The steamship RHAETIA was built for the Hamburg-America Line by Reiherstiegwerft, Hamburg (yard #341), and was launched on 23 November 1882. 3,553 tons; 107,11 x 13,07 x 8,86 meters (length x breadth x depth of hold); straight stem, 1 funnel, 3 masts; steel construction, screw propulsion, service speed 12 knots; accommodation for 96 passengers in 1st class and 1,100 in steerage; crew of 90.

4 April 1883, maiden voyage, Hamburg - Havre - New York. 4 November 1894, last voyage, Hamburg - Havre - New York. 1895, taken by Harland & Wolff in part payment for the PENNSYLVANIA; sold to J. H. Bögel, Hamburg. 24 May 1898, sold to the U.S. Navy and renamed CASSIUS. 1900, SUMNER (U.S. Army transport). 11 December 1916, wrecked on Barnegat Shoals, New Jersey.

Sources: Walter Kresse, ed., Seeschiffs-Verzeichnis der Hamburger Reedereien, 1824-1888, Mitteilungen aus dem Museum für Hamburgische Geschichte, N. F., Bd. 5. (Hamburg: Museum für Hamburgische Geschichte, 1969), vol. 1, p. 198; Arnold Kludas and Herbert Bischoff, Die Schiffe der Hamburg-Amerika Linie, Bd. 1: 1847-1906 (Herford: Koehler, 1979), pp. 40-41 (photograph); Noel Reginald Pixell Bonsor, North Atlantic Seaway; An Illustrated History of the Passenger Services Linking the Old World with the New (2nd ed.; Jersey, Channel Islands: Brookside Publications), vol. 1 (1975), p. 393.

The Hamburg bark RHEIN was built at Hamburg by von Somm, for the Hamburg-Amerikanische Packetfahrt-A.G. (Hamburg-America Line), and was launched on 22 November 1848 (Bielbrief [certificate of registry], 6 December 1848). 180 Commerzlasten / 450 tons register; 131,7 x 29 x 17,4 Hamburg Füße (1 Hamburg Fuß = 0.28657 meter), length x beam x depth of hold, zwischen den Steven; accommodation for 20 passengers in 1st cabin, and 200 in steerage; crew of 16. Accommodation for 20 passengers in 2nd cabin added in 1851

The RHEIN capsized and sank during launch, and was not delivered to her owners until 9 March 1849. 24 March 1849, maiden voyage, Hamburg-New York.

Masters:
     1849-1851 - H. Ehlers
     1851-1854 - P. Popp
     1854      - G. Maass
     1854-1856 - P. H. Haack
     1856-1858 - J. M. T. Spier

Voyages:
     1849-1857 - New York

In 1858, the RHEIN was sold to B. Wencke, of Hamburg:

Master:
     1858-1864 - J. F. W. Boster

Voyages:
     1858-1861 - New York/Rio de Janeiro/intermediate ports/London
     1861-1864 - Singapore/Hong Kong/intermediate ports

The RHEIN was sold in Singapore in 1864, and disappeared from the registers in 1869.

Sources: Walter Kresse, ed., Seeschiffs-Verzeichnis der Hamburger Reedereien, 1824-1888, Mitteilungen aus dem Museum für Hamburgische Geschichte, N. F., Bd. 5 (Hamburg: Museum für Hamburgische Geschichte, 1969), vol. 1, p. 187; Arnold Kludas and Herbert Bischoff, Die Schiffe der Hamburg-Amerika Linie, Bd. 1: 1847-1906 (Herford: Koehler, 1979), pp. 20-21 (picture).

The steamship RHEIN, the first of two vessels of this name owned by Norddeutscher Lloyd, was built by Caird & Co, Greenock, Scotland, and was launched in August 1868. 2,901 tons; 106,4 x 12,22 meters (length x breadth); clipper bow, 1 funnel, 2 masts; iron construction, screw propulsion, service speed 12 knots; accommodation for 70 passengers in 1st class, 100 in 2nd class, and 600 in steerage; crew of 117.

The RHEIN had been laid down as the ODER, but was delivered as the RHEIN, to replace the vessel originally laid down as the RHEIN, but sold on the stocks to the Royal Mail Steamship Co, and launched in February 1868 as the NEVA.

