Corinthic was built by Harland & Wolff (Belfast) for Shaw Savill
& Albion - White Star Line joint service to New Zealand. She was launched
on 10th April,1902.
She had one funnel, four masts, twin screws, four decks and water ballast.
Corinthic had accommodation for 121 First Class Passengers, 117 Second
Class Passengers and 450 Third Class Passengers and was equipped with
refrigerated holds for the carriage of frozen meat. Her maiden voyage started
on 20th November, 1902, when she left London for Cape Town and Wellington.
Corinthic was taken over under the Liner Requisition Scheme in
1917 - during the Great War (World War I) - and returned to her owners in
1920. On 20th January of that same year she resumed service on the UK - Panama
- Wellington route.
In 1923, Corinthic rescued the crew of the Newfoundland schooner
Marguerite Ryan. In 1926, she raced the New Zealand Shipping Co. ship
Remuera outbound to NZ and both vessels were virtually in sight of
each other all the way. She commenced her last sailing from Southampton to
Wellington on 14th August,1931
On 9th December, 1931, Corinthic's career came to an end. Sir
Thomas Wilford, High Commissioner for New Zealand, took down the ship's house
flag at the Royal Albert Dock in London. Local schoolchildren who sang at
the ceremony received butter and cheese - souvenirs of Corinthic's
final trip to New Zealand. Later the same month, she was sold to Hughes Bolckow
(of Bylth) for scrap and broken up at Wallsend-on-Tyne. |
