The RMS Empress of Ireland was a British-built ocean liner, constructed by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering at Govan on the Clyde in Scotland. Launched on 27 January 1906, she measured 570 feet (170 meters) overall in length, with a beam of 65.7 feet (20.0 meters) and a depth of 36.7 feet (11.2 meters). Powered by twin quadruple-expansion steam engines driving twin four-bladed propellers, she achieved a service speed of 18 knots. The vessel featured two funnels and two masts, with a passenger capacity of just over 1,500 across four classes, including accommodations for emigrants and lower-class travelers. Her safety features included ten watertight bulkheads dividing the hull into eleven compartments, designed to keep her afloat with up to two compartments flooded. The bulkheads extended from the double bottom to just beneath the Shelter Deck. However, the watertight doors had to be operated manually, a vulnerability in emergencies. The ship was equipped with sixteen steel lifeboats and twenty-six collapsible wooden lifeboats, with a combined capacity exceeding her licensed passenger load. Service-wise, Empress of Ireland served on the North Atlantic route between Liverpool and Quebec City for eight years, transporting both emigrants and returning travelers. She was part of the Canadian Pacific Steamships fleet and was considered a flagship of the company's "World’s Greatest Transportation System." Her first voyage was in June 1906, and she completed numerous crossings, carrying over 119,000 passengers westbound to Canada by 1914. The vessel's sinking occurred early in the morning of 29 May 1914, near Rimouski, after colliding in fog with the Norwegian collier Storstad. The collision caused a severe hull breach, flooding her lower decks. Despite her watertight compartments, the flooding was exacerbated by open portholes and the ship’s rapid list. In just 14 minutes, she capsized and sank, resulting in 1,012 deaths out of 1,477 onboard, marking it as the worst peacetime maritime disaster in Canadian history. The wreck lies in 40 meters of water, accessible to advanced divers, and is protected as a site of historical significance. Artifacts recovered from the site, including a brass bell and wireless equipment, are displayed at museums, and her sinking remains a pivotal event in maritime safety history.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.