SS Parisian Archival Collection

Content Links

• Parisian (1881) Allan Line (British) Ship's History (Brief)
• Passenger Lists
• The Titanic Connection
• Title Pages
• Senior Officers and Staff
• Sailing Schedules
• Route Maps, Track Charts, Abstract of Logs
• Wireless Technology
• Back Cover Images
• Excerpts from Information for Passengers
• The Allan Line RMS Parisian - 1907
• The Allan Line New Steamship Parisian - 1881

Parisian (1881) Allan Line (British)

Built by Robert Napier & Sons, Glasgow, Scotland. Tonnage: 5,395. Dimensions: 441' x 46'. Single-screw, 15 knots. Compound engines. Masts and Funnels: Four masts and two funnels. Steel hull. Passengers: 150 first, 100 second, 1,000 third. Maiden voyage: Liverpool-Halifax-Boston, March 10, 1881. Modifications: Re-engined with triple expansions in 1899 and also had her original funnels replaced with a single large one. Service: Served in various North Atlantic routes, including Glasgow-New York run. Fate: Sold to Italian shipbreakers in January 1914, and soon afterwards was dismantled at Genoa.

The passenger list dated 6 April 1912 of the RMS Parisian was 50 miles from the Titanic on April 14, 1912. The Parisian was near the Titanic when the disaster occurred, but it did not immediately respond to the distress signals. While the Parisian was not directly involved in the rescue, its presence in the area highlights the coordination and cooperation among various ships during the tragedy.

The Baltic's operator overheard ice reports going to the Titanic from the Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm and the Amerika. In contrast, the Carpathia, on the same day, overheard the Parisian talking with other ships about ice. All hopes that any other vessel had been able to rescue any of the Titanic's passengers were practically abandoned Wednesday when it was announced that neither the Parisian nor the Virginian, which, on receipt of wireless calls for aid, had been speeding toward the scene of the colossal tragedy, had anyone on board.

Title Page, Saloon Passenger List, RMS Parisian, 17 September 1891. GGA Image ID # 2046cc6768

Title Page, Cabin Passenger List, RMS Parisian, 13 October 1911. GGA Image ID # 204691720c

Title Page, Cabin Passenger List, RMS Parisian, 6 April 1912. GGA Image ID # 20457bcd4b

Senior Officers and Staff, RMS Parisian, Voyage of 13 October 1911. GGA Image ID # 204705f8e3

Senior Officers and Staff, RMS Parisian, Voyage of 6 April 1912. GGA Image ID # 2045ae6e99

Sailing Schedule, Liverpool-Londonderry-Québec-Montréal, from 8 July 1897 to 17 October 1897. Ships Included the California, Carthaginian, Laurentian, Numidian, and Parisian. RMS Numidian Saloon Passenger List, 17 July 1897. GGA Image ID # 20e984a362

The Saloon and Staterooms are in the central part where the least motion is felt. Electricity is used for lighting the ship throughout, the lights being at the command of the passengers at any hour of the night. Music rooms, the smoking room on the promenade deck, and the saloons and staterooms are heated by steam.

* Steamers marked thus are mail steamers and stop at Rimouski and Moville to receive and land Mail and Passengers. Other steamers proceed from Quebec to Liverpool directly.

All steamers sail from Montreal at daylight.

Passengers go on board the previous evening between 8 and 11 o'clock.

The Laurentian carries first-cabin passengers only, and the Carthaginian carries second-cabin passengers only on the Eastbound trip.

Rates of Passage will be supplied on the application.

Sailing Schedule, Liverpool-Montreal-Quebec, from 12 August 1897 to 31 October 1897. Ships Included the California, Carthaginian, Laurentian, Numidian, and Parisian. GGA Image ID # 20eac97e01

* Steamers marked thus are Mail Steamers and stop at Rimouski and Moville to receive and land Mail and Passengers. Other Steamers proceed from Quebec to Liverpool directly.

All Steamers sail from Montreal at daylight.

Passengers go on board the previous evening, between 8 and 11 o'clock
Laurentian carries Cabin Passetigers only. Carthaginian brings Second Cabin Passengers only on Eastbound trips.

