class and 96 in the second class. She was launched on 6 October 1888 by Miss Taylor, daughter of Mr H. O. Taylor, P&O superintendent at Greenock. Before her trial run on 21 November 1888, the ship was registered as Peninsular for the P&O on 17 November 1888. Finally, on 7 December 1888 she left London on her maiden voyage to Bombay and Shanghai.
In 1898, when sailing between Colombo and Australia, the Peninsular had sustained hurricane damage. On the following year a case of plague was detected on board. But her biggest misfortune came upon 27 March 1902, when ‘off Beckton Gasworks outward bound from the Royal Albert Dock, London, she maneuvered to go astern of the sailing barge Onward which was crossing on the port tack. The barge unexpectedly came up into the wind and Peninsular’s port anchor caught and carried away Onward’s sails without touching the barge herself.’ For around three years the ship had to remain in dock for refitting and modernization. In 1905, together with her sister Ship Oriental, Peninsular was put on shuttle between Aden and Bombay. In 1906 Peninsular had smashed her propeller and was diverted to service between Brindisi in Italy and Port Said. This, however, was the beginning of her end. On 11 August 1909 the vessel was sold to Fratelli Bruzzo of Italy for 9,312 pounds sterling. Merely within a fortnight, on 26 August 1909, the once admired Peninsular was taken to Genoa for scrapping.
INTERLUDE
Vivekananda was aboard the Peninsular from Bombay to Kobe in Japan. Traveling the in between distance on road, he boarded the RMS Empress of India from Yokohama on 14 July 1893 and journeyed to Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada.
RMS Empress of India
The Canadian Pacific Railway Company first entered into shipping with their Tran-Pacific service from Vancouver to Asia. Initially they had purchased some ships from the Cunard Lines to build up their fleet, and made certain changes that suited their purpose. When success followed their venture, the Canadian Pacific Railroad, more popularly known as CPR, adopted a new name for their shipping wing — Canadian Pacific Steamship Company (CPSC). From the early 1890s the liners of the Canadian Pacific began to cross both the Atlantic and the Pacific with three of the amazing ocean liners, the Empress of India, the Empress of China, and the Empress of Japan. They were the most princely liners of that time.
The Empress of India was built by the Naval Construction & Armament Co., Barrow, England. Till 1888 it was known as the ‘Barrow Shipbuilding Company’ which, besides making passenger and cargo ships, also built large warships. In 1891 the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), which owned the Canadian Pacific Steamship as well, had entered into a contract with the British Government to provide a subsidized mail service between Britain and Hong Kong via Canada. This led to the advent of three specially designed ocean-liners of which the RMS Empress of India happened to be the first one, followed by the RMS Empress of China and the RMS Empress of Japan. Historical significance of these liners lay as a Royal Mail Ship, denoted by the prefix RMS. In those days the ships entrusted to carry British mails could use this prefix; others were using only the ‘SS’, denoting Steamship. This was the genesis of the CPR Trans-Pacific fleet, which would adhere to this route for the next fifty years.
The Empress of India, along with her two sister ships, was the first one to be equipped with twin propellers with matching engines. She had a capacity to accommodate 50 first class, 150 second class and 400 steerage or third class passengers. On 8 February 1891 the Empress of India left Liverpool on its maiden voyage via Suez to Hong Kong and Vancouver. She reached Vancouver on 28 April 1891. This was the beginning of her regular route sailing through Hong Kong — Shanghai — Nagasaki — Kobe — Yokohama — Vancouver and back. In those early days of wireless telegraphy the call sign established for the Empress of India was ‘MPI’; likewise for Empress of China the sign was ‘MPG’, while for Empress of Japan, it was ‘MPJ’.
On 18 August 1903 the Empress of India had her first share of ill luck. On the following day the New York Times headlined: ‘CHINESE CRUISER SUNK: Captain and Fourteen Men Go Down with the Huang-Tai. The steamship Empress of India in Collision with the Warship near Hong Kong — Many Rescues.’ This was followed by the news datelined 18th August: ‘The Canadian Pacific Railroad’s steamship Empress of India (from Vancouver, B. C., July 27, and Yokohama, Aug. 10, for Hong Kong) was in collision near this port today with the Chinese cruiser Huang-Tai. The warship sank an hour after the collision. The Empress of India saved 170 of the crew of the cruiser. The Captain of the Huang-Tai, who refused to leave his ship, and thirteen of her crew were drowned. The Empress of India was badly damaged amidships.’
A recent book has come up with more information in this regard, ‘…About 150 miles north of Hong Kong in clear weather the two ships were on parallel courses with Empress of India gradually overtaking the cruiser. When they were nearly even, Huang-Tai turned to starboard as though to cross India’s bow. It struck a glancing blow on India’s port side appearing to do a little damage. However, Huang-Tai must have lost several plates below the surface, for it filled rapidly and sank….’ As to the impact coming upon the Empress of India, the New York Times of 26 August 26 1903 wrote: ‘The Cost of the repairs to the Canadian Pacific Railroad’s steamer Empress of India … is estimated at $20,000. This is exclusive of the damage to her propeller blades…’
Recovering from the mishap, the Empress continued on her usual course almost till she was sold to the Maharaja of Gwalior on 7 December 1914. The change of ownership had in its background a specific reason. In 1908 the new mail contract between Vancouver and Yokohama called for a reduction in the crossing time from 12 to 10.5 days, putting severe stress on the Empress’ capabilities. This made the Canadian Pacific to go for new and capable vessels which finally were introduced in 1912.
On getting the Empress of India the Maharaja of Gwalior had converted her into an Indian Army Hospital ship and renamed to ‘Loyalty’. Thus the erstwhile Empress of India, with a new name and a different assignment, began her second phase in life on 19 January 1915. She ran mainly between Bombay and Mesopotamia. In March 1919 her utility as an Army Hospital ship came to an end when she went to another owner. This time it was the Scindia Steam Navigation Company of Bombay which put her on their Bombay-Marseilles service. Untiringly the ship ran on that route for eighteen months without yielding any profit to her owner-company. With no more prospects to try upon, the once majestic Empress of India remained laid up off the Elephanta Island in Bombay. The ship, as though, had to contain herself with nothing more than basking in her glittering past, when during a particular voyage she carried aboard an Indian monk to the Western shore, and with him took the spiritual treasures of his ancient Civilization. But her end was not far away. In February 1923 the great Empress of India was sold for becoming scrap and, as fate would have it, was broken to pieces by Maneckchand Jiyray of Bombay. But, how curiously, she chose India as her final resting place!
Interlude
From Vancouver Vivekananda traveled to Chicago by train via Winnipeg. In 1893 the World’s Columbian Exposition was celebrated in Chicago to commemorate the 400th year of Columbus’s arrival in America. The Parliament of Religions, a historical event designed within the mammoth Exposition, began on 11 September 1893, and went on for 17 days.
On the inaugural day Vivekananda’s first speech at the Religious Parliament was smeared with incomparable spirit of universality, earnestness and goodwill which captivated the whole assembly. The hall had a sitting capacity of 3000 with standing space for 1000 more. In essence he stressed on the catholicity of religious truths disregarding creeds, countries and the apparently dividing tenets. When the Swami concluded his speech, the great assemblage gave him a standing ovation as a token of their heartfelt approval and admiration. During the rest of the days of the Parliament, the Swami had all through been the most sought after speaker.
On the concluding day of September 27th, Vivekananda uttered something in his farewell speech that hardly has lost its relevance to the modern time: ‘The Christian is not to become a Hindu or a Buddhist, nor a Hindu or a Buddhist to become a Christian. But each must assimilate the spirit of the others and yet preserve his individuality and grow according to his own law of growth. …If the Parliament of Religions has shown anything to the world it is this: It has proved to the world that holiness, purity, and charity are not the exclusive possessions of any church in the world, and that every system has produced men and women of the most exalted character. In the face of this evidence, if anybody dreams of the exclusive survival of his own religion and the destruction of the others, I pity him from the bottom of my heart, and point out to him that upon the banner of every religion will soon be written, in spite of resistance: “Help and not Fight”, “Assimilation and not Destruction”, “Harmony and Peace and not Dissension”.
