The SS California was a steamship built in 1907 by William Cramp & Sons in Philadelphia for the Panama Pacific Line. It had a length of 622 feet and a maximum speed of 21 knots, making it one of the largest and fastest vessels of its time. The ship primarily operated on the New York to San Francisco route via the Panama Canal, carrying passengers and cargo. During World War I, the SS California was utilized as a troop transport for the United States Navy. In 1920, the ship was sold to the Dollar Line and continued its service on various routes in the Pacific. The SS California met its unfortunate end in 1937 when it caught fire and sank off the coast of Japan, resulting in the loss of 23 crew members. The ship's legacy lives on as a significant example of early 20th-century steamship technology and its role in transpacific travel and commerce.

This description has been generated using GPT-3.5-TURBO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.