SS Republic was an ocean liner built in 1871 by Harland and Wolff for White Star Line. It was intended to be the last of four vessels forming the Oceanic class, before two new ships were commissioned. After a rough maiden voyage from Liverpool to New York City on 1 February 1872, the ship was chosen to be on White Star Line's first voyage on the South Atlantic and Pacific line with four other ships, destined for Chile. In 1874, the construction of modern ships SS Germanic and SS Britannic led to SS Republics becoming the standby vessel of White Star Line. It occupied this position for 15 years, and attempts were made to modernise it in 1888. When RMS Teutonic and RMS Majestic entered service in the following year, the Republic became surplus to White Star's needs. Republic was sold in 1889 to Holland America Line and was renamed Maasdam, and served with the company for twelve years. In 1902, it was sold to Italian company La Veloce where it was renamed Vittoria, before being renamed again to Città di Napoli. It was used for many years to transport Italian migrants to America. It was retired in 1908, and was lent to the Italian government to house victims of the 1908 Messina earthquake. The ship was scrapped in 1910 in Genoa. During its service it could carry a varying number of passengers; under White Star Line it could carry 166 first class and over 1,000 steerage passengers; under Holland America Line it could carry 150 first class, 60 second class, and 800 steerage passengers' and as a migrant ship it could carry 1,424 steerage passengers. The facilities on the ship were described as a "floating palace" when it was owned by White Star Line, and were similar to RMS Oceanic, but were slightly modernised. History White Star Line When Thomas Henry Ismay established White Star Line in 1867, he came to an agreement with Gustav Christian Schwabe in return for financial assistance. Ismay promised to build the company's future ships in Harland and Wolff's shipyards in Belfast, which had been founded by Schwabe's nephew Gustav Wilhelm Wolff. Four ships were originally commissioned to form the Oceanic class, but this was later expanded to six. Republic was the fourth ship of the class and was launched on 4 July 1871; its name notes the date it was launched was Independence