Memories of the Past: 'Alfonso XII'. Three Ships and a King / and 4

The third and last steamship “Alfonso XII” that figures in the history of the Transatlantic Company and that make up this trilogy corresponds to the beautiful German ship “Havel” purchased from Norddeutscher Lloyd of Bremen by the Ministry of Overseas and was registered in the lists of the Spanish Navy under the name “Meteoro” as an auxiliary cruiser, although it did not engage in any combat, limiting itself only to patrolling our waters.

After the military operations were completed, it was withdrawn pending a buyer and in June 1900, a Royal Order provided for its sale, calling on national shipowners to keep the vessel in Spain, as part of our country's merchant fleet, which was in great need of units of this type. A month later, on July 29, the operation was closed by Transatlantic, which acquired the ownership of such a splendid luxury ship without equal, with two central chimneys, a vertical bow, and two masts.

Built in the Vulkan shipyards in Stetting, Germany, in 1891, it sailed its first six years under the German flag. It displaced 6,750 tons and measured 141 meters in length, 16 meters in beam, and 11.30 meters in depth, with a capacity for 808 passengers and 215 crew members. It developed a speed of 20 knots, consuming the excessive amount of 125 tons of coal per journey.

From now on, it will take the name “Alfonso XII” and due to its spectacular beauty and grandeur, it will soon become a national pride and the flagship of the company, with one of its most notable services being the royal expedition to the Canary Islands carried out in February 1906, whose choice was determined by the national government, “based on the fact that there is no other ship in Spain, neither merchant nor war, that meets the conditions for royal navigation.”

The bust of the monarch, in the first-class lounge of the transatlantic 'Alfonso XII'

The ship was specially equipped for this occasion as a royal vessel, with the category of auxiliary cruiser, constituting a complete success for the shipping company, which saw all services function perfectly and the ship had excellent behavior in navigation, despite having a very tough journey due to sea conditions, until arriving in Tenerife. Furthermore, according to information from the time, the twelve-day visit of the first Spanish monarch to the Canary Islands, where he was able to learn about the social reality of the islands, was triumphant and marked a milestone in the history of the archipelago, contributing to reinforce the national sentiment of the islanders, as well as creating new emotional bonds and ensuring that the islands, which had been neglected by previous governments, would henceforth be the subject of greater attention.

In the Annual Report corresponding to the 1906 fiscal year, which the Board of Directors of the Company submitted to the General Shareholders' Meeting, there is a section that states “Extraordinary Services - We once again express our satisfaction in recording a new sign of deference received from the Government this year. As the war notice Giralda was insufficient for the comfortable accommodation of H.M. and H.R.H. and the distinguished and numerous entourage that was to accompany the Royal Persons on their trip to the Canary archipelago, the Council of Ministers agreed that our steamship Alfonso XII be used for this important service, incorporating it into the military fleet as an auxiliary cruiser, under the command of the Navy and retaining all its machine and catering personnel on board. The company sought to respond to the honorable test of confidence that was granted to it and, having succeeded, received expressive testimonies.”

Four years later, in 1910, under the command of the legendary captain Manuel Deschamps, the ship carried out another extraordinary service, this time to Buenos Aires, on a trip made by Infanta Isabel de Borbón representing King Alfonso XIII, on the occasion of the celebrations commemorating the centenary of the independence of the Republic of Argentina. The government wanted to give this trip great media coverage, uniting with this purpose the directors of the most widely circulated newspapers in the country. On May 1, 1910, the expedition departed from Madrid to Cádiz by train, then transferring aboard the steamship “Alfonso XII”, where the impression of the passengers was enthusiastic and the general comment was that it was “a true floating palace due to its luxurious and comfortable decoration.”

The slender ship set sail from the port of Cádiz two days later and before making the great transatlantic crossing, it made a technical stop in Cape Verde to refuel. Once its operations were completed, it resumed navigation at a speed of 18 miles per hour, aiming to arrive in Buenos Aires on the morning of May 18, which it did punctually. Infanta Isabel was received with all solemnity by the president of the Republic, who traveled in an open carriage along the road to the Casa Rosada. During the two weeks of her stay in Argentina, the program of activities was exhausting and the overflowing feelings of sympathy were emotional. June 2, 1910, is the date of return to Spain, and at the moment the “Alfonso XII” cast off, a large crowd invaded the Buenos Aires port to bid farewell to the Infanta and her numerous entourage.

The trip has been a political success for Spain, whose monarchy has emerged strengthened in its prestige and friendship with the Argentine nation. Before returning to Cádiz, the ship headed towards the Canary Islands and to the great surprise of the Tenerife population, on June 15, 1910, an edict from the mayor appeared in the capital's press announcing the royal visit, traveling aboard the Transatlantic steamship. Three days later, on June 18 at seven in the morning, the beautiful transatlantic “Alfonso XII” anchored in the outer port of Santa Cruz, fully decorated, carrying the Spanish embassy, and an hour later, Infanta Isabel de Borbón and her large entourage arrived at the landing stage, being received by the authorities with the ceremonial protocol that the occasion required, to subsequently begin the visits and tight schedule of the day.

The transatlantic 'Alfonso XII', anchored in the port of La Luz

The grand gala dinner aboard in honor of the provincial authorities was scheduled for nine in the evening, and at that moment everything was majestic on the splendid steamship: the decks sparkling with light, the sumptuous lounges with their silver tableware and porcelain dishes; the guests with their jewels, bands, and large crosses, gave a special highlight to the banquet, which was magnificent, enlivened by the melodious chords of the ship's orchestra. The next day, visits continued, this time to La Laguna, Puerto de la Cruz, and Valle de la Orotava. The trip to the city of La Laguna and subsequently to Tacoronte was made by tram and from there to Valle de la Orotava by automobile. As in all the places visited, the presence of the Infanta was received by a large crowd that did not cease to cheer her.

Before her return to Santa Cruz, she had time to visit the Botanical Garden, whose visit served as the official inauguration. On the return to the capital Santa Cruz, the same means of transport were used, arriving at the Constitution Square at nine in the evening. Subsequently, after a short visit to the Principal Casino, the entourage headed to the landing stage, from where they would continue to the steamship “Alfonso XII”, thus concluding the official visit to Santa Cruz de Tenerife. At midnight, it set sail for Las Palmas, arriving there at seven in the morning on June 20, 1910, with a triumphant reception, just as it had been on the sister island of Tenerife. Late at night, the ship resumed its last journey of this unforgettable trip, heading to Cádiz, reaching that port on June 22 at dawn. Before leaving the ship, most of the authorities wanted to take a souvenir from the vessel and, of course, from the illustrious captain, so photos multiplied, and in one of them, which Manuel Deschamps exchanged with Infanta Isabel, the captain wrote the following: “the infanta lived on the ship like a cabin boy, she has been loved by all like a mother and has received honors as a queen.”

The ship would continue to carry out its regular traffic, Mediterranean, New York, Cuba, and Mexico until 1926 when a restructuring occurred in all the company's lines, bringing to an end the long life of the steamship “Alfonso XII”, which was never profitable for the shipping company, but it was a pride to have it in its fleet, due to its solid construction, sumptuousness, and being the fastest. Ultimately, it was sold to the Italian company Stabilimento Metalurgico Ligure for scrapping and definitive disappearance.

(*) Former delegate of the Spanish Transatlantic Company in the Canary Islands

Photos: Archive of FEDAC and Manuel Marrero Álvarez