PMV California Iron

Artists depiction of the PMV California Iron at sea, 1913
History
Prybourne
Name:	PMV California Iron
Owner:	Red Town Ship Lines
Port of registry:	St.Paul, Prybourne
Ordered:	17 September 1908
Builder:	Morwall Shipyard, Morwall
Cost:	$144.5 million
Yard number:	401
Laid down:	12 July 1910
Launched:	16 August 1912
Completed:	27 December 1912
Maiden voyage:	7 March 1913
Identification:	Radio call sign "CAP"
Fate:	Ran onto rocks and sank off the coast of Hatstheput on 11 August 1917 (1917-08-11).
Status:	Wreck
General characteristics
Class and type:	Statesman Class Liner
Tonnage:	46,328 GRT
Displacement:	76,310 tons
Length:	922 ft 9 in (281.3 m)
Beam:	92 ft 6 in (28.2 m)
Height:	265 ft (80.8 m) (keel to top of funnels)
Draught:	67 ft 7 in (20.6 m)
Depth:	85 ft 6 in (26.1 m)
Decks:	12 (A–L)
Installed power:	24 double-ended and ten single-ended boilers feeding four Triple-expansion steam engine/reciprocating steam engines for the wing propellers, and a low-pressure turbine for the centre propeller; output: 46,000 HP
Propulsion:	three three-blade wing propellers and two four-blade centre propeller
Speed:	Cruising: 40 kn (74 km/h; 46 mph). Max: 45 kn (83 km/h; 52 mph)
Capacity:	Passengers: 3,435, crew: 892. Total: 4,327
Notes:	Lifeboats: 20 (sufficient for 1356 people)

PMV California Iron was a Prybourenean passenger liner that was the largest ship afloat at the time it entered service and was the first and only statesman-class ocean liners built and operated by the Red Town Ship Lines. It was built at Morwall Shipyard in Morwall. The ocean liner carried some of the wealthiest people in the world, as well as providing transportation and tours throughout the Triumvirate powers and Rymoorian Islands. The first-class accommodation was designed to be the pinnacle of comfort and luxury. As a part of their "Two times the luxury, four times the speed" campaign, California Iron boasted not only size and luxury, but double the boilers of most ships at the time. It's six, massive funnels were a highlighted feature of the ship with Red Town boasting that soon it's ships could outclass any of the neighboring competitors. PMV California Iron is also known as the worst naval disaster in Prybournean history and one of the worst in Anteria history after she failed to make a planned course change, citing poor weather conditions, and hit an underground rock and later sank due to it's damages resulting in the deaths of 1,356 of it's passengers, making it one of the deadliest commercial peacetime maritime disasters in modern history.

Background

The name California Iron was chosen as the final, winning entry to the name. For the Statesman class, Red Town intended to honor local jurisdictions in the state of Newley for their industrial contributions to the country. In this instance, the name was chosen to honoring Las California County's Iron mines.

PMV California Iron in early construction

It was built at St.Paul Shipyard in Newley. Las California Iron was under the command of Capt. Emmanuel de la Cavallería, who had a notable career as a naval officer within Red Town, most notable during his earlier service to the naval power of the then rebels during the Canter Uprising. The ocean liner carried some of the wealthiest people in the world, as well as providing transportation and tours throughout the Triumvirate powers and Rymoorian Islands. The first-class accommodation was designed to be the pinnacle of comfort and luxury. As a part of their "Two times the luxury, four times the speed" campaign, California Iron boasted not only size and luxury, but double the boilers of most ships at the time. It's six, massive funnels were a highlighted feature of the ship with Red Town boasting that soon it's ships could outclass any of the neighboring competitors. 

As one of the Fortune Five, Red Town was under pressure to show the world what it could do with its new-found power and influence as a frontrunner and representative of Prybourne. Red Town was also eager to bolster its aging fleet. Red Town maintained many of it's ships from the mid to late 1800s and many of it's of its ships had also been lost during the uprising less than 20 years earlier. With the absence of a modern fleet, Red Town's position within the National Conglomerate soon became under question.

