Florida

SS Florida was an Italian ocean liner, built in 1905 for Lloyd Italiano, which operated between Italy and both North and South America. In 1909 she collided with, and sank, White Star Line's Republic off the American coast. Later, as Cavour with Transatlantica Italiana, she was sunk by collision with the Italian auxiliary cruiser Caprera off the Spanish Mediterranean coast on 12 December 1917, without loss of life. Construction Florida was launched for Lloyd Italiano of Genoa, Italy at the Società Esercizio Bacini shipyard in Riva Trigoso, near Genoa, on 22 June 1905, and completed in September of that year. The ship was long and had a beam of . She was assessed at and had a pair of triple expansion engines driving twin screw propellers. The ship could reach a maximum speed of and had two masts and two funnels. As built, she had the capacity to carry 25 1st-class and 1,600 steerage passengers. She had a sister ship, . Early career For her maiden voyage she sailed from Genoa on 18 September 1905, calling also at Naples, en route to Buenos Aires. Floridas next voyage was to inaugurate Lloyd Italiano's Genoa–Palermo–New York route, which she served until 1911. RMS Republic collision