The Wrangell sentinel., 1927-01-06
Steamship Victoria 56 Years OId-tlaS
 Romantic History
Hah a Century Ago Was One of the fastesl Transatlantic Liners Was a Transport During Boer War - Since Then Has Been to Every Corner of the World.

The steamship Victoria which Was in port the first Of Che week has a romantic history. as is shown by tne following brief story of her lie published iu the Seattle Post- Intelligeneer
 Ram Was pouring down the back oI the reporter neck and the waves We're making sOddeu. spla5uHg round under the pIer In the berth between Che Alaska steamship dock and the Coleman uock rode the steamship Victoria. dae to pun out III a fey hours for Alaska.
 lie reporter gazed Up from be- Hea1n hls soaking hat brim at the uufry and hustle on deck, the swinging cranes, rattiiHg winehes. 5aorung engines.
 Then Tor a moment there was Il 4uIi m the excitement of getting the ship under way The passengers We're in the cabins, the engines ceased their rattle and for the space of mlnate the only sound on the waterfront was the rumble of lraIns on Railroad avenue and the lapping of oily waves against the siue of the vessel.
 Something about the flare of the DOW and the CutaWay Of the stern made the reporter say out loud
 You must be all oldtimer -
 The Victoria yawned through nawser hole and replied :
 You're right, kiddo. I'm Do years old
 Holy smoke, you're not so dumb after all,o said the rain-soaked in teryiewer. You must have seen a lot Of service.
 The voice of the old ship was Weighty with pride and she rose three feet out Of the water.
 @Yo'd never believe it, but in my day 1 was one of Che fastest little transatlantic travellers in exist enee."
 The reporter could only look in credulous.
 It sounds untrue, but it's so.
 Back ill 1870, few years after the Civil War, they laid my keel in Clyde, Scotland. They builded me we'll those old shipwrights. No steel is ill my frame, but iron, handWrought iron, as solid and ship-shape today as it was 56 years ago.
 They named me the .Parthia' and put me on the run between Liverpool and New York. And, if 1 do say it myself, 1 was some step per in those days. Was considered a Big Bertha by the admiring world.
 Then came the Boer War near the close of the century, and since then 1 have been to every corner of this round old world of ours. l was used as a transport for thousands of British troops who were never to return from the veldts of the Cape and the guns of Dom Paul and his Dutehmen.
 After the Boer War l was again taken off the transatlantic run. They gave me different name. 1 ran to South America, Australia, the Hebrldes, Philippines, through the straits of Sunda, out where the sun comes up like thunder out of China cross the bay"
 The Victoria wiped it's anchor chain across a brimming port-hole and continued
 Pardon my emotion, but those were wondrous days. 1 had the wanderlust, 1 saw the world.
 But then, when I was beginning to get rusty l was sold to San Francisco firm, who scraped the rust and barnacles off, rebuilt my cabins, put in new engines and sent me to China.
 Then, in 1903, l came to Seattle on a visit. I liked it here, so 1 stayed. The Alaska Steamship Com pany fell in love with me-
 The red of her waterline rose 13 feet in a blush and then fell as the Victoria continued, But then it was on account of my speed and not my good looks. They renamed me the Victoria, which my great age enables me to carry with dig nity.
 T was put on the Alaska run then, and if do say it myself, l made such a record that they have kept me here ever since. have made 159 voyages to the far-away port of Nome on the Boring Sea-
 The reporter who had listened with open mouth to this lengthy dialog, suddenly realized it was almost press time, swept the digni- fled old ship a low bow which poured a gallon of water from his hat and departed.
 Behind him resounded the clank of winches, the squeaking of ropes, and the shrill sound of the warn