On July 27, 1889 Harland & Wolff launched the 400 foot hull of the passenger ship Yorkshire. She was built for the Bibby Line but was chartered by the Anchor Line as soon as she was completed. Subsequently she made her maiden voyage under the Anchor Line flag on October 12, 1889 from Liverpool to New York but carried cargo only. She was again chartered but this time to the Dominion Line in 1898. She made five crossings for the Dominion Line from Liverpool to Quebec and Montreal and was returned to her owners late in the same year.

After providing trooping services in the Boer War for the Admiralty the ship was once again returned to commercial duty. In 1905 Yorkshire was sold to the East Asiatic Company of Denmark and renamed Indien. Then in 1907 she was transferred to a subsidiary company, the Russian East Asiatic Company known as the Russian-American Line and renamed Estonia.

Still running the Atlantic only now from Liepaja, Latvia via either Rotterdam or København (Copenhagen) to Halifax and on to New York. After March of 1912 the Estonia was put on the Far East service. On January 16, 1913 off Port Sudan in the Red Sea a fire started on board the Estonia. Since it could not be brought under control the ship was abandoned. By the 23rd the fire was out but the ship was a total loss. That day she was sunk with explosive charges.