Thus an unknown monk had instantly become a world figure. An American idealist philosopher during his youth had heard the Swami at the Religious Parliament. What he, William Ernest Hawking, wrote afterwards is indicative of how the thinking Americans evaluated the Swami at the religious parliament. Hawking writes: ‘… He spoke not as arguing from a tradition, or from a book, but as from an experience and certitude of his own. …What I could feel and understand was that this man was speaking from what he knew, not from what he had been told. He was well aware of the books; but he was more immediately aware of his own experience and his own status in the world; and what he said would have to be taken into account in any final worldview.’
What Vivekananda said in his numerous Lectures and Classes in both America and Europe constitute verily the essence of Vedanta that shall remain ever contemporary and practicable to the world at large.
Transatlantic Voyages
The history of Transatlantic line goes back to 1818 when the Black Ball Line of C. H. Marshall & Co began their service from America to England. Later, with steamships appearing in 1830s, their dominance on carrying both passengers and mail became instantaneous. Since the 1850s advent of various luxuries dramatically changed the quality of passenger shipping. It is said: ‘Rain or shine, blow high, blow low, one of the Black Ball liners sailed from New York for Liverpool on the first and sixteenth of each month, and for many years these were the European mail days throughout the United States.’ As to the historical significance of this legendary route, a few lines deserve attention: ‘For a century and a half, a single most important sea lane in the world was the transatlantic route linking the Old World and the New. Governments formulated their foreign policies around it, nations’ economies were dependent on it, navies were built to protect — or interdict — it, wars were fought over it, empires rose because they controlled it, and fell because they didn’t.’
Vivekananda had cruised across this famous route on five times; three while leaving New York for Europe, and twice in reverse while entering the US through New York port.
SS La Touraine
The Compagnie Générale Maritime came into being in 1855. Their initial services were limited to Rouen and Algeria, Havre and Hamburg, and Marseilles and Antwerp with calls at Spanish and Portuguese ports. In 1861 the Company changed their name to — Compagnie Générale Transatlantique (CGT), more popularly known as the French Line. The undertook the first contract to carry French mails to United States, Antilles and Mexico. The vessels engaged in their New York route were mostly built in the 1860s and were fine specimens of contemporary naval architecture. In the early 1880s imperatives of acceleration in speed and improvements of service brought more sophisticated and larger vessels to the Company’s fleet. This finally led to the advent of the La Touraine, the first twin-screw steamer (having two screw propellers, which usually revolve in opposite directions) of the French Line. Gradually a few more similar ships began to appear as revised terms in the postal contracts increasingly needed larger and faster ships.
Just before the 1890s, the French Line planed for a new ship that, along with increased technical abilities and improved passenger facilities, would also ensure the tradition of elegance and service. Prompted by such imperative a new ship was finally launched on 23 March 1890, she was christened La Touraine. The moment La Touraine rolled out to sea leaving her mother Dock, she became the sixth largest ship ever built till then, her predecessors were the Great Eastern, City of Paris, City of New York, Majestic, and Teutonic. In her maiden voyage from Le Havre Touraine had made it to New York on 20 June 1891 in just six days, seventeen hours and thirty minutes.
The Touraine had almost instantly become one of the most popular liners on the North Atlantic with her handsome lines, two widely spaced squat funnels and appealing look. Her faster speed and outstanding steadiness even in rough weathers earned her the nick name of ‘Steady Ship’. During a transatlantic crossing in July 1892 she could clock up a record speed of 21.2 knots over the measured mile. Nonetheless, the French Line overhauled her twice in 1900 and 1902 and added bilge keels to the bottom of her hull to further stabilize the ship. As a result La Touraine, as was said during those days, became ‘as smooth as an iron over a linen cloth’. However, during the overhauling one of her three original masts was removed and her capacity to carry third class passengers was raised from 600 to 1000. Though in the process the ship’s gross tonnage went down to 8429.
While at Le Havre in January 1903, La Touraine faced a serious fire that entirely ruined her grand staircase, as well as the first class dining saloon and cabins. But when the ship resumed her service again following necessary mending, she looked even more elegant. Record has it that, ‘La Touraine was one of the first French ships to boast [of] an outstanding kitchen. Just as on the much later Île de France and Normandie, she attracted gourmets from all over the world. She was also one of the first French liners to be called ‘a piece of France itself’. The company slogan at the time was “You are in France as soon as you cross the gangplank!” La Touraine was also the first ship with the modern Cabin Class — merging first and second class in 1910. In the old days, the term “Cabin Class” was associated with old, surpassed vessels, but now it started a new era. Together with the new CGT-liners Chicago and Rochambeau, La Touraine sailed into many more successful Years of French service.’ And, furthermore, ‘In 1912, La Touraine made some special Canadian voyages between Le Havre and Halifax and a year later she was placed on the Québec and Montreal summer service. During World War I, La Touraine served as an armed merchant cruiser and later as a troop ship. When the war was over she continued for some years in French Line service, but as the ship began showing signs of age, in 1922 she was sold and became a grey-hulled hotel ship in Göteborg, Sweden, during the Industrial and Agricultural Fair. For this occasion La Touraine was renamed to Maritime. In August she was again offered for sale, and two months later, in October, she was sold to the breakers at Dunkerque.’
Interlude
On 17 August 1895 Vivekananda left New York aboard La Touraine for Le Havre in France, He was accompanied by Francis Howard Leggett, a highly successful and wealthy American businessman, who had meanwhile become his admirer. When the ship reached Le Havre on 24 August, they took a train for Paris. The Swami remained in Paris for slightly more than a fortnight before leaving for London on September 10th . His lectures in London began on 22 October 1895. A letter he wrote during this time reads: ‘I had eight classes a week apart from public lectures, and they were so crowded that a good many people, even ladies of high rank, sat on the floor and did not think anything of it.’ This excludes the lectures and talks he gave on invitation at many clubs, societies and private drawing rooms. On 27 November 1895 he sailed from Liverpool aboard the SS Britannic to take up the reign of his American work once again.
SS Britannic
The Britannic was owned by the White Star Line. About the company’s remarkable past, Daniel Allen Butler writes: ‘The name “White Star Line” first appeared in 1845, when two Boston businessmen, Henry Threlfall Wilson and John Pilkington, formed the White Star Line of Boston Packets. …Pilkington and Wilson advertised their shipping firm in the Liverpool newspapers: at the time the White Star Company only served a handful of ports along the eastern American seaboard.’ But when gold was discovered in Australia in 1850, thousands of prospectors had to be transported there in a rush. Utilizing the advantage, the White Star Line put their ships to cater the sudden need. In 1852 the company’s name was changed to White Star Line Australian Packets. ‘In 1863’, continues Daniel Allen Butler: ‘Pilkington left the Company and his place was taken by James Chambers.
Everything did not go the way as Wilson and Chambers had planned. Even in spite of joining forces with two other companies, the Black Ball and the Eagle Lines, ‘financial problems plagued the new conglomerate.’ And when efforts were taken to enlarge the fleet, the newly formed company went into heavy debt. In consequence ‘the Company’s assets were taken over by the Royal Bank of Liverpool’ in 1866, and ‘when the bank failed in 1867, White Star was forced into bankruptcy, having an outstanding debt of £527,000. In January 1868 Thomas Henry Ismay, a thirty-one year old shipowner from Liverpool, bought the line for £1000.’
