Story
This freighter was built in 1890 by Charles Connell & Company in Glasgow, Scotland.
Historical Notes
In 1914 this vessel was chartered by from Japanese owners to bring 400 East-Indian Emigrants to Vancouver BC Canada. The incident focused on the Japanaese passenger ship Komagata Maru in 1914 carrying Sikhs attempting to emigrate to Canada. A group of Sikhs in Hong Kong were attempting to gain visas to enter Canada.
They were prevented from doing so by a 1908 regulation which stated that immigrants had to travel to Canada by a continuous passage. As no shipping line provided a direct connection with India this amounted to a ban on Indian immigration. A labour contractor, Gurdit Singh Sarhali, chartered the Komogata Maru leaving Hong Kong in April sailing via Shanghai and Japan carrying 376 passengers (including 22 resident Canadians).
They were warned not to travel to Canada. Arriving in Vancouver 23/05/1914 the vessel was quarantined at anchor in the harbour. Food and water were refused while political activity took place ashore: pro and con. The Immigration Board ruled the 354 Sikhs inadmisable. H.M.C.S. Rainbow was called in to escort the vessel to open seas in July 22, 1914 and the would-be immigrants were sent back to India. This vessel was wrecked at Cape Soidomari, Hokkaidō, 11 February 1926
Owners & Masters
In 1890 she was owned by the Hansa Line, Germany.
In 1894 he was owned by the Hamburg Amerika Line, Germany.
In 1913 she was owned by Shinyei Kisen Goshi Kaisya, Japan.
References
Morris, Rob and Leonard McCann. (1997) Greater Vancouver Hall of Fame. In The Greater Vancouver Book: an urban encyclopedia. Ed. Chuck Davis. Vancouver BC: Linkman Press