The voyage to and from Great Britain via the St. Lawrence grows in popularity every season. By it, passengers have the advantage of three days sailing on the calm waters of the River and Gulf: the scenery is unsurpassed for beauty and interest, and a visit to the old historic city of Quebec may also be included.

The distance from the Straits of Belle Isle to Liverpool is 1200 miles shorter than from New York; The Ocean voyage is therefore reduced to five days.
The Allan Une enjoys a high reputation, gained by a long experience. for the discipline maintained on board its vessels. This, together with care and cleanliness in every department, adds much to the comfort of passengers.

Saloons and staterooms are amidships where the least motion is felt. Electric lights and electric bells are in every apartment and stateroom. Music rooms and smoking rooms are on the promenade deck, extending two-thirds of the vessel's length.

Rates of passage vary from $52.50 to 80.00. All have the same privileges as saloons. All the passenger Steamers of the Line are fitted with "Bilge Keels," which contribute significantly to the passengers' comfort by diminishing rolling.

For further information, apply to any Authorized Agent or H. & A. ALLAN. Montreal.

Sailing Schedule, Glasgow-Boston and Glasgow-Quebec-Montreal, from 13 October 1911 to 17 November 1911. Ships Included the Parisian, Numidian, Grampian, Scotian, Hesperian, and Ionian. RMS Parisian Passenger List, 13 October 1911. GGA Image ID # 2045ff6e82

Back Cover, Atlantic Ocean Track Chart and Memorandum of Log (Unused), SS Parisian Saloon Passenger List, 18 November 1897. GGA Image ID # 2128907393

Track Chart Included With Allan Line RMS Parisian Cabin Passenger List from 6 April 1912. GGA Image ID # 20454c7636

Wireless Telegraph Rates, RMS Parisian Cabin Passenger List, 13 October 1911. GGA Image ID # 2045ff4d64

Wireless Telegram Rates, RMS Parisian Cabin Passenger List from 6 April 1912. GGA Image ID # 20452c7d33

Back Cover of a Allan Line RMS Parisian Cabin Passenger List from 13 October 1911. GGA Image ID # 2046515f1e

Back Cover, Allan Line RMS Parisian Cabin Passenger List from 6 April 1912. GGA Image ID # 20455f041e

Information for Passengers - 1911-10-13

• Breakfast 8:30 a.m.
• Luncheon 1:00 p.m.
• Dinner 6:0 p.m.

When two sittings are necessary the hours are—

First Sitting.

• Breakfast 7:30 a.m.
• Luncheon 12:30 p.m.
• Dinner 5:30 p.m.

Second Sitting.

• Breakfast 8:30 a.m.
• Luncheon 1:30 p.m.
• Dinner 6:30 p.m.

The Bar and the Smoke Room are closed at 11 p.m.

Deck Chairs can be hired at a cost of 3s. each for the single journey.

Cablegrams and Telegrams should be handed to the Purser or to his Assistant.

Stamps, Telegraph Forms, Books of Reference, and Railway Time Tables of the principal Companies are supplied by the Saloon Steward on application.

Baggage.—Questions relating to Baggage should be referred to the Third Officer, who is the Ship's Baggage Master.

Trunks or Rugs which passengers may desire to leave in charge of the Company, should be properly labeled and handed to the Baggage Master on the wharf; and such articles will be stored entirely at owner's risk. It is necessary for passengers themselves to see all their Baggage passed by the Customs Authorities on landing.

Valuables or Money should be handed to the Purser for deposit in his safe. As no charge is made, the Company accepts no responsibility for loss or damage, however arising.

Receipts for Payments.—-Passengers are requested to ask for a receipt on the Company's Form for any additional Passage Money or extra baggage charges paid on board.

Letters addressed to passengers to the Company's care should be superscribed as follows : — Name Name of Steamer From (Sailing Port) on (Date of Sailing), c/o (Agents at Port of Embarkation or Debarkation).

Divine Service is held in the Saloon on Sunday at 10.30 a.m.