Ismay’s move had in background his timely guess that: ‘There were far greater profits to be made in the transatlantic passenger service, bringing emigrants from the Old World to the New and shuttling wealthier passengers back and forth between the two.’ Therefore, ‘When the White Star was offered for sale he moved quickly to acquire it, and renamed it to The Oceanic Steam Navigation Company. He kept the house flag, a red swallowtail burgee sporting a single large white star, and the company continued to be known to the public as the White Star Line.’ Record says that ‘Almost immediately Isamy set about creating a niche for the White Star by drawing up plans for liners that would be fast, and by the standard of the day, extraordinarily luxurious.’ With such ambition in mind ‘Ismay ordered a pair of new 5000-ton ships from Harland and Wolf in 1874, the Britannic and Germanic, both capable of reaching 19 knots and crossing the Atlantic in less than seven and half days.’ The White Star Line had entered the North Atlantic passenger trade with their first service from Liverpool to New York on 2 March 1871. And their ships became instantly popular for offering high standard of passenger facilities, particularly to the steerage passengers.
The Britannic, as was seen, was launched in 1874. Her initial name during the construction was Hellenic, which later got changed to Britannic. To gain a better service speed, Britannic had initially been fitted with an adjustable propeller shaft; but without achieving what was aimed for, the same was removed in 1876. Interestingly, at the moment of her arrival Britannic became the largest ship afloat next to the Great Eastern. A narrative about her reads: ‘She had in all three decks, two of which were made of iron, covered with a planking of wood. The hull was divided into eight watertight compartments, or bulkheads, extending from the upper deck to the keel. An iron covering, called a ‘turtle back’ protected the vessel forward and aft. The main saloon was situated amidships together with the first-class state rooms. They were entered from the middle deck-house. The stairs leading down to them and to the promenade deck above was unusually wide and easy. Along the upper decks were iron houses for the officers and the engineers’ cabins, in addition to cooking galleys, icehouses, smoking-rooms, and other conveniences. From the deck to the main saloon she had a handsome and commodious stairway. The upper portion at the entrance formed a large room, like a lobby, which was furnished with sofas and chairs, and abutting on this compartment was the smoking-room, decorated and fitted in a luxurious style. The grand salon was situated on the main deck, extending across the ship with a diameter of 73 feet by 43 feet. The saloon was lighted from above by a large skylight, in addition to the ordinary port lights. Two hundred persons could be seated in the saloon which had five rows of tables. The saloon was heated by a large open fire-place as well as by hot air, and was furnished with a piano and library. Every portion of the vessel was thoroughly ventilated, and hot or cold air could be driven to every stateroom by means of a large fan worked by steam. …The sleeping cabins were situated immediately before and abaft the saloon, and accommodated two passengers each, though a few family rooms were also provided. The sleeping-rooms were fitted with every convenience and were well ventilated and lighted. Under the first-class cabins and communicating with them by an easy staircase, were bathrooms, barber shop, rooms for servants, and steward’s wine cellars and store-rooms, baggage compartments, mailroom, and an iron-room for specie. The promenade-deck for the first-class passengers was 168 feet long by 40 feet wide, and was on top of the middle house. It had in it a deck-house containing a light and spacious saloon for ladies.’
Almost eight years before the Swami boarded the Britannic, the ship had an accident. A portion of the full page report in the New York Times on 23 May 1887 reads: ‘A collision between the great steamers the Britannic and the Celtic, both of the White Star Line, occurred about 350 miles east of Sandy Hook in a thick fog Thursday [May 19] afternoon about 5:25 o’clock. The Celtic was coming to New York and the Britannic was on the second day of her journey to Liverpool. The Celtic struck the Britannic three times on the side, cutting a big hole in her beneath the water line and inflicting other serious damage to both vessels. … Careful investigation shows that certainly 12 lives, perhaps more, were lost, and that 20 or more persons were injured ’ The report went on to include eye witness accounts and details about loss of human lives and injuries sustained. But whatever might have been their physical damages, both the ships could later resume their transatlantic voyages in July 1887.
On her last transatlantic voyage the Britannic left Liverpool on 21 June 1899, and in nine days made it to New York on June 21. She no more ran on that route. Sometime during 1899 the ship was requisitioned as a Boer War transport. In November 1900 she got a white coat for a voyage to represent Great Britain at the inauguration of Australian Commonwealth. No further news is available about her till October 1902, when she was condemned following an examination at Belfast. As per last available information, the Britannic was sold as scrap in 1903 for a sum of £11,500 and towed to Hamburg.
Interlude
With the Swami on board the Britannic reached New York on 6 December 1895. Two days later he wrote about his concluded voyage and plans of further work: ‘After 10 days of the most disastrous voyage I ever had I arrived in New York. I was so so [sic] sick for days together. After the clean and beautiful cities of Europe, New York appears very dirty and miserable. I am going to begin work next Monday.’ This time the Swami was well set to give a permanent shape to his Vedanta work in America by making New York as his centre. The New York Herald of 19 January 1896 writes: ‘The work of the Hindoo in this country consists at present in giving free lectures and holding free classes, initiating disciples and conducting a large correspondence …’
Vivekananda’s lectures in New York ended on 23 February 1896. On 3rd March he left for Detroit, where he remained for around two weeks, gave three public lectures and took twenty-two classes. His next move was to Boston, he remained there for two weeks during the second half of March. This time he gave seven public lectures in and around Boston, including one on invitation within the Harvard University before leaving Boston on March 30. His sojourn in Boston, just before his first visit to the US came to its end, had proved to be a remarkable feat in his entire career, leaving indelible impact on the contemporary American intellectual luminaries. From Boston he went to Chicago, before finally leaving from New York in the middle of April.
Immediately before he left for England, Vivekananda wrote in a letter on 14 April 1896 from New York: ‘I sail on board the White Star Line Germanic tomorrow at 12 noon. ’
In the beginning of his last lecture on March 28th at the Twentieth Century Club of Boston, Vivekananda said something which gave away his love for America: ‘I have lived three years amongst you. I have travelled over nearly the whole of this country, and as I am going back from here to my own country, it is meet that I should take this opportunity of expressing my gratitude in this Athens of America…. In a few words I would like to sum up all my experiences here. Here alone, in this climate, in this land of America, no question is asked about a man’s peculiarities. If a man is a man, that is all, and they take him into their hearts, and that is one thing I have never seen in any other country in the world.’
May be this utterance had in background, apart from what he felt during his innumerable journeys within the country, his experience while aboard the SS Britannic. Aboard the ship he witnessed the hapless European immigrants cramming the steerage class with no hope left except a dream that they gambled for while sailing to America. What he said a couple of years later in a lecture to his countrymen in this regard deserves to be displayed in the Statue of Liberty Ellis Island Museum: ‘I used to stand on the seashore at New York and look at the immigrants coming from different countries — crushed, downtrodden, hopeless, unable to look a man in the face, with a little bundle of clothes as all their possession, and these all in rags; if they saw a policeman they were afraid and tried to get to the other side of the footpath. And, mark you, in six months those very men were walking erect, well clothed, looking everybody in the face; and what made this wonderful difference? Say, this man comes from Armenia or somewhere else where he was crushed down beyond all recognition, where everybody told him he was a born slave and born to remain in a low state all his life, and where at the least move on his part he was trodden upon. There everything told him, as it were, “Slave! you are a slave, remain so. Hopeless you were born, hopeless you must remain.” Even the very air murmured round him, as it were, “There is no hope for you; hopeless and a slave you must remain”, while the strong man crushed the life out of him. And when he landed in the streets of New York, he found a gentleman, well-dressed, shaking him by the hand; it made no difference that the one was in rags and the other well-clad. He went a step further and saw a restaurant, that there were gentlemen dining at a table, and he was asked to take a seat at the corner of the same table. He went about and found a new life, that there was a place where he was a man among men. Perhaps he went to Washington, shook hands with the President of the United States, and perhaps there he saw men coming from distant villages, peasants, and ill-clad, all shaking hands with the President.’
