She was ordered by the Spanish Steam Navigation Company, by J & G Thomson, Govan Scotland but was bought by Compagnie Générale Transatlantique (French Line), Le Havre.
Built as a passenger-cargo vessel under yard No 57.
17 December 1861 Launched under the name CORTES.
Tonnage 2.045 grt, dim. 280 x 39 x 36.1ft.
Powered by a direct acting steam engine 500 hp. One lifting propeller, trial speed 13¾ knots.
Later re-engined by one 2-cyl compound steam engine, manufactured by SA de Construction Navale, Le Havre, 500 ihp., one propeller, speed 10 knots.
Ship-rigged.
Passenger accommodation for 250 first and second class passengers. Her main salon dine 140 persons.
March 1862 trials.
1862 Sold after trials together with her sister to Compagnie Générale Transatlantique, renamed LOUISIANE, her sister was renamed FLORIDE. Her sister was built by Caird and Co. at Greenock under the name COLON.
She was built with the intention to use her together with her sister COLON in the service from Cadiz to Havana, but the despatch of the French Expedition to Mexico made it desirable to put forward the inaugural date of the French Line, Mexican service to July 1862 and the 1.800 ton iron screw steamers LOUISIANE and FLORIDE were purchased in England for the purpose.
14 April 1862 she was the first vessels when she left Saint Nazaire to inaugurated the service between France and the West Indies and Mexico.
Cuba issued in 1982 a miniature sheet which depicts the LOUISIANE and the services of the French Line to the West Indies.
20 December 1875 she collided with the GIRONDE of Messageries Maritime off Pauillac , she was underway from Colon. Panama to Bordeaux under command of Capt. Riboulet on board were 128 persons, and she carried a general cargo.
After taken on board a pilot off Pauillac she proceeded inwards, the pilot did know there was an other ship under steam on the road, but in the darkness and foggy weather the visibility was greatly reduced.
At 22.15 she collided with the GIRONDE of Messagiers Maritimes, and sunk after 3 minutes, 17 persons lost their live on board the LOUISIANE, and one on board the GIRONDE.
111 Persons were rescued by the British steamer IBERIA.
Cambodia 1990 15r sg 1119.scott 1085.
Cuba 1972 13c sg 1983 and 1982 1p sg MS 2822.
Source: The Times of 07 March 1862. North Atlantic Seaways by N R P Bonsor. Log Book, some web-sites, under which Miramar and Clyde built ships. Info received from Mr. John Stevenson