The Hong Kong was a 3,174 GRT steam passenger cargo ship built at Caird & Company, Greenock, UK, for the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company. The ship was launched 15 April 1889, registered on 10 May and completed successfully completed her sea trials on 19 May with a length of 106.5 meters, beam of 12.8 meters, and draught of just over 8 meters. She was a sail and steam vessel with square-rigged sails fore and aft. Steam propulsion was provided by a 2500ihp 3-cylinder triple-expansion engine, provided by Caird & Company, and a single propeller which gave her a maximum speed of 12 knots.
In the early morning at 0510 on 05 December 1890, the S.S. Hong Kong was on the return trip from Shanghai to London. As the ship was passing through the Straits of Perim at the southern end of the Red Sea in low visibility conditions, Captain W.J.B. Watkins, attempted to alter the ship’s course to take her away from land when the ship ran aground on Azalea Rock.
On 15 December the Hong Kong broke in half. Another P & O ship, the Siam stood by the remains of the ship until the 24th of December when she departed for Hong Kong, via Aden, with the ship’s crew.
A Board of Trade Enquiry was conducted, as was normal, and resulted in the following findings:
Miramar Single Ship Report for 1093216
http://www.plimsoll.org/images/16041_tcm4-210664.pdf