Source: RMS Parisian Passenger List - 13 October 1911

The Allan Line RMS Parisian - 1907

The accompanying illustrations of the Allan liner Parisian serve as an interesting reminder that the London-Montreal sailings of the premier Canadian line are in full swing.

A feature of the London service is the very low fare. For the steamer's ordinary second cabin rooms it is £7 5s., and for rooms situated in the saloon (ordinary first-class) the fare ranges from £8 upwards.

The London service, while, of course, not on a par with the "swagger" Liverpool route, is yet highly popular, and we have heard of people starting from London with the intention of returning by Liverpool changing their minds and returning to the Thames, so satisfied were they with the comfortable accommodation the Company provided them.

For those who want a sea voyage a Canadian trip by the Parisian presents attractions.

-- The Syren and Shipping Illustrated, 15 May 1907, p. 155.

The Allan Line New Steamship Parisian - 1881

Messrs . Allan Brothers and Company's fleet of ocean steamships, of which the steel-built Parisian is the latest specimen, consists of some twenty-four vessels, the first of which, one of 1,500 tons, was built twenty-eight years ago, up to which time only sailing ships had been employed.

It is sixty years since the line was established, and the total tonnage now owned by the firm amounts to close upon 100,000 tons. The use of steel in constructing steamships in place of iron is a change of vast importance.

It forms a subject of wide interest, and as the SS Parisian is, next to the SS Servia, the largest steel steamer that has yet been built, and as she is, moreover, regarding construction and structural arrangements thoroughly abreast of the latest achievements of naval architecture, she demands careful attention.

The general dimensions of the vessel (which was designed by Mr. Wallace, the company's superintendent engineer) are as follows:-Length overall: 450 ft.; breadth, 46 ft.; depth (molded) 36 ft., with a gross tonnage of about 5,500 tons, and a load displacement of about 10,000 tons.

The machinery, upon which have been expended immense skill and industry to utilize all the latest results of engineering science, consists of a massive set of compound engines of the three-cylinder type capable of developing 6,200 indicated horsepower, which will propel the ship at a speed of from 15 to 16 knots.

Four double-ended tubular boilers with 24 furnaces supply the steam. The steel hull, made by the Steel Company of Scotland, has been built to obtain the maximum strength.

The bottom has been constructed upon the longitudinal bracket-framed system, with an outer and inner skin five feet apart; this space is also subdivided into numerous watertight compartments and, while available for water ballast, is principally valuable in reducing danger should the outer skin be damaged. In contrast, ten watertight bulkheads protect against the perils of collision.

The owners of the SS Parisian, mindful of the great importance which has recently come to be attached by the Government to the adaptability of vessels of this description to transport or cruising purposes, have constructed the ship so that she may be available in time of war for either of these services. We understand the Admiralty officials have surveyed her with this view.

Ten watertight bulkheads have been fitted, and the engine, boiler casings, and coal bunkers have been made watertight. These structural arrangements more than fulfill the Admiralty's, and as the Parisian will be able to carry sufficient coal to enable her to reach the most distant colony without stoppage, she would, in the event of war, prove a valuable auxiliary to our fleet.

With the double bottom filled with water ballast, she would have sufficient stability to carry half a dozen guns of moderate size and weight. She would, therefore, be available as an armed cruiser.

The steamer is rigged with four masts, and these, with her two funnels and symmetrical outline, give her an appearance in the water that satisfies the eye's desire for effect.

At the same time, a closer inspection of her deck also gives the spectator an impression of coziness and snugness. The staterooms, of which there are sufficient for 150 first-class passengers, are luxuriously furnished apartments.

The saloon is placed before the machinery space, where there is the least vibration, and it occupies the full width of the vessel. The fittings and decorations of the apartment, the artistic beauty and elegance of which are exceedingly pleasing.

The sideboard, glass cupboards, and bookcases are made of walnut, with richly carved doors in front and beveled glass mirrors above. At the same time, the whole floor has been covered with oak parquetry, upon which are crimson Persian carpet runners.

The dining chairs are of a unique and elegant design, with spindle backs to match the general character of the decorations. As usual, a novelty has been introduced by making the seats slide diagonally instead of revolving. They are covered with crimson velvet and finished with brass studs.