SS Germanic
On 29 May 1895 the New York Times wrote: ‘…The new steam-ship Germanic, of the White Star Line, which is expected to arrive at this port next Sunday, on her first trip across the Atlantic, is a sister ship to the Britannic, which was launched about twelve months ago. …She can accommodate 180 saloon and 1100 steerage passengers. She has three decks, the main, upper, and lower. There is a promenade or spar deck, 163 feet long, and 48 feet wide. The steering is done by steam, and is worked from the wheel-house, situated under the Captain’s bridge amid-ships.’ The news also gave an important aspect of contemporary practice: ‘A system of telegraphy has been introduced for working the ship when going in and out of dock, thereby obviating shouting and delay in executing orders.’ Rest was again focused on the Germanic: ‘The Vessel is divided into nine water-tight compartments, the bulk-heads of five of them reaching to the main deck, thus giving great stability to the vessel as well as securing her safety. The engine and boiler space is 107 feet long, and this, considering the vast power required to propel a ship of the size of the Germanic, is economical, and leaves ample rooms for passengers and cargo. There are four cylinders, two high and two low pressure, the diameter of the former being 48 inches and the latter 83 inches. The stroke of piston is five feet. The nominal horse-power is 760, capable of working up to 5,400. The steam is supplied by eight oval shaped boilers each fed by four furnaces. The boilers are placed in sets of four, and each set is in a water-tight compartment. By an ingenious arrangement the doors of the water-tight bulk-heads may be closed in the event of water entering the adjoining compartments. In the case of the set of boilers furthest from the engines, these can be shut off from the bunkers beyond a slip door, which may be closed instantly by a turn of the handle through the agency of compressed air. A door on either side of the bulk-head will rise in the event of water coming into the hold below, and by these means the contingency of the fires being extinguished is amply and ingeniously provided against. To every compartment in the vessel there is run a steam pipe, which in case of fire could at once be used for extinguishing purposes. In addition there is a fire hose the full length of the first class saloon, which is attached to the plug every night, so as to be ready for use at a moment’s notice. There are also connections in every part of the ship to which the hose could be applied in case of necessity, so that the appliances for meeting the emergency of fire are of the most complete description …. The main saloon for first-class passengers is amidships in the middle deck …. The saloon of the Germanic is a magnificent apartment, 52 feet 9 inches in length, 42 feet 6 inches in width, with a height of nearly eight feet. The tables are arranged lengthwise, and as many as 200 persons can dine together. The new revolving chairs which have been introduced largely promote the comfort and convenience of the passengers, which admit of their leaving the table without disturbing those beside them. All of the furniture of the saloon is of teak, and the upholstery is in red velvet. The paneling is of beautifully-polished birds-eye maple, with fluted teak columns, and the walls are covered with neatly embossed papier mache, which is rendered water-proof. The flooring is of oak teak and walnut and is handsomely carpeted. A gay and cheerful aspect is derived from the decoration of the walls and the varieties of glasses of various shapes and colors standing in the racks which are suspend from the ceiling. A well-appointed fireplace, a handsome piano, and attractive library are features of the salon …. At the head of the spacious staircase leading from the saloon is a comfortable smoking-room, abundantly furnished with elegant lounges and tables …. Forward and left of the chief saloon there are seventy-five state rooms of various dimensions, all sumptuously furnished, some of them being large enough to accommodate a family …. There is a barber’s shop and a nursery …. The cooking for the whole ship is done by steam. …The sailing qualities of the vessel were pronounced to be such as would render her one of the fastest and safest ocean steamer afloat.’
Sometime during 1895 the Germanic was sent to her original builders again, Harland & Wolff, when her funnels were lengthened, and extra deck and more tonnage were added too. But on 13 February 1899 the ship ‘capsized at her New York berth because of too much ice on decks.’ Such immobile condition continued while the ship went further down the mud. On 24 February the New York Times Headlined: ‘The Germanic Floated: Wreckers Raise the White Star Line, Sunk at her Pier.’ On 18 March the same newspaper wrote: ‘The White Star Line steamer Germanic …. which arrived at Queenstown yesterday [March 16] from New York March 7, has arrived here to be overhauled after her experiences at New York, where she sank at her dock and remained partly under water for a number of days.’ The Germanic resumed her transatlantic service from Liverpool on 7 June 1899.
A book entitled Principles of Ocean Transportation gave information as to how the end finally came to the Germanic: ‘The largest American ocean line consolidation is the International Mercantile Marine Company. It is an American company but the bulk of the tonnage controlled by it is foreign. In 1902 it brought under one ownership and management five large transatlantic lines, whose aggregate fleet comprised 136 vessels, with a tonnage of 1.034.884. The lines brought together were the Leland Line, the White Star Line, the Red Star Line, the Atlantic Transport and the Dominion Line.’ But the outcome is narrated by the international Time magazine in its issue of 19 January 1931: ‘In 1902 the late great John Pierpont Morgan formed a shipping combine which was to make the U. S. flag supreme on the seven seas. It was one of his several great mistakes. At first he contemplated joining all foreign lines into one great service. Although he failed to do this, he purchased the famed British White Star Line for his new International Mercantile Marine Co.’
As a White Star Line ship the Germanic had no more sailing since she reached New York on 10 July 1903. Afterwards the American Lines had chartered her and put to her their Southampton-New York route till 1905 before she was sold to the Dominion Line and renamed to Ottawa. The Dominion Line engaged her on their Liverpool — Quebec — Montreal service before selling her to the Turkish Government in 1911. The Ship was again renamed to Gul Djemal and began carrying the Turkish soldiers in the First World War. Once while on her war duty, the Gul Djemal was torpedoed by the Allied submarine E-14 and sank in shallow waters — great many of the 4000 soldiers she had on board while being sank had lost their lives. Later the ship was raised, repaired and reinstated to the war service. In 1918 Gul Djemal was entrusted to carry 1500 German soldiers to Dover, where they were disarmed and sent home.
When the war was over, Gul Djemal went back to her domestic service as before. It is learned that, ‘The Ottoman — America Line made four transatlantic passenger voyages in 1920–21 to New York from Constantinople and also made some calls at Varna, Constanza and Odessa. They only operated one ship on this service — ‘Gul Djemal’, and she was the first Turkish passenger steamer to cross the North Atlantic. She was renamed Gulcemal in 1928.’ Seemingly this last change of name was nothing beyond a respelling of the old name. The guess is based on information that, ‘the ship was renamed as Gul Djemal in memory of and reverence to the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed V Reshad’s mother HH Gülcemal Khadin Efendi (1826–1895).’
The Germanic, concurrently with her advancing age, had encountered repeated misfortunes. On 19 January 1931 the Time magazine wrote: ‘The old White Star liner Germanic went ashore near Hora lighthouse in the Sea of Marmora and slowly began breaking up. Sad news was this to sea-loving oldsters who remembered her trim lines, big, square-rigged sails and two funnels amidships when she was (in the 1870s) the fastest transatlantic steamship. At that time she could cross from Queenstown to Manhattan in 7 days, 10 hr., 50 min. In 1895 she was equipped with new engines and driven the same distance in 6 days, 21 hr., 38 min. But when faster ships were built she was relegated to the Canadian emigrant service, rechristened the Ottawa. Later on, the Turkish navy bought her, used her in the World War, when she was torpedoed in the Dardanelles. Salvaged, she was made a Black Sea freighter, called the Gulcemah [sic], in which capacity she was serving when stranded last week.’
