RMS Oceanic (1870)

The Oceanic off Queenstown on her second homeward voyage from New York, June 12th 1871, by William Lionel Wyllie, 1895
History
United Kingdom
Name:	RMS Oceanic
Owner:	White Star Line
Operator:	White Star Line (1871-1875); chartered to Occidental and Oriental Steamship Company (1875 - 1895)
Route:	Liverpool to New York (1871 - 1875) San Francisco, Yokohama and Hong Kong (1875 - 1895)
Builder:	Harland and Wolff, Belfast
Yard number:	73
Launched:	27 August 1870
Completed:	24 February 1871
Maiden voyage:	2 March 1871
Out of service:	17 May 1895
Fate:	Sold for scrap 1895, broken up 10 February 1896
General characteristics
Class and type:	none
Type:	Ocean liner
Tonnage:	3,707 gross tonnes
Displacement:	7,940 tons (loaded)
Length:	420 ft 4 in (128.12 m)
Beam:	40 ft 10 in (12.45 m)
Depth:	31 ft 5 in (9.58 m)
Installed power:	Four-cylinder compound steam reciprocating engine, comprising two high-pressure and two low-pressure cylinders, generating 1,990 ihp (1,480 kW)
Propulsion:	Propeller, sails
Sail plan:	Full-rigged ship
Speed:	14.5 knots (26.9 km/h; 16.7 mph) (service speed)
Capacity:	166 first class and 1,000 third class passengers
Crew:	143

RMS Oceanic was the White Star Line's first liner and an important turning point in passenger liner design. Entering service in 1871 for Atlantic crossings, she was later chartered to Occidental and Oriental Steamship Company (O&O) in 1875. The ship provided passenger service for O&O in the Pacific until 1895 when she was sold for scrap.

Oceanic was built by Harland and Wolff in Belfast, and was launched on 27 August 1870, arriving in Liverpool for her maiden voyage on 26 February 1871. Powered by a combination of steam and sail, she had twelve boilers generating steam at 65 pounds-force per square inch (450 kPa), powered a single four cylinder compound steam engine, 2 x 78 inches (2.0 m) and 2 x 41 inches (1.0 m), with a stroke of 60 inches (1.5 m). A single funnel exhausted smoke and four masts carried sail. The hull was constructed of iron and divided into eleven watertight compartments. Passenger accommodations were located on the two decks concealed within the hull, as Oceanic could carry 166 First Class passengers, referred to as Saloon Passengers in those days and 1,000 Steerage Passengers, with a crew of 143. White Star had spared no expense in her construction, and the contemporary press described the ship as an "imperial yacht".

Innovative features included positioning the first class passenger cabins amidships, away from the vibration of engines and with the least ocean movement. Third class passengers were placed at the bow and stern of the ship. All first class passengers could be seated at once in the first class dining saloon amidships. Portholes in the ship were much larger than on contemporary liners, providing more light. Running water was available in most if not all the first class cabins. There were also electric bells to summon a steward. As for the steerage accommodations, the White Star Line used Oceanic to create a trademark for themselves in reference to the treatment of steerage passengers. The White Star Line was among only a handful of Trans-Atlantic Passenger lines to segregate their steerage accommodations into two sections; berthing for Single Men was located in the Bow, while berthing for Single Women, Married Couples and Families was in the Stern.