SLAVONIA passenger-cargo vessel 1903

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Built as a cargo-passenger ship under yard No 600 by Sir James Lang & Sons Ltd. Sunderland for the British India Steam Navigation Co. Ltd. Glasgow.
July 1901 ordered under the name QUETTA, but before launching changed.
15 November 1902 launched under the name YAMUNA, named after the Yamuna River in India.
Tonnage 8,831 grt, 5,635 net and 10,800 dwt, dim. 160.35 x 18.14 x 6.78m., draught 8.13m.
Powered by two 3-cyl. triple expansion steam engines, manufactured by Wallsend Slipway and Engineering co. ltd., Newcastle, 5,630 ihp, twin shafts, speed 13.3 knots during trials.
Passenger accommodation 100 first, 46-second class, and 800 deck passengers. 124 crew.
20 June 1903 trials and delivered to owners. The building cost £114,900.

Built for the London to Calcutta service, and at that time the largest vessel in this service.
Her maiden voyage was with a cargo of coal and not any passenger to Savona, Italy, after her return she was laid up in London, due to a change in the Suez Canal rules, it was not more economic for the vessel to be used in the service to India.
After six months of layup in London, she was on 30 January 1904 bought by the Cunard Steamship Co. Ltd. Liverpool, for £177.500, for a new emigrant service between the Mediterranean and United States.
After reconstruction to an emigrant's vessel with a capacity of 71 first-class, 74-second class, and 1,954 steerage class passengers, Crew 225. Tonnage 10,606 x 6,725 net. Renamed in SLAVONIA.

March 1904 she made her first voyage in the service from Trieste and Fume to the United States.

SLAVONIA was a 10,606 GRT passenger ship that was built in 1902 as YAMUNA for the British India Line. She was sold to the Cunard Line in 1903 and renamed SLAVONIA. She was wrecked in the Azores in 1909 but sent out the first SOS message. All onboard were rescued.
Description
As-built, the ship was 510 feet 0 inches (155.44 m) long, with a beam of 59 feet 6 inches (18.13 m). She was equipped with triple-expansion steam engines, which were built by the Wallsend Slipway Co Ltd. These drove twin screw propellers and could propel the ship at 13 knots (24 km/h). She was assessed at 8,831 GRT. Accommodation for 40 first-class and 800 steerage class passengers was provided.

History
YAMUNA was built as yard number 600 by Sir J. Laing & Co Ltd, Sunderland, County Durham for the British India Line. She was launched on 15 November 1902, when she was christened by Lady Stewart (wife of Lieutenant-General Sir Richard Stewart), and completed in June 1903. She was the largest ship built at a British shipyard for eleven years and the largest ever to be launched on the River Wear. The United Kingdom Official Number 115761 was allocated. In 1904, she was sold to the Cunard Line and renamed SLAVONIA. She was used on the service between the Mediterranean and New York, United States. This service had been introduced as a temporary measure in the autumn of 1903 and was subsequently made permanent. After a refit, she was assessed at 10,606 GRT, 6,724 NRT. Its port of registry was Liverpool, Lancashire. Accommodation for 71 first-class, 74-second class, and 1,954 steerage class passengers was provided. Her crew numbered 225. Lifesaving equipment comprised twelve lifeboats, seven collapsible lifeboats, and two other boats. She carried 24 lifebuoys and 2,340 lifebelts. SLAVONIA made her maiden voyage for Cunard Line on 17 March 1904, sailing from Sunderland to New York via Trieste and Fiume, Austrian Empire, and Palermo, Italy.

Shipwreck
SLAVONIA departed from New York City on 3 June 1909 on what would be her final voyage. On 10 June, SLAVONIA ran aground in foggy weather at Ponta dos Fenais, Flores, Azores, Portugal. An SOS was sent, the first use of this code. All onboard were rescued by PRINZESS IRENE and BATAVIA. PRINZESS IRENE took off 110 cabin class passengers. BATAVIA took off 300 steerage class passengers, leaving the crew on board. They left the ship later that day. The wreck was subsequently looted. PRINZESS IRENE landed some of the rescued passengers at Gibraltar. The 84 remaining on board traveled on to Naples, Italy, where they arrived on 17 June. Those rescued by BATAVIA reached Naples on 19 June.
SLAVONIA was abandoned and declared a total loss. She was insured for £90,000. Some of her cargo was salvaged - 400 bags of coffee, 1,000 ingots of copper, and 200 casks of oil. Also salvaged were 25 pieces of agricultural machinery and miscellaneous ships' stores. They were taken to Liverpool, Lancashire by LETTY. A Board of Trade inquiry was held into the loss of SLAVONIA. Her captain was severely reprimanded for being 10.5 nautical miles (19.4 km) off course and going at an excessive speed for the prevailing conditions. The Board of Trade awarded the captains of BATAVIA and PRINZESS IRENE a piece of plate in recognition of their efforts to rescue the passengers of SLAVONIA. The person in charge of the wireless station on Flores also received a piece of plate. His two assistants were awarded a sum of money each.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Slavonia The British India Steam Navigation Company Limited by W.A. Laxon & F.W.Perry.
Central African Republic 2021 850 FCFA sg?, Scott? (Both vessels on the stamp are the SLAVONIA one in service the other as a wreck.)