3 October 1868, maiden voyage, Bremen - Southampton - New York. 1878, engine compounded and new boilers by builders; service speed 13 knots. 1889-18 September 1890, Bremen-Baltimore service. 1891, sold to Gray, Liverpool. 1892, resold to A. Rimner & Co, Liverpool (register shows Caird's as owner). 1893, sold to Jaeger Brothers, Liverpool. June 1894, broken up in Barrow-in-Furness.

Sources: Arnold Kludas, Die Seeschiffe des Norddeutschen Lloyd, Bd. 1: 1857 bis 1919 (Herford: Koehler, c1991), pp. 14-15 (picture); Edwin Drechsel, Norddeutscher Lloyd Bremen, 1857-1970; History, Fleet, Ship Mails, vol. 1 (Vancouver: Cordillera Pub. Co., c1994), p. 48 (picture); Noel Reginald Pixell Bonsor, North Atlantic Seaway; An Illustrated History of the Passenger Services Linking the Old World with the New (2nd ed.; Jersey, Channel Islands: Brookside Publications), vol. 2 (1978), p. 546.

The steamship RHEIN, the second of two vessels of this name owned by Norddeutscher Lloyd, was built by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (yard #137), and launched on 20 September 1899. 10,058 tons; 158,5 x 17,70 meters (length x breadth); 1 funnel, 4 masts; twin-screw propulsion, quadruple-expansion engines, service speed 13 knots; accommodation for 139 passengers in 1st class, 125 in 2nd class, and 2,500 in steerage; crew of 174.

The RHEIN was the type-ship of the Norddeutscher Lloyd RHEIN-class of steamships, designed as freight/emigrant carriers. 9 December 1899, maiden voyage, Bremen-New York. 6 May 1900, first voyage, Bremen-Baltimore. 1900-1911, primarily Bremen-New York and/or Baltimore; also used as a naval transport during the Boxer Expedition and later. 11 September 1901, first voyage, Bremen-Suez Canal-Australia. 23 November 1904, last voyage, Bremen-Suez Canal-Australia (4 roundtrip voyages). 1906, passenger accommodation altered to 302 in 2nd class ("including sofas") and 2,774 in steerage. 18 May 1911, first voyage, Bremen- Philadelphia. 9 April 1914, last voyage, Bremen-New York-Baltimore. 16 July 1914, last voyage, Bremen-Baltimore (arrived 29 July). August 1914, interned at Baltimore. 6 April 1917, seized at Baltimore by the U.S. Government; renamed SUSQUEHANNA (U.S. Navy transport). September 1917-September 1919, middle two masts shortened. 1919, transferred to U.S. Shipping Board; laid up. 4 August 1920-6 April 1921, 6 roundtrip voyages in charter to the U.S. Mail Lines, New York - Bremen - Danzig; accommodation for 500 passengers in cabin and 2,500 in 3rd class. 4 March-31 August 1922, 5 roundtrip voyages in charter to the U.S. Lines, New York - Plymouth - Cherbourg - Bremen; laid up. 1925, sold to Fincke, Bangert & Co, Philadelphia. November 1928, sold to Japan for scrapping. 25 February 1929, arrived at Yokohama under the Japanese flag; scrapped.

Sources: Arnold Kludas, Die Seeschiffe des Norddeutschen Lloyd, Bd. 1: 1857 bis 1919 (Herford: Koehler, c1991), p. 56 (photograph); Edwin Drechsel, Norddeutscher Lloyd Bremen, 1857-1970; History, Fleet, Ship Mails, vol. 1 (Vancouver: Cordillera Pub. Co., c1994), pp. 191-192 (photographs); Arnold Kludas, Die grossen Passagierschiffe der Welt; eine Dokumentation, Bd. 1: 1858-1912 (2nd ed.; Oldenburg/Hamburg: Gerhard Stalling, c1972), pp. 74-75 (photograph); Noel Reginald Pixell Bonsor, North Atlantic Seaway; An Illustrated History of the Passenger Services Linking the Old World with the New (2nd ed.; Jersey, Channel Islands: Brookside Publications), vol. 2 (1978), p. 562.