Lamps of an elegant design have been placed on the dining tables and specially made for burning mineral oil. Four handsomely carved walnut doors, with portiere curtains of rich Persian tapestry, lead to the stateroom passages, which run before and above the saloon.

The lady's boudoir is very tastefully fitted up at the end of the saloon. On the opposite side is the pantry, fitted with the most modern appliances. A wide and handsome staircase, with teak-carved balustrades and indiarubber treads, leads from the saloon doors to the promenade deck, where the music room is situated. This room is another triumph of tasteful decoration.

For the passengers who are fortunate enough to travel by the Parisian, it will constitute an elegant and cheerful retreat in which they may enjoy the solace of music while also securing ease for the body and gratification for the eye.

A Broadwood piano is in a specially designed case, harmonizing with the richly paneled and carved doors. The smoking room on the deck aft is furnished in the same style. The walls are painted with murals in blue and gold, while the sofa cushions are covered with olive morocco.

The mural work referred to is somewhat of a novelty in steamship decoration. Still, its effect is undeniably rich and pleasing and has the merit of durability. On the promenade deck is placed the galley, with its cooking ranges, baker's ovens, grills, steam cooking pans, etc., with their numerous appliances for meeting the gastronomic requirements of the crew and passengers, while on the main deck forward has been fitted up a very spacious and complete post-office, with all the requisite conveniences for the use of the resident postmaster.

Respecting the quarters for the steerage passengers, for whom there is accommodation for about 1,150, the owners and builders have been equally concerned to secure all possible comfort and to prevent, as far as can be done, the inconveniences inseparable from a voyage across the Atlantic.

The berths for females and children are provided in spacious, well-lighted, healthy apartments. The rooms, which are unusually lofty, well-lighted, and ventilated, have watertight doors affixed to them, which can be closed in case of collision or another injury and thus prevent the water from reaching them.

Accommodation is also provided for thirty-six inter-passengers, and those who choose this class of passage will have no cause to grumble at their quarters, which are exceptionally comfortable and convenient.

It may here be stated that in each of the staterooms, the pillow with which the inmate's bed is supplied constitutes an effective life-saving apparatus in case of danger.

This pillow, which has been invented and patented by Mr. Woods, superintendent of the victualling department, is made of the hair of the moose and is so constructed that in the hour of danger, the passenger could immediately fasten it around his body in a way which would make his sinking impossible.

The pillow consists of two parts, one to cover the chest and the other to the back, and the two portions can be readily fastened by the passenger himself. Once secured to the body, it cannot be removed by the pressure of the water; the end of the pillow supports the chin and, therefore, keeps the man's head above water, while the whole contrivance will protect against injury from the floating wreck.

The steerage passengers are all supplied with the pillows at a very moderate cost, and, thus fortified against danger, there would, in the event of anything serious happening, be no tendency on their part to indulge in the panic which so often breaks out on such occasions.

A unique feature in the arrangements of the vessel is the placing of the crew's quarters at the stern, an innovation upon established custom which is not a subject of unmixed satisfaction to " Jack, " who, as was humorously remarked, cannot conceive how a forecastle can be at the stern of the vessel.

The captain has two cabins-one at the saloon staircase and the other upon the promenade deck, just abaft the steering- house and bridge-so that the officer on the watch can call him at once. The other officers-engineers, doctors, pursers, stewards, petty officers, &, etc.- have comfortable quarters and have been a cause of special consideration to the owners.

The efficient working of the ship and the rapid handling of cargo have also had careful attention, the vessel being provided with Napier's steam windlass and screw-steering gear, Muir and Caldwell's steam-steering gear, Taylor's improved steam winches, Chadburn's steering, and engine -room telegraphs, Sir Wm. Thomson's compasses and sounding machine, Hocking's patent water filters, etc.

"The Allan Line New Steamship Parisian," in The Nautical Magazine: A Journal of Papers on Subjects Connected with Maritime Affairs, London: Simpkin, Marshall & Company, Volume L, No,. IV, April 1881, pp. 309-312.