The SS Metagama was a notable transatlantic ocean liner launched in 1914 and scrapped in 1934, owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company and operated by the Canadian Pacific Steamship Company. She was an innovative "cabin class" vessel, representing a departure from traditional passenger classifications by offering a single class of accommodation, which aimed to democratize ocean travel. Built by Barclay, Curle & Co on the River Clyde in Glasgow, Scotland, she was one of a pair constructed alongside Missanabie, with yard numbers 510 and 511 respectively. Launched on 19 November 1914 and completed by March 1915, the Metagama measured approximately 500.4 feet (152.5 meters) in length, with a beam of 64.2 feet (19.6 meters) and a depth of 37.9 feet (11.6 meters). Her propulsion system consisted of twin screws powered by four-cylinder quadruple expansion engines, rated at 1,492 NHP, enabling her to reach a cruising speed of 16 knots. The vessel's cargo holds provided 46,070 cubic feet (1,305 cubic meters) of refrigerated space, supporting her role in transporting both passengers and perishable goods. Her tonnage was 12,420 GRT and 7,484 NRT. During her service, Metagama primarily operated routes between Liverpool and St. John, New Brunswick, and later, from 1927, between Antwerp and Montreal. Although primarily a civilian passenger vessel, her voyages often included troop movements during World War I, with Missanabie notably serving as a troopship before being sunk by a U-boat in 1918 with the loss of 45 lives. In 1923, the Metagama played a significant role in the migration of young Lewis Islanders to Canada, carrying 300 emigrants from Stornoway, marking a key moment in the island's history. The vessel experienced two notable collisions: in 1923 with the cargo steamship Baron Vernon in the River Clyde, and in 1924 with the Italian steamship Clara Camus off Newfoundland, which resulted in damage and a tragic loss of three crew members from a lifeboat. By the 1920s, she was equipped with wireless direction-finding technology, and her wireless telegraph call sign was GMLQ by 1930. The economic downturn of the Great Depression led to her being laid up from 1931 and ultimately scrapped in 1934 at Bo'ness, marking the end of her 20-year service as a pioneering passenger vessel.

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