The indomitable vessel was salvaged from the Sea of Marmora and put to service again as before. No more news is available about her till 1949, when she was found to be serving as a storage ship. The Gulcemal was converted into a floating hotel in 1950. For 75 years the Ship remained afloat on various seas around the world with both glory and gloom, but the end was not far off. On 29 October 1950 the once celebrated Germanic was taken to Messina, Italy, for scrapping which, when started, revealed the original White Star Line gold strip along her hull.
Interlude
Vivekananda wrote in his letter from England to an admirer on 20 April 1896: ‘The voyage has been pleasant and no sickness this time. I gave myself treatment to avoid it. I made quite a little run through Ireland and some of the Old English towns and now am once more in Reading. …Nothing of importance happened on the way. It was dull, monotonous, and prosaic as my life. I love America more when I am out of it. And, after all, those years there have been some of the best I have yet seen.’
The Swami began his classes in London on 7 May 1896. This was followed by a series of three Sunday lectures in one of the three large art galleries on the upper floor of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours at 191 Piccadilly, the home of British Watercolour painting since 1831. His biography reads: ‘…the Swami’s many classes, his six Sunday lectures, and his uncounted private interviews did not by any means cover the whole of the work he was doing in England. He lectured also in many drawing-rooms and at several well-known clubs.’ But the essential element in all he preached had undeniably the message that, ‘’Vedanta teaches the basic philosophy of all religions; this philosophy is no monopoly of any particular religion. This is why Vedanta will become the universal religion; convert it into universal treasure. The Vedanta must not remain as the closed preserve of a group of narrow-minded people.’
In the second week of November he asked one of his leading admirers to purchase tickets on the most convenient steamer leaving Naples for India. Accordingly four berths were booked on a new steamer of the North German Lloyd, scheduled to leave Naples on December 30 for Ceylon. His other three English companions were Mr and Mrs Sevier, and J. J. Goodwin, the last being the Swami’s young stenographer. The Swami preferred to sail from Naples to shorten his sea-voyage, and en route visit the famous places in Italy.
On 16 December Vivekananda was waved off by friends and admirers at the London Railway station. The party, after visiting the places of interest en route, finally boarded the Prinz Regent Luitpold which left Naples on 30 December 1896.
Prinz Regent Luitpold
The New York Times of 22 September 1894 reads: ‘Two new and fast steamers, which will ply from Bremen to Asia and Australia, have been added to the fleet of the North German Lloyd Steamship Company of Bremen. They are named, respectively, Prinz Regent Luitpold and Prinz Heinrich, and are sister ships. They were built by F. Schichau in Danzig, Germany. They are twin-screw steamers of 7,000 tons and 6,000 horse power engines, with a speed of 15 knots. The engines of each vessel consists of two-cylinder compound engines, built on a new system, which was first introduced by the builder in the Austrian iron-clad Tegathoff, by which there is no vibration or noise when they are going at full speed.’ The report did not leave aside the passenger amenities as well: ‘The passenger accommodations are of the best. The first and second cabins are on the upper deck, the first cabin being forward, and the second cabin aft of the engine hatch. The passenger rooms are unusually large and well ventilated by large portholes, and in bad weather by patent ventilators, and on the inside by a wide gangway and skylights. The staterooms are fitted with extending berths. The saloons are arranged in the modern English style. The saloons and social halls for first cabin passengers are forward of the engines on the promenade deck. The dining saloon opens on three sides, and is lighted and ventilated by twenty large windows and a mosaic glass dome skylight. Connected with the first cabin is a promenade deck 200 feet long and protected by a shelter deck. Special attention has been paid to the second cabin. The dining saloon, which accommodates eighty passengers, the ladies cabin, and the smoking room, are in deckhouse under the poop. For third-class passengers there are 1,000 berths, and several special compartments accommodate from two to twelve persons additional.’ The report ended with: ‘The Prinz Regent Luitpold left Bremen on her maiden trip [on] Aug. 29.’
The Norddeutscher Lloyd or North German Lloyd (NDL) had owned the Prinz Regent Luitpold. They were a German shipping company founded on 20 February 1857 by Hermann Henrich Meier and Eduard Crüsemann when the Ocean Steam Navigation Company, a joint German-American enterprise, went into dissolution. Between the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, NDL was among the most important German shipping companies. Much later, on 1 September 1970, it was merged with the Hamburg American Line and eventually the Hapag-Lloyd (HAPAG) was born.
Prinz Regent Luitpold , a twin screw vessel with a single funnel, was built as an imperial mail steamer. With length and beam of 455.3 feet and 50.2 feet respectively, the ship had one chimney with two masts and could accommodate 224 first class, 101 second class and 850 third class or steerage passengers. In September 1899 an additional deck was added to her in the newly constructed dry dock at Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven. On 29th August 1894 the Luitpold had sailed on her maiden voyage from Bremen to Australia via the Suez. On 1 May 1897 she took her first Bremen — New York voyage, and continued in the same route till December 1900. In May 1904 she began sailing in the Bremen — Suez — Far East route. When her Australian Voyage came to its end in 1910, the Luitpold was put to in the Far East services. At the advent of the First World War in August 1914, Luitpold was interned in Italy. Later, when Italy joined the War, she was seized by the Italian Government, renamed to Pietro Calvi, and put to sail with the Italian Flag. In 1928 the ship was scrapped.
Interlude
In the early morning of 15 January 1897 Swami Vivekananda first glimpsed the coast of Ceylon, the then British crown colony. Referring to that great moment his biography writes: ‘Gradually the harbor of Colombo with its majestic cocoa palms and its yellow-sanded beach came into view.’ But the Swami had no idea what awaited him in Colombo. One of his English companions aboard the ship later wrote: ‘We reached Colombo at 4 o’clock on Friday, January 15, and caught sight of a steam launch coming out with a sannyasi on board, who proved to be Swami Niranjananada. …It took us a long time to put ashore, but when we did, we found a dense crowd waiting, who cheered the Swami vociferously. The Swami then entered a carriage drawn by two horses, and with coachman and syces in gorgeous livery. …We drove slowly through the city to the Cinnamon Gardens. There, in Barness St., a new house, never before occupied, was placed in our disposal. …The road leading up to the house for a quarter of a mile was beautifully decorated with palm branches, and with, at either end, a very beautiful triumphal arch of bamboo, and the words, “Welcome to Swami Vivekananda”. Flags and banners were everywhere. …The procession was headed by the native band, tomtoms, etc., and the sacred umbrellas and banners brought out only when a God or idol is in procession, were also used.’
Before he went to his second visit to the West, Vivekananda remained in India for around two and a half years. He established the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission which led the course of Indian spiritual aspirations to a unique path. On 2 June 1899 the Indian Mirror, an eminent Indian newspaper, wrote: ‘Swami Vivekananda … has decided to leave for Europe and will probably embark early in June. The Swami, we believe, has a double object in view, viz., to benefit his health by the voyage, and to resume his work in England and America after complete recovery.’
Thus on 20 June 1899 the Swami left the Calcutta port on the River Hooghly aboard the SS Golconda.
SS Golconda
Golconda was one of the notables among the great fleet of the British India Steam Navigation Company. The history of BISN is entwined with India in many ways. Scottish contribution had played great role behind the expanding British Empire in shaping her commercial and civic infrastructure. And behind the BISN, later largely known as BI, stood two Scotts: William Mackinnon and Robert Mackenzie, who went into the partnership of Mackinnon, Mackenzie & Co. in December 1847. Shipping was one of their interests, and initially it was restricted to sailing chartered vessels between India and Australia.
By 1890 smooth and timely delivery of some 22 million pieces of mail that went every year from Britain to various corners of her Empire became an essential task. It is said that in those days ensuring safe and speedy movement of mail had become a Victorian obsession. This had inspired the steamship companies to look for a coveted Royal Mail contract. To enter into such a lucrative business of transporting mail between Calcutta and Rangoon, the Calcutta Burmah Steam Navigation Company was registered in Glasgow on 24 September 1856. This was the genesis of the British India Steam Navigation Company. With success and further prospects ensuing, the new BI Company was registered in Scotland on 28 October 1862. The mercantile firm of Mackinnon, Mackenzie & Co, which William Mackinnon had formed with his friend Robert Mackenzie (later drowned in shipwreck in 1853), functioned as Managing Agents, and for long presided over the fortunes of their great fleet from the towering office building on Strand Road in Calcutta.
