CALIFORNIA / ALSTER /  CHRISTEL VINNEN

CALIFORNIA WAS A FOUR MASTED STEEL BARQUE OF 3,099 TONS BUILT IN 1890 BY HARLAND & WOLFF IN BELFAST. SHE WAS OWNED BY THE NORTH WEST SHIPPING CO LTD ( WITH ISMAY IMRIE & CO AS MANAGERS ) SHE HAD BEEN REGISTERED IN LIVERPOOL

 IN 1896 SHE WAS SOLD TO RITSON & LIVESEY. IN 1897 SHE WAS SOLD TO A GERMAN COMPANY WHO RE-NAMED HER ALSTER

SHE WAS SOLD AGAIN IN 1912 AND RENAMED CHRISTEL VINNEN.AFTER BEING INTERNED AT VALPARISO IN 1914 AND GIVEN TO THE ITALIANS WHO USED HER AS A HULK. SHE UNDERWENT A REFIT IN 1926 AND RETURNED TO SEA DUTY.ON 15TH APRIL1927 SHE STRANDED ON OLD PROVIDENCE ISLAND NEAR PANAMA AND WAS LOST.

WALTER H WILSON / CALIFORNIA

CALIFORNIA WAS A FOUR MASTED IRON BARQUE OF 2,518 TONS AND HAD BEEN BUILT IN 1882 BY HARLAND & WOLFF AT BELFAST AS THE WALTER H WILSON

SHE WAS OWNED BY S LAWTHER & SON AND HAD BEEN REGISTERED IN BELFAST.

SHE WAS SOLD IN 1900 TO J EDGAR AND RENAMED CALIFORNIA AND WAS REREGISTERED IN LIVERPOOL

SHE WAS WRECKED IN 1913 WHEN BEING TOWED FROM THE TYNE TO ROTTERDAM

* NO WHITE STAR LINE INVOLVEMENT AS FAR AS I AM AWARE - FOR REFERENCE ONLY AS BOTH VESSELS WERE IN SERVICE AT A SIMLIAR TIME IN HISTORY AND BOTH WERE FOUR MASTED VESSELS OF SIMLIAR TONNAGE. MAYBE THIS INFORMATION WILL HELP AVOID MIS IDENTIFICATION OF THE WHITE STAR LINE VESSEL *