 SS El Occidente was a cargo and passenger steamship launched on 24 September 1910 by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. of Newport News , Virginia ( yard no . 133 ) , and delivered to the Atlantic division of the Morgan Line on 2 December 1910 . She was the newest of four sister ships ; the older three being El Sol , El Mundo , and El Oriente . El Occidente was 6 @,@ 008 gross register tons ( GRT ) , was 430 feet 2 inches ( 131 @.@ 11 m ) long by 53 feet 1 inch ( 16 @.@ 18 m ) abeam , and made 15 @.@ 5 knots ( 28 @.@ 7 km / h ) . The vessel sailed for the Morgan Line , the brand name of the Southern Pacific Steamship Company ( a subsidiary of the Southern Pacific Railroad ) , which employed her to carry cargo and a limited number of passengers between New York and New Orleans , the eastern terminus of the Southern Pacific line . 