In 1894 the BI fleet had 88 vessels, some among them were running up to 5000 tons gross, or even more in a few cases. The routes those vessels adhered to included London, Marseilles, Port Said, Suez, Aden, Colombo, Madras, Calcutta and reverse. This was how the Golconda had once taken aboard the Swami on his second visit to the West. In 1914, slightly beyond a decade since the Swami had left this earth, two large shipping companies, the P. & O. and the British Indian Steam Navigation, went for a merger to amalgamate their business interests. The point is, Vivekananda first went to the West on a ship of the former company, while in the second visit he sailed aboard that of the latter one. In 1972 the BI was entirely absorbed into the P. & O.
Initially the Golconda was built in the yards of the William Doxford and Sons of Sunderland in the middle of the 1880s in anticipation that the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, which owned the Canadian Pacific Steamship as well, would buy her for their Vancouver-Hong Kong service. She was designed as a double-deck and whale-backed steamer with two funnels with a barquentine rig on four masts. Later the ship was registered with specification which show a gross tonnage of 6037 (3960 net) with length and beam measuring 422 and 48 feet respectively. On trial her engine achieved a speed of 13.9 knots; though her weak point lay in her low accommodation — allowing no more than 80 in her first class and 28 in the second. This had posed a serious obstacle in getting a prospective buyer. Initially the Dixford had the Liverpool and Great Western Steamship Company, commonly known as the Guion Line, in mind as the prospective buyer. But neither they nor any other buyer had ever shown any interest in the newly-built ship. Subsequently offer was made to the Canadian Pacific Steamship for their just started Vancouver — Hong Kong service. Negotiations began on a highly positive manner and the ship was eventually christened as Transpacific. But when the Canadian Pacific finally backed out, the ship was acquired by a Hull owner who renamed her to Nulli Secondus. But these all had taken place far before the ship reached her final stage. In August 1887 when the British India Steam Navigation Co. came to know about the ship, they made an offer and it was accepted. In December 1887 the ship was finally completed as Golconda.
When the Golconda joined the BI fleet she began serving on their main London — Calcutta route. As the BI’s flagship she sailed for twelve years save a brief government charter when the Golconda was used as a transport in the Boer war (October 1899 — May 1902). Later, when she resumed her civilian duties following the government charter, her look and limited speed were gradually deemed to be obsolete. In March 1913 she was deployed in the East African service; and two years later, in 1915, Golconda was requisitioned as an Indian Army transport. After several return voyages to Europe, when On 3 June 1916 she was en route from Tees (Middlesbrough) to London for Calcutta with general cargo, the vessel was sunk by a mine laid by UC-3 (contrary news has it that she was torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat) close to Aldeburgh (Suffolk, East Anglia coast) with loss of 19 lives. The captain survived.
Interlude
With Vivekananda on board the Golconda reached Tilbury Dock on the north bank of the River Thames in Essex on 31 July 1899. This time the Swami did not stay for long in England. He left London on a train to Glasgow on 16 August; and on the following day he boarded the SS Numidian for his fourth transatlantic voyage to New York. In the early morning of August 28th , almost three hours behind schedule, the ship reached her destination port.
SS Numidian
Built in 1891 by D & W Henderson Ltd of Glasgow, the Numidian was a 4836 gross ton ship with length and beam measuring 400ft and 45.2ft respectively. She had a straight stem with one funnel, and two masts with single screw. With a speed of 13 knots the Numidian could accommodate 1180 passengers — hundred in her first class, 80 in second class, and a thousand in the steerage or third class. The ship belonged to the Montreal Ocean Steamship Company, more popularly known as the Allan Line, which was established in 1854. On 16 September 1854 the company’s first vessel, the Canadian, had sailed from Liverpool on her maiden voyage and reached Quebec on 28 September.
Alexander (Sandy) Allan (1780–1854) came into shipping in 1819; today he is acknowledged among the forerunners of the transatlantic voyage. Two of his five sons, Hugh and Andrew became two of the partners when Montreal Ocean Steamship Company was floated. In 1891 the Company took over the financially ailing State Line, another shipping company, which ran services between Glasgow and Liverpool to New Orleans and New York. Since this time the ships and services of the Allan Lines were operated under the name of Allan & State Line. The Company continued their business till about 1911 when negotiations began with the Canadian Pacific Line. Finally the former was merged with the latter in 1915, and the Canadian Pacific Ocean Services Limited was born; though the official announcement of the merger remained withheld till 1917. But the Glasgow-New York service of the Allan Line had been closed before the merger took place. This was when the Numidian left for New York from Glasgow for the last time on 28 September 1905. On that very day the New York Times wrote: ‘The Allan Line’s Glasgow-New York service will be suspended temporarily at least after the sailing of the Numidian from Glasgow tomorrow [the news was datelined the day before]. A circular sent out to agents and shippers says that in consequence of the expiration of the lease of their New York pier and inability to arrange for renewal of secure other suitable accommodation, they are obliged to suspend the service…’ May be it had been the increasing pier rentals which prompted the Company to go for a termination of the lease. But the low profitability of the route, which was further complicated by the arrival of second series of large twin-screw steamers of rival companies, were seemingly no less responsible for the decision.
When her Glasgow-New York route had come to an end, the Numidian was put to the Glasgow — Quebec — Montreal service on 21 April 1906. This was succeeded by a service in the Glasgow to Montreal, Boston or Philadelphia route during 1906–1914. But with suspension of her first class accommodation in 1906, the ship was downgraded and had to carry only the second and third class passengers.
When her Glasgow — Quebec — Montreal — Glasgow service had also come to an end on 24 November 1914, the Numidian was sold to the British Admiralty, and they filled the once glorious ship with cement and allowed her to sink as a blockship. [Normally the word blockship is not available in the frequently used dictionaries, the meaning indicates a ship which is moored or grounded in a channel in order to block it, for purposes of war or to provide shelter.] According to the Scapa Flow: Historic Wreck Site, the ‘SS Numidian, a steel steamship, was … scuttled on 30 Dec 1914 in Kirk Sound. Much was salvaged in February 1924 by the East Coast Salvage Company although some plating still remains, along with the rocks placed in the hull to accelerate the sinking.’
Interlude
Vivekananda left India with extreme unfriendly health. It was expected that long sea voyage would bring improvements to his health. Though the hope was partly achieved when he landed at the Tilbury dock, that did hardly last long. This, as was also arranged beforehand, led the Swami to stay for around two and A half months for prolonged rest at a country house close to New York City that belonged to one of his ardent admirers. Later he travelled to California and remained there for around six months while delivering his loftiest message to mankind. This was his last visit to America which came to its end on 26 July 1900 when he left New York aboard La Champagne.
SS La Champagne
The ship belonged to the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique, more popularly known as the French Line. Earlier discussions had been made on this shipping company while dealing with La Touraine. La Champagne had a gross tonnage of 6726 — according to another report, 7087grt — and a dead weight of 2884 tons, with length and beam measuring 150.3 meters (493.1feet) and 15.76 meters (51.7 feet) respectively. The steamer had two funnels, four masts and single screw or propeller with a nominal speed of 17.5 knots. Her inverted, triple expansion 6 superposed cylinders engine had the capacity of 9000 horse power. La Champagne had been the first of a series of four steamers of the French Line — the others were La Bourgogne, La Gascoigne and La Bretagne. La Champagne had a capacity to accommodate 1055 passengers — 390 in the first class, 65 in the second class, and 600 in the third class. The ship was built by the Ateliers & Chantiers de St. Nazaire — Chantiers de l’ Atlantique, Penhoët (St. Nazaire), France, and was launched on 15 May 1885.
