S.S. Montebello, Wilson Line

Wilson Line steamship Montebello
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Wilson Line steamship Montebello - at Kristansand
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Tonnage: 1 735 tons gross, 1 634 under deck and 1 116 net. Rigging: steel construction, single screw steam Schooner, 2 decks, iron upper deck sheathed in wood, awning deck and 5 cemented bulkheads. She was fitted with electric light. Flat keel, cellular double bottom 188 feet long, 236 tons. Forward Peak tank 18 tons and aft peak tank 27 tons. Propulsion: triple expansion engine with 3 cylinders of 24, 38 and 62 inches diameter respectively, stroke 42 inches delivering 276 nominal horsepower. 2 single ended boilers, 6 corrugated furnaces, grate surface 112 sq. ft., heating surface 4,552 sq. ft. The engine was built by Amos & Smith in Hull. Call sign: LSFR. Official registration #: 95834. Master: Captain G. Pepper, appointed to the ship in 1890. Capt. Pepper had been employed on Wilson Line steamers in Norwegians seas for many years, as he started out as 3rd mate on the "Albion" in 1872. Later he become the captain of the "S/S Tasso" and the "S/S Hero". The Montebello served on the Christiania - Christiansand - Hull service from 1890 till 1909. Her first departure from Christiania (Oslo) was on July 4th, 1890, and after about 463 voyages she departed Christiania for her last voyage on the service on May 22nd, 1909. Through the years she carried more than 34,000 passengers from Christiania to Hull (Christiansand passengers not counted). The Montebello vas very steady on the service, and did not have many interruptions from her every second week departures from Christiania, a route which she from 1890-1905 shared with the S/S Angelo. However, on May 1st, 1905, the Montebello ran aground off Nordre Sletter (Larkollen) , and had to be replaced by the S/S Volo, and the S/S Romeo until she returned on the service in June. After In June 1910 she was sold to a Spanish company, and renamed "Barcelo". Scrapped in 1929.

Picture of the S/S Montebello, from an old postcard
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Picture of the S/S Montebello, from an old postcard
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Picture of the S/S Montebello, from an old postcard
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Picture of the Montebello embarking emigrants at Bjørvika in Christiania (Kristiana - now Oslo) Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy   Montebello at Bjørvika, Kristiania Support Norway Heritage: Purchase a copy

The images to the left shows the Wilson Line steamship Montebello at the Bjørvika Pier in Christiania (now Oslo). The large buildings in the background are part of the railway station Østbanen. In the surrounding area, agents representing the major transatlantic steamship lines had their offices, and emigrants were met by the agents and guided to the ship, or temperary lodging as they arrived in Christiania by train. The pier from which emigrants departed on Wilson Line ships bound for Hull is the same location from which the Scandinavian Star departed in 1990, on her final voyage before the tragic fire in which 158 lives were lost. The Norwegian National Opera and Ballet is now located just to the right of where the Montebello is moored in the picture.