Go back to Home PageScythia I from 1875 to 1899 Gross Tonnage - 4,557 tons Dimensions - 128.25m x 12,86m (420.8ft x 42.2ft) Number of funnels - 1 Number of masts - 3 Construction - Iron Propulsion - Single screw Engines - 2 cylinder compound Service speed - 13 knots Builder - J & G Thomson, Glasgow Passenger accommodation - 300 1st; 1,100 3rd The Scythia (first of three Cunard vessels to hold this name) was launched on 28 October 1874, seven months after her sister-ship the Bothnia. She was barque-rigged, with four decks (passenger accomodation over two decks). Her maiden voyage took place on 1 April 1875 between Liverpool, Queenstown and New York. She continued on this route until July 1884, and subsequent voyages were mostly between Liverpool, Queenstown and Boston. On 10 July 1875, soon after leaving Liverpool for New York, she hit a whale off Roche's Point; on arrival at Queenstown it was discovered that she had lost a propeller blade and she returned to Liverpool. On 26 December 1881 she rescued the crew of the schooner Mary in mid-Atlantic. Her last passenger voyage for Cunard on 20 September 1898 was Liverpool, Queenstown to New York. She was sold in 1898 for £10,275 and scrapped in Italy.