Almost fourteen years before Swami Vivekananda would walk on her deck, La Champagne had sailed on her maiden voyage leaving Le Havre for New York on 22 May 1886. Within a year of her launch, the ship made a transatlantic trip in record time. The heading in the New York Times of 24 July 1887 reads: ‘LA CHAMPAGNE’S SPEED: THE TRIP FROM HAVRE 7 DAYS 14 HOURS AND 30 MINUTES.’ The news, smeared with nostalgic navigational procedures, followed: ‘The operator at the Ship News office had a shock yesterday afternoon when the machine ticked off “La Champagne, Fire Island, 3:48.” And as sundry old salts looked at the strip of white paper on which the record was made …. Never before had a vessel of the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique been spoken off Fire Island at that time on Saturday, and it was clear that the record from Havre was broken.’ To highlight the achievement, the same news informed of an accident that came upon La Champagne slightly above two months back: ‘It was her first trip since she started on May 7 and was beached by Capt. Traub after an avoidable collision. The steamer since then up to July 16 has been at St. Nazaire, where all the work of the French Line is done, and the result of her visit there was evidently no diminution of speed. La Champagne was the fastest steamer of the line before, having a record of 7 days and 17 hours made a year ago.’
A detailed report as to why the ship had to remain for so long at ‘St. Nazaire’ for necessary ‘work’ is available in the New York Times of 8 May 1887: ‘The General Transatlantic Line steamer La Champagne, Capt. Traub, which sailed from Havre for New York at 9 o’clock this morning [Datelined London, May 7], while returning after having been in collision, ran aground near Avranches. It is reported that 20 Italian emigrants, while attempting, regardless of discipline, to escape in the lifeboats, were drowned. The remainder of the passengers were safely landed. Later, the steamer could be floated easily.’
In 1896 a new boiler and a quadruple expansion machine were added to La Champagne. Besides, the funnels were raised and two of her masts were removed. On other occasions a few more mishaps had also come upon La Champagne, entailing various kinds of damages and repairs that caused temporary suspension of her regular voyages. The New York Times of 1 March 1898 reads : ‘A disaster to a great ocean liner, even if entails only a detention such as has befallen La Champagne, inevitably arrests public attention. There is so much left of “the mystery of the sea” in spite of all that steam has done to dispel it that the mere announcement that a ship is overdue opens a boundless field of conjecture. People whose friends have sailed for Europe watch with eagerness the cable reports, and experience a sensible relief when the arrival of the ship is reported from the other side, who would not be disturbed if they did not hear for weeks from the same people if they had gone as long a journey overland. The uneasiness, easily growing into alarm, that is felt when an ocean steamer is even three days overdue is in fact a tribute to the perfection of the transatlantic service.’
Following her last Le Havre — New York voyage on 21 January 1905, La Champagne was transferred to the Mexican service. Though engaged to her Mexican service, she did two transatlantic rounds again in 1906. In 1912, following a collision at Lisbon with Desna of the Royal Mail Line, she encountered minor damages. In 1913, probably chartered by the Compagnie de Navigation Sud-Atlantique, she was deployed in the St. Nazaire — Panama route. The end came upon La Champagne while she was plying in this very route. The Licking Valley Courier of Kentucky on 3 June 1915 headlined: ‘FRENCH SHIP AGROUND: LINER LA CHAMPAGNE RAN ON ROCKS OFF ST NAZAIRE: HAD 900 NEGRO TROOPS FOR SERVICE IN FRANCE — STEAMER BADLY DAMAGED’; the report followed: ‘Paris, May 29 — The French Steamer La Campagne ran aground on the French coast off St Nazaire. La Champagne formerly plied between New York and France, but several months ago she was taken over by the French government and put into the South American service. She sailed from Colon for St Nazaire on May 3, but stopped at a number of ports in the West Indies. There had been rumors that an attempt would be made to blow up the liner at sea, and when the first rumor, that she had been sunk, reached here it caused great excitement. It was learned that the 900 passengers on La Champagne were Negro troops who had been brought from French Guiana for service in France. Reports received here indicated that the liner was in a badly damaged condition and that she might not be able to get off the ground where she ran ashore.’
The New York Times, corroborating the news, added more on May 29: ‘A plot to blow up the La Champagne was reported last February in a dispatch from Madrid to a Paris newspaper. According to this dispatch, officers of the vessel stated, on her arrival at Corunna, Spain, from Mexico, that the plot has been frustrated by a wireless message received aboard the ship. This message was said to have conveyed the information that a man on board, believed to be a German, intended to destroy the vessel. The man was arrested, and, the dispatch said, five dynamite bombs were found in his trunk.’
But though the plot could efficiently be foiled in time, the ship could hardly avoid disaster on a stormy day on 28 May 1915, when she ran aground at the entrance of Saint-Nazaire harbor and broke in two. Later the salvaged remnants of the once majestic ship was sold for demolition.
Interlude
Vivekananda remained in Paris for nearly three months. His second and last visit to the West finally ended when he boarded the transcontinental Orient Express from Paris on 24 October 1900, and journeyed across southwest Europe to Constantinople. En route the Swami and his entourage had a three-day stopover at Vienna before reaching Constantinople; there they stayed for ten days. They visited the places of interest everywhere. Next they went to Greece and stayed for around four days before moving to Egypt by Czar, a Russian steamer. The Czar was built in 1883 by the Armstrong, Mitchell, & Co. of Newcastle. Her port was Odessa. The Russian Steam Navigation & Trading Co., which owned the steamer, had been established in 1856 and functioned till it was nationalized in 1918 after the Russian revolution.
In Egypt things took a turn when Vivekananda abruptly expressed a desired to cut short his tour and return to his motherland. He left Cairo for Port Tawfiq, a place close to Suez at the south end of the Suez Canal. And on the night of 26 November 1900 he boarded the Bombay bound SS Rubattino. Thus had begun his last sea voyage.
SS Raffaelle Rubattino
The SS Rubattino used to sail through Genoa / Palermo — (Marseilles) — Naples — Bombay — Singapore — Djakarta (Batavia) — Hong Kong. The service had an interesting history. A book entitled Italian Foreign Policy — 1870–1940 writes: ‘Italian involvement in the Red Sea started with the acquisition of the trading post of Assab in 1882. This had a dual origin. The Rubattino steamship company had run a government-subsidised monthly service from Genoa to Bombay since 1873, and was interested in Assab as a coaling station.’ The SS Rubattino belonged to the Navigazione Generale Italiana. The company too offers an interesting past: ‘The two companies, Florio of Palermo and Rubattino of Genoa, that dominated Italian Mediterranean shipping, merged in 1881 to form the Navigazone Generale Italiana (NGI), which then held a virtual shipping monopoly. … In 1893 NGI contracted with the state for the lines for Sicily, Malta, Sardinia, Tripoli, Tunisia, Egypt, the Red Sea, and India.’ Record has it that, ‘At the time of its foundation, NGI owned a huge fleet of 81 steamers of which 43 had formerly belonged to Florio.’