Red Town put their leading designers to work designing the Statesman-class vessels. The design was overseen by  Pascual Aguinaldo, a director of Red Town; naval architect Rodrigo Graciani, the managing director of Red Town's design department; Alfonso Andino, Graciani's deputy and responsible for calculating the ship's design, stability and trim; and Ricardo Correa, the shipyard's chief draughtsman and general manager. Correa's responsibilities included the decorations, equipment and all general arrangements, including the implementation of an efficient lifeboat davit design.

Dimensions and layout

California Iron was 922 ft 9 in (281.3 m) long with a maximum breadth of 92 feet 6 inches (28.19 m). Her total height, measured from the base of the keel to the top of the funnels, was 265 ft (80.8 m). She measured 46,328 gross registered tons and with a draught of 34 feet 7 inches (10.54 m), she displaced 76,310 tons.

California Iron had 10 decks, as typical for a Stateman-class ship. These decks included:

Boat Deck

The boat deck was relatively crowded except in the first class area

The boat deck on which the lifeboats were housed. The bridge and wheelhouse were at the forward end, in front of the captain's and officers' quarters. The bridge stood 8 feet (2.4 m) above the deck, extending out to either side so that the ship could be controlled while docking. The wheelhouse stood directly behind and above the bridge. The entrance to the First Class Grand Staircase and gymnasium were located midships along with the raised roof of the First Class lounge, while at the rear of the deck were the roof of the First Class smoke room and the relatively modest Second Class entrance. The wood-covered deck was divided into four segregated promenades: for officers, First Class passengers, engineers, and Second Class passengers respectively. Lifeboats lined the side of the deck except in the First Class area, where there was a gap so that the view would not be spoiled. As a result much deck space was crowded elsewhere on the ship.

A Deck

First Class Promenade

This is deck was reserved exclusively for First Class passengers and contained First Class cabins, the First Class lounge, smoke rooms, reading and writing rooms, as well as exclusive board rooms reserved for Conglomerate members. The first class lounge and smoking room were connected by a long gallery. On either side of the first class lounge was a garden lounge.

B Deck

The top weight-bearing deck and the uppermost level of the hull. This deck also housed more accommodations for conglomerate members including private suite with their own private promenades. There were also two restaurants that povided luxury dining facilities to First Class passengers. The promenade extended all round the deck house, but was screened on each side at the forward end for a considerable length by extending the bulwarks up to the "A" deck, and fitting large sliding windows. On the after end of the "B" deck there was the second class smoking-room and drawing room, and a cafe, outside of which there was extensive promenading space, and above which was a boat deck.

C Deck

At the forward end of that deck there was space for windlasses, capstans, cargo hatches and cargo winches, and a house enclosing the entrance to the third class quarters on the deck below. The forward part of the deck afforded a promenade for the third class passengers in fine weather. At the after end of the ship, also, there was space for working the ship with the necessary winches, capstans, and gear.

D Deck

Extending the full width of the ship. A foyer or reception room for the first class passengers was located forward of the first class dining saloon. The second class dining saloon was further aft. Between the two were the galleys. At the extreme after end of that deck there was a third class smoking room and entrance to the third class quarters, while at the forward end there was a large third class social hall.

First class Dining Saloon

E Deck

First class swimming bath and gymnasium were situated on this deck. At the after end of that deck were staterooms for second class passengers and large spaces for third class promenades. Also included was a passage extending right fore and aft for the use of third class passengers.

F & G Deck

These two decks hosted large dining saloons for the third class passengers as well as sleeping cabins. The rest of the space accommodated the seamen, firemen and trimmers in the forecastle, while the stewards were towards the aft. On the starboard side of F deck towards the bow of the ship there was also a mail room connected directly above G deck with the sorting room and baggage area.

H Deck

Below the waterline, this deck housed the the power plant and boilers.

Disaster

On the 31st of July, 1917 the California Iron departed on her 22nd voyage from Santa Famidonia in the Rymoorian Islands, she was carrying 2,325; 1500 of which were passengers.