The Steamer Rupert City

Cyril Tweedale, took a lot of nautical photographs and saved them in family albums. Some of the images were recently sent to me. They each tell short stories of the British Columbia coast.

In 1886 the steamer Rupert City was built as the Powhatan at Barrow–in–Furness, Lancashire UK by the Barrow Shipbuilding Co. She was 310.3’ x 38.1’ x 25.2’ iron–hulled and powered by a quadruple cylinder triple–crankshaft steam engine. In 1909 she was renamed as the Prince Rupert. In 1910 she was renamed as the Rupert City and in 1914 as the Chinto Maru.

In 1886–1905 she was owned by Mediterranean and New York Steamship Co. In 1905–1912 she was owned by Watts, Watts, and Company (Britain Steamship Co.) In 1909–1912 she was owned by Mackenzie Brothers Steamship Co. In 1912–1913 she was owned by Marine Transportation Co., Vancouver BC. In 1913–1914 she was owned by N. Hardie (Dodwell & Co.). In 1914–1917 she was owned by S. Tsunaakira, Suda T. Darien.

In 1909 she was on direct service between Vancouver and Prince Rupert BC. In 1910 she was in the coal trade between BC and Australia. In 1913 she was reported as sold into the China coastal service. On January 4, 1917 she was sunk by the submarine U–79 torpedoed southeast of Cabo de Sao Vicente, Portugal.