Raffael Rubattino (1810–81), the man behind the Navigazone Generale Italiana (NGI), obviously added extra dimension to the company’s history. In his Italy: A Reference Guide from the Renaissance to the Present Roland Sarti, referring to Rubattino as the ‘shipping industry pioneer, patriot, and advocate of colonial expansion’, writes: ‘Rubattino was born in Genoa to a well-off-merchant family. He…joined Mazinni’s YOUNG ITALLY, and started several business ventures that also served his political interests. His interest in maritime commerce began as an insurer in 1837. He founded his own shipping company in 1838, and in 1841 started a transportation business between Genoa and Milan. In addition to moving people and goods, Rubattino also smuggled propaganda and political suspects. He was the first Italian ship owner to commit his company to steam navigation. After expanding his activities in the Mediterranean until 1848, Rubattino looked to the Atlantic trade. With the help of Cavour [Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour (1810–1861)] and financial subsidies from the Piedmontese government, in 1852 Rubattinio launched the Transatlantic Shipping Company. The merger of Rubattiono’s company with the shipping business run by the Florio family of Sicily resulted in the formation of Navigazone Generale Italiana (1881), Italy’s largest shipping organization.’ With this initial information about the man and his shipping ventures, the book now focuses on a particular area: ‘Rubattino never separated his business from his political interests. One of his ship transported CARLO PISACANE’S ill-fated expedition to Naples, and two of his ships transported GUISEPPE GARIBALDI’S THOUSAND on their luckier venture to Sicily in 1860. Rubattino’s degree of complicity in these ventures is still the subject of debate. In 1869 Rubattino purchased the Bay of Assab concession in the Red Sea that, when acquired by the Government in 1882, served as the point of penetration for Italian COLONIALISM.’
But despite such illustrious history about the man and his company that owned the ship, nothing substantial is available on SS Rubattino except some scanty information. It is learned that this 4337 tons ship was built in 1882 by the Palmer’s Shipbuilding & Iron Company Ltd, Jarrow (1865–1933) in North-East England. In 1910 the Rubattino was transferred to SNSM (Societa Nationale del Servizi Marittimi). But these rudimentary information is more than compensated by facts concerning the Rubattino which are of great historical import.
On 16 May 1900 Victor G. Heiser, Assistant Surgeon, U. S. Marine Hospital Service, Writes from Naples to his superior Surgeon General: ‘Sir, I have the honor to report that for the week ended May 16, 1900, the following ships were inspected.’ Thereby the letter listed the names of the ships along with respective dates on which those inspections were carried out, as well as the relevant findings. At one point the letter reads: ‘On April 18, I stated that the Italian steamship Raffaele Rubattino was suspected of having some cases of plague on board. I have now to add that 1 [one] of the fireman, a native of India, who was embarked at Bombay, March 29, was stricken with the plague after the steamer left Aden, which was on April 4. The victim was removed from the vessel about April 9, and placed in a lazaretto which is situated between Suez and Port Said, on the Suez Canal. When the vessel came to Messina, the first Italian port reached, she was remanded to Asinara for thorough disinfection. Just what this disinfection consists of I have been unable to learn up to the present time. The vessel was detained at the quarantine station at Asinara for two days, arriving at Genoa on April 21, 1900.’
A similar letter of a week before, the addressee and the writer remaining the same, had this information: ‘Since the outbreak of plague at Port Said, Italy has proclaimed seven days’ quarantine against all vessels from that port. The time spent on the voyage is included in this period. After the completion of the quarantine the vessel is disinfected, the whole process being usually completed in an hour. Vessels which have only coaled while in quarantine at Port Said do not have to undergo the above mentioned detention.’
No less interesting was the procedure for such disinfection. Rupert Blue, another Assistant Surgeon, U.S.M.H.S., writes from Genoa to his superior on 23 April 1900: ‘The importance given here to the disinfection of vessels from plague-infected places, has led to the employment of a very cheap and efficient method for the destruction of rats and other vermin aboard. This method, which is original with Dr Antonio De Ferrari, the quarantine officer of the port of Genoa, consists in burning charcoal, being ignited by aid of kerosene. After carefully sealing all the openings, 6 kilos of charcoal for each hundred cubic meters of space are consumed. An exposure of eight hours duration is considered sufficient for all practical purposes. It is claimed by Dr De Ferrari that this practical utility of this method depends upon the lightness and greater diffusion of the gases liberated; that SO, is much heavier, and soon gravitates, on cooling, to the lower portion of the space, leaving animals alive in the nooks and crannies of the upper section.’
Epilogue
With Swami Vivekananda on board the SS Rubattino finally came to Bombay on 3 December 1900. Harvey Reeves Calkins (1866–1941), an American on his way to India for missionary assignment, was also aboard the ship which he had boarded from Naples. Calkins knew about the Swami beforehand, but initially he was not interested in him. He writes : ‘I think it was his lordly manner that disturbed, somewhat, my American sense of democracy. He did not argue that he was a superior person, he admitted it.’ But as the ship progressed towards her destination, closeness between the monk and the missionary grew. And on the last night before the Rubattino touched the shores of Bombay, both stood on the forward deck looking afar to where darkness of night mingled with the vastness of dark-blue ocean. Calkins writes about his experience : ‘Vivekananda was smoking a short sweet-briar pipe — the one “English vice”, he said, which he was fond of. The wash of the sea and the unknown life which would begin on the morrow invited quietness. For a long time no word was spoken. Then, as though he had made up his mind” he said, “they may talk about their Buddhas, their Krishnas, and their Christs, but we understand, you and I; we are segments of the All-One.” His hand remained upon my shoulder. It was such a friendly hand, I could not rudely remove it. Then he withdrew it himself, and I offered him my own.’
Tributes
Within less than two years from when he had landed in Bombay, Swami Vivekananda left this earth at the early age of 39. Just around quarter of a century later Romain Rolland (1866–1944), the great European idealist thinker, Noble Laureate French novelist, dramatist, essayist, had become so inspired by what he learned about the Swami that, he wrote a biography entitled The Life of Vivekananda and the Universal Gospel. In its Prelude Rolland wrote: ‘When this quite unknown young man of thirty appeared in Chicago at the inaugural meeting of the Parliament of Religions … all his fellow members were forgotten in his commanding presence. His strength and beauty, the grace and dignity of his bearing, the dark light of his eyes, his imposing appearance, and from the moment he began to speak, the splendid music of his rich deep voice enthralled the vast audience of American Anglo-Saxons, previously prejudiced against him on account of his colour. The thought of this warrior prophet of India left a deep mark upon the United States.’ And Rolland was no American, He too, referring to the Swami’s teachings, wrote: ‘I cannot touch these sayings of his … at thirty years’ distance, without receiving a thrill through my body like an electric shock.’
Another famous Anglo-American writer, Christopher Isherwood (1904–1986), did also express his admiration for Vivekananda in a perspective of his own: ‘I loved him at once, for his bracing self-reliance, his humour , and his courage. He appealed to me as the perfect anti-Puritan hero: the enemy of Sunday religion, the destroyer of Sunday gloom, the shocker of prudes, the breaker of traditions, the outrager of conventions, the comedian who taught the deepest truths in idiotic jokes and frightful puns. That humour had its place in religion, that it could actually be a mode of spiritual self-expression, was a revelation to me; for , like every small boy of Puritan upbringing, I had always longed to laugh out loud and make improper noises in church. I didn’t know, then, that humour has also had its exponents in the Christian tradition. I knew nothing, for example, about, St. Philip Neri.’
But both Rolland and Isherwood were impressed by what they later heard and read about the Swami. While William James, an American who shaped the philosophical thinking of his country and had once been the foremost among his contemporary peers at the Harvard University, did see and closely interact with Swami Vivekananda. Expressing his deeper feelings about those experiences James once wrote to a mutual acquaintance: ‘[Vivekananda] is an honor to humanity.’
Notes:
I. All cares were taken to acknowledge sources of materials wherever applicable. Nevertheless, information of any inadvertent lapse will ensure needed compliance.
II. Matters dealt with here is available elaborately in a book entitled The Ships of Vivekananda at Advaita Ashrama/Amazon India/Google Books. (Reference may also be made to an independent webpage vide URL: http://myspaceaside.wix.com/theseafaringmonk
III. Further reuse of images available here on whatsoever purposes are restricted vide conditions stipulated by respective sources.
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