Built by D. & W. Henderson of Glasgow, the Anchor Line's second Columbia
was launched in February 1902. Less than three months later, on 17 May,
she began her maiden voyage from Glasgow to New York.
Remaining in commercial service for two months after World War I began,
Columbia made her last commercial sailing in October 1914. She was then
requisitioned for service as an armed merchant cruiser and was renamed
Columbella so as not to be confused with the U.S.S. Columbia. The only
survivor of Anchor's pre-war Glasgow-New York fleet, Columbia resumed
commercial service in August 1919. She made her last Glasgow-New York
trip for Anchor in August 1925.
Columbia was sold to the Byron Steamship Co., a British-flag subsidiary
of the National Greek Line, in 1926. Renamed Moreas, she was placed on
Byron's Piraeus-New York service, but after only three trips between
September 1926 and February 1927, she was laid up. She never sailed
again, although ownership was transferred to the National Greek Line in
1928, and she was broken up at Venice in 1929.
