Ngankin

Sister ship of the Wuhu I

History
The Ngankin was built as a replacement for loss of the Wuhu I. The registered name of the ship is correctly "Ngan-Kin" and was painted on the flank of the hull, in two Chinese characters, however when translated into English the hyphen was generally omitted hence the vessel became known as the Ngankin, which was the name generally used in company correspondence.

Lloyds registers of 1887/88, 1894/95, 1909/10, lists the vessel as "Ngan-Kin". The Mercantile Navy Lists of 1921/22, 1922/23 and 1931/32 have the vessel listed as "Ngan-Kin"

Service
1904. Along with the Tatung I and Poyang I she operated on the bi-weekly Shanghai - Hankow service. Refer to the Tatung I

Ngankin was one of the most successful buildings of her era. She did 50 years service on the Lower and Middle Yangtze River between Shanghai and Hankow, extending her service as far upriver as Ichang during high water level.

Ngankin was a passenger/cargo river steamer of the old school. When she appeared on the Yangtze River in 1883, her notably luxurious passenger accommodation was fitted with the latest in modern innovations, including electric light.

Events / Stories
1928. The passenger accommodation was arranged to cater for the different standards and cost for the Chinese passengers. On the upper deck accommodation was provided for 144 Chinese passengers and the ship's staff, however there were only two toilets. On the bridge deck accommodation was provided for 30 first class passengers and 38 second class passengers but there were no toilet facilities provided at all.

1933. On her fiftieth birthday, when bound upstream from Shanghai to Changchow the Ngankin went ashore on Hirado Island six miles downstream of her destination, during high water level, near Hankow. Attempts to get her off the mud-bank proved to no avail, and she was sold for breaking up as she lay.