SS Indiana (1873)

Indiana was launched on March 25, 1873, and made her maiden voyage on October 27. Like her sister ships, Indiana's initial route was Philadelphia-Queenstown-Liverpool, a route she would maintain for the entirety of her 24-year transatlantic service, with the apparent exception of only a handful of voyages.[9][10]

After the wooden bridge of Indiana's sister ship Pennsylvania was torn from the vessel in a February 1874 hurricane, a new iron bridge was subsequently installed on all four of the Pennsylvania class vessels. Later that year, on June 18, Indiana was selected to host a celebratory event for the American Steamship Company's board of directors. After a tour of the ship, followed by dinner and toasts, the directors left well satisfied with what they had seen.[11] The following year, a decision was made to increase the first class complement of all Pennsylvania class vessels from 75 to 100.

On February 29, 1876, Indiana became grounded upon the Bulkhead Bar[12] in the Delaware River, but she was freed the next morning without damage.[13]

A highlight of Indiana's career occurred when the vessel was selected to convey U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant on the initial leg of his world tour. The tour was destined to be highly successful, with Civil War hero Grant greeted with great enthusiasm and ceremony at every port of call.[14]

The tour departure date was set for May 17, 1877, and Grant spent the morning at a champagne breakfast hosted by Pennsylvania Governor John F. Hartranft. Arrangements had been made for Grant and his party to join Indiana downstream, away from the crowds that had gathered to watch the departure. Boarding the steamer Twilight, Grant and his entourage sailed to rendezvous with Indiana in midstream near New Castle, Delaware, accompanied by a huge flotilla of decorated yachts and tugs and a chorus of ships' horns and whistles.[14]

The voyage to Liverpool encountered unusually rough weather, and many of the passengers suffered from seasickness, but Grant later reported that neither he nor his wife were afflicted. Arriving at Liverpool on May 28, Grant was surprised to find the harbor filled with gaily decorated welcoming vessels, and the streets packed with cheering crowds, prompting him to remark that his reception was "as hearty and as enthusiastic as in Philadelphia on our departure". He subsequently decided to extend his stay in the city by a day before travelling on to London.[14]

Grant and his wife eventually returned triumphantly to the United States on board the Pacific Mail steamship City of Tokio on September 20, 1879.[14]

Ivan Aivazovsky. The Relief Ship (1892)

In 1882, the wooden pilothouse in the bow of all four Pennsylvania class ships was replaced with an iron one for safety reasons.

In 1883–84, inspections revealed that all four Pennsylvania class ships required immediate maintenance to their hulls, which needed strengthening. The repairs were carried out at a cost of $25,000 per vessel, but the additional costs probably contributed to the Pennsylvania Railroad's decision to wind up the American Steamship Company, which because of the after effects of the 1873 panic had always struggled to make a profit. With the demise of the ASC, Indiana and her three sister ships were transferred to management of the PRR's other shipping line, the Red Star Line, but Indiana continued to service her familiar Liverpool–Philadelphia route.

In March 1889, Indiana made a single Antwerp to New York voyage under charter to the Red Star Line,[9][10] one of apparently only a handful of transatlantic crossings by the vessel that were not made on the Liverpool-Philadelphia route.

Indiana had a major refit with the installation of a triple-expansion steam engine to replace her original compound steam engine in 1891. The new engine, built and installed by James Howell of Glasgow,[10] was smaller, allowing for more cargo space, and was more economical to run. At the same time, she was refitted to accommodate only intermediate and third class passengers.[9]

In 1892, Indiana made a voyage to Czarist Russia with a cargo of grain destined for famine relief.[15] The relief voyage was a result of the sympathetic relationship that had built up between Russia and Philadelphia via warship contracts awarded by the Russian Navy to the shipyard of William Cramp & Sons, which had kept the Philadelphian waterfront busy during an economic downturn.[16]

Indiana thereafter continued servicing her familiar Liverpool-Philadelphia route until 1897. She made her last transatlantic crossing commencing December 1, 1897.[9]

Following the discovery of gold in Alaska in 1896, great demand was created for American-flagged ships to transport gold prospectors to Alaska during the resulting gold rush. Clement Acton Griscom, the executive head of the Inman Line, took advantage of this demand to sell the by now outdated Pennsylvania class vessels at a premium.[17]

On March 28, 1898, Indiana sailed from Philadelphia to Seattle on the Pacific Coast.[9] There, the vessel was sold to the Empire Line[15] for service on the Seattle–Nome route.[17] However, in April 1898 the Spanish–American War broke out, and Indiana was requisitioned by the U.S. Navy as a troopship. Later in the war, she served as a hospital ship, returning wounded troops from Manila, Philippines via Honolulu to San Francisco. Nine of the wounded died during the voyage.[15]

After the war, Indiana was acquired by the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, which utilized her from New York to South America as well as in the Northwest. On April 4, 1909, Indiana was grounded off Cape Tosco, Isla Santa Margarita, Mexico.[9] The accident tore out the ship's bottom, flooding her three holds and engine compartment to a depth of about sixteen feet. Fortunately, passengers, cargo and crew were safely removed. The vessel's wreckage was subsequently sold for $5,000 salvage, bringing an end to a long and varied 36-year long career.[15]