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SS Pontic (1894)

NOTES:
Needs infinite electricity

HISTORY:

The SS Pontic was a steel, single screwed baggage and water tender, as well as a cargo ship serving the Liverpool docks built by Harland and Wolff for the White Star Line.

In 1873, the SS Traffic entered service which was a smaller barge to carry baggage, though she was rendered too small by 1893 as the Teutonic Class had entered service only 3 years prior. To work with initially and later replace the Traffic, the SS Pontic was ordered around mid 1893. She was launched on February 3rd 1894, where she was described as having "large hatches and powerful winches", with accommodations for the "crew forward", and the engineers aft. Her single triple expansion engine drove a single screw with an average speed of 8 knots (though this is slightly faster for the sake of faster sailings)

Pontic's life is fairly poorly documented, but she was photographed alongside many ships such as the SS Georgic in 1900, the RMS Oceanic II many times such as 1907, the Big Four and even in front of the Lusitania.

Pontic was delivered on April 13th 1894 and her service began on the Mersey. No incidents have been well recorded, though the Pontic was sold off to the Rea Towing Company Limited on October 9th 1919, where she would be in the role of both a tug and a tender. On January 23rd, 1925, she was sold to the Beardmore Steam Ship Company Limited, where she was used as a collier (coal carrier) and a sand carrier. She continued in this role for five years, until she was sold for scrap. She was towed up to the Clyde, and broken up in 1930.

Huge thank you to Oceanic Star Line and Marie Antoinette for helping with the information and understanding the design of this adorable little tender.