SS Tropic was a steamship operated by the White Star Line. Built in 1871 by shipbuilders Thos. Royden & Co, the 2,122 gross register ton vessel operated on the Liverpool to Calcutta run in the earlier part of 1872, and later that year began serving South American ports from Liverpool. In 1873, the ship was sold to Serra y Font, Bilbao, and renamed Federico. She was operated by the White Star Line. She served alongside her sister ship, SS Asiatic.
History
SS Tropic was built by Thomas Royden and Sons in 1871. She and her sister SS Asiatic were bought by the White Star Line before their construction was finished. Even though Tropic was made to carry cargo, she also carried 10 passengers. After serving on the Liverpool to Calcutta route for one year, which proved unsuccessful, her route was changed to Liverpool to Valparaiso, Peru on 5 November 1872. This also proved commercially unsuccessful.[2]
In February 1873, a lifeboat was found from the sinking barque James W. Elwell with three survivors. James W. Elwell was sailing from Liverpool to