Zaehring Family History



Ships of the Immigrants

S. S. Saale
S. S. Saale

Built by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, Glasgow, Scotland, 1886. 5,217 gross tons; 455 (bp) feet long; 48 feet wide. Steam triple expansion engine, single screw.  Service speed 17 knots.  1,240 passengers (150 first class, 90 second class, 1,000 third class).

Built for North German Lloyd, German flag, in 1886 and named Saale. Bremerhaven-New York and Mediterranean-New York service. Badly damaged in Great Hoboken Pier Fire in June 1900. Sold to Luckenbach Line, American flag, in 1900 and renamed J. L. Luckenbach. Freighter service. Renamed Princess in 1924. Renamed Madison in 1924. Scrapped in Italy in 1924.

S. S. Columbia / Rapido / Terek 1889

The COLUMBIA was a Hamburg America Line ship, built in dry dock in 1889 by Laird Bros, Birkenhead. Her details were 7,241 gross tons, length 463.5ft x beam 55.6ft, three funnels, three masts, twin screw and a speed of 18 knots. There was accommodation for 400-1st, 120-2nd and 580-3rd class passengers. Floated on 27/2/1889, she left Hamburg on 18/7/1889 on her maiden voyage to Southampton and New York. On 19/12/1893 she commenced her first voyage from Genoa to Naples and New York and made several further winter voyages on this route. Her last Hamburg - Southampton - New York sailing commenced on 14/10/1897 and in 1898 she was sold to the Spanish government for use as a troopship and auxiliary for the Spanish - American War and renamed RAPIDO. In 1899 she was repurchased by Hamburg America Line, went back to her original name of COLUMBIA and on 31/8/1899, commenced sailing between Hamburg, Southampton, Cherbourg and New York. Her last sailing on this route started on 9/10/1902 and on 3/4/1904 she made a single sailing from Naples to Genoa and New York. In 1904 she was sold to the Russian Volunteer Fleet, renamed TEREK and used as a troop transport in the Russo - Japanese War. Scrapped in 1907. [North Atlantic Seaway by N.R.P.Bonsor, vol.1,p.396] [Merchant Fleets in Profile by Duncan Haws, vol.4, Hamburg America Line]

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