SS Ceylan

SS Ceylan was a passenger ship of the French shipping company Compagnie des Chargeurs Réunis, which entered service in 1907 and was scrapped in 1934. In January 1920 she rescued 34 survivors of the passenger ship SS Afrique, which had sunk in a storm in the Bay of Biscay.

History
Name	Ceylan
Owner	Compagnie des Chargeurs Réunis
Builder	Swan Hunter, Wallsend
Yard number	793
Launched	13 August 1907
Completed	December 1907
Homeport	Le Havre
Fate	Scrapped in 1934
General characteristics
Type	passenger ship
Tonnage	8,214 gross register tons (GRT) 5,128 tons deadweight (DWT)
Length	483 ft (147 m)
Beam	56.6 ft (17.3 m)
Depth	33.4 ft (10.2 m)
Installed power	679 nhp
Speed	14 knots (16 mph)

Construction

The 8223-ton steamship Ceylan was built at the Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson shipyard in Wallsend, England for the French shipping company Compagnie des Chargeurs Réunis. Launched on 13 August 1907, she was completed in December that year. The 483 ft (147 m) long and 56.6 ft (17.3 m) wide passenger ship had a single funnel, two masts and two propellers. The top speed was 14 knots (16 mph).

Service

On 11 January 1920 the Ceylan, under the command of Captain Juan, went to the assistance of the Afrique, which with 609 passengers and crew members on board, had run onto a reef in the Bay of Biscay. Because of the stormy seas the Ceylan could not approach the Afrique but was able to rescue two of her lifeboats, which together had 34 people in them. These 34 people, including four women, were the only survivors of the disaster. They were brought ashore by the Ceylan.

Scrapping

The Ceylan, after 27 years' service, arrived at La Spezia Italy on 21 March 1934 to be scrapped.

References

External links

• report on the sinking of the Afrique and the bailout of Ceylan (French)
• report in the New York Times on the efforts of Ceylan from January 15, 1920