SS Megantic (1909)

The SS "Megantic" was an ocean liner built by Harland and Wolff, Belfast, and operated by the White Star Line.

The Dominion Line steamship company operated liners on the Liverpool-Canada route in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Their ships had become outdated, so in 1907 two new liners were ordered from Harland and Wolff, the SS "Albany" and SS "Alberta". However, while they were being built they were transferred to the White Star Line and with them the White Star Line itself entered the Canadian passenger trade.

The "Albany" was renamed "Megantic" (after Lake Megantic in Quebec), and the Alberta became the "Laurentic". At the time, the two were the largest ships yet built for Canadian service and were used as a form of full-scale experiment to decide on the machinery for the "Olympic" and her sisters, the "Megantic" being a conventional twin-screw ship with quadruple expansion engines while the "Laurentic", with the same hull and boiler power, was given three screws and engines of a revolutionary design. [http://www.greatships.net/megantic.html "Megantic at GreatShips.com] ]

"Megantic" was launched in 1908 and made her maiden voyage from Liverpool to Montréal on 17 June 1909. She remained on that route until the Great War, when she was briefly placed on White Star's Liverpool-New York City service until being called into service as a troopship in 1915. She was attacked in 1917 by the German submarine, "U-43", but managed to escape unharmed. She was returned to White Star in December 1918 and after a refit in 1919 to enlarge her 1st class accommodations, returned to the Canadian service from Liverpool. She had another refit in 1924 and after 1928 operated from London and Southampton. Off-season, Megantic was often used for cruising from New York to the Caribbean and in the 1930s, for economy cruises.

After his arrest in Canada, Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen was returned to England via "Megantic", where he was hanged for murder. [http://www.shawsavillships.co.uk/megantic.htm Megantic page at Shawsvillships] ]

Megantic made her last Atlantic crossing in May 1931 and was then laid up until 1933, when she was sold for scrapping in Osaka.

The "Megantic" had a gross tonnage of 14,878 and a net of 9,183 tons. The deadweight was 8,790 tons and load displacement on a draft of 27 ft. 6 in. was 20,470 tons. The overall length was about 570 ft.

References

External links

* [http://www.shawsavillships.co.uk/megantic.htm Images of "Megantic"]
* [http://www.timetableimages.com/maritime/images/wsl.htm White Star timetables, include some for "Megantic"]
* [http://www.norwayheritage.com/p_ship.asp?sh=megan "Megantic" information from Norway Heritage]