21:
47:
372:
vessels, serviced by its own blacksmith, engine, boiler and carpentry shops, as well as providing it with a 700-foot outfitting wharf. Cost of the real estate alone was in excess of $ 265,000, and Cramp & Sons was obliged to incorporate as the
William Cramp & Sons Engine and Ship Building Company in order to limit the financial risk involved. Fortuitously, Cramp & Sons had only recently built its first compound
470:
excellent condition, encouraging the client, Martin, Fuller & Company, to make a second shipment of 100 head of dressed beef. These may have been the first ever successful shipments of fresh meat from the United States to Europe, but another twenty years would pass before the invention of refrigeration made regular, reliable shipments possible.
469:
was loaded with 30 head of dressed beef, 140 sheep carcasses and some poultry and oysters for a
November 1875 voyage. A high pressure engine was installed to circulate a current of cold air chilled by eight tons of ice. This time the ice lasted through the voyage, and the meat arrived in Liverpool in
383:
to be completed by
January 1, 1873, but the schedule proved optimistic. A short-lived shipbuilding boom in the early 1870s made it difficult for the Cramp shipyard to obtain iron plates and other materials, and the yard was also affected by shortages of skilled labor. As a result, the ship would not
371:
At 3,000 gross tons apiece, the ships were 1,000 tons larger than any iron ship previously constructed in the United States, and Cramp & Sons was forced to undertake a substantial upgrade of its facilities to complete them. The company established an entirely new shipyard for construction of the
485:
class ships required immediate maintenance to their hulls, which needed strengthening. The repairs were carried out at a cost of $ 25,000 per vessel, but the additional costs probably contributed to the
Pennsylvania Railroad's decision to wind up the American Steamship Company, which because of the
346:
class liners were constructed at a cost of $ 520,000 each by
William Cramp & Sons on behalf of the American Steamship Company (ASC), a subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. The Railroad intended to utilize the vessels to bring European immigrants direct to Philadelphia, thus ensuring
501:
had a major refit in 1891 with the installation of a triple-expansion steam engine to replace her original compound steam engine. The new engine, manufactured and installed by the ship's original builder, William Cramp & Sons, was smaller, allowing for more cargo space, and more economical to
494:
continued to service her familiar
Liverpool–Philadelphia route until 1886. Her last such voyage commenced July 7 of that year. On December 17, she began the first of twenty crossings on the Antwerp–New York route.
363:—were named after the four states serviced by the Railroad. Design of the ships was entrusted to Charles H. Cramp of the Cramp & Sons shipyard, and Barnabas H. Bartol, a director of the ASC.
458:, the company decided to experiment with some novel exports. A glut of peaches in the summer of 1875 encouraged the company to try and export some of the surplus fruit to Great Britain on the
556:
was decommissioned, refitted to improve her living quarters, and recommissioned on August 1, 1902. She subsequently operated as the supply ship for the
Asiatic Fleet and as Station Ship at
878:
395:
was launched in June 1873. She commenced her maiden voyage on
January 23, 1874 on the Philadelphia–Queenstown–Liverpool route, a route she would maintain for the next twelve years.
322:
may have been the first ship to successfully transport a shipment of fresh meat from the United States to Europe, twenty years before the introduction of refrigeration. As USS
955:
950:
945:
871:
864:
850:
286:—were the largest iron ships ever built in the United States at the time of their construction, and amongst the first to be fitted with
512:
commenced her final
Antwerp–New York crossing on February 27, 1892. Subsequently she worked the Antwerp-Philadelphia route until 1897.
446:
class vessels. In 1875, a decision was made to increase the first class complement of all
Pennsylvania class vessels from 75 to 100.
835:
820:
478:
In 1882, the wooden pilothouse in the bow of all four Pennsylvania class ships was replaced with an iron one for safety reasons.
330:
and the First World War, and crew members may have been the first United States personnel to fire a hostile shot in the latter.
887:
258:
20:
427:
promptly collided with and sank all four vessels in short order. Fortunately, there were no deaths, and the hull of
490:
and her three sister ships were transferred to management of the PRR's other shipping line, the Red Star Line, but
538:
327:
596:
during the attempted seizure may have been the first hostile shot fired by American servicemen in World War I.
420:
254:
108:
74:
588:'s captain had prepared for such a possibility and scuttled the ship. A warning shot fired over the bow of
533:
sailed from Philadelphia to San Francisco. On April 30, 1898, she was sold for the sum of $ 325,000 to the
901:
302:
270:
607:
506:
was removed, and she was fitted to accommodate intermediate "cabin class" and steerage passengers only.
287:
376:, and consequently the shipyard was able to install the vessels with the latest in engine technology.
843:
The American Clyde: A History of Iron and Steel Shipbuilding on the Delaware from 1840 to World War I
290:. They were also the first ships to challenge British dominance of the transatlantic trade since the
626:
Heinrich, p. 57, Flayhart, p. 20. Heinrich says the winning bid was $ 525,000 rather than $ 520,000.
960:
574:
486:
after effects of the 1873 panic had always struggled to make a profit. With the demise of the ASC,
373:
534:
306:
291:
915:
846:
831:
816:
571:
524:
312:
282:
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also had an eventful first year of operation. In April 1874, she was making her way down the
568:
714:
247:
347:
the company a steady stream of customers. In recognition of this purpose, the four ships—
791:
908:
828:
Ships for the Seven Seas: Philadelphia Shipbuilding in the Age of Industrial Capitalism
442:
was destroyed in an 1874 hurricane, a new iron bridge was installed on all four of the
416:
309:
276:
939:
455:
52:
732:
610:
and sold for scrap on 30 September 1921. The ship was eventually scrapped in 1928.
431:
was undamaged by the collisions, enabling her to continue the voyage to Liverpool.
112:
713:
by N. R. P. Bonsor, volume 3, p. 929, as cited at "The Ships List" website, see
603:
856:
218:
Compound (later triple expansion) steam engine, single screw, auxiliary sails
250:
563:
When the United States entered the First World War on April 6, 1917, USS
454:
With the American Line struggling to turn a profit in the wake of the
423:, she encountered four canal boats coming in the opposite direction.
33:), probably taken just after the ship's recommission in August 1902.
301:
was destined to enjoy a long and distinguished career, first as a
548:, the vessel served as the supply ship for the American fleet in
557:
549:
860:
465:
Undeterred, the company next tried a shipment of fresh meat.
580:, which had been interned there since 1914. A party from
297:
Though soon outclassed by newer and larger vessels,
234:
46 Ă— 1st-, 132 2nd class and 789 steerage passengers
502:run. At this time the first class accommodation of
384:be ready for delivery until almost a year later.
845:, University of Delaware Press (reprinted 1992,
481:In 1883–84, inspections revealed that all four
606:on 15 September 1919. She was struck from the
872:
8:
796:Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
462:, but the experiment was a costly failure.
879:
865:
857:
584:attempted to seize the German vessel, but
552:waters. After the war ended in late 1898,
537:, for employment in the recently declared
787:
785:
783:
781:
956:Ships built by William Cramp & Sons
619:
567:was in port at Guam together with the
257:in 1873. The last of a series of four
15:
728:
726:
705:
703:
701:
699:
697:
695:
43:
7:
951:Passenger ships of the United States
811:Flayhart, William Henry III (2000):
946:Merchant ships of the United States
830:, Johns Hopkins University Press,
14:
379:The original contract called for
305:passenger liner and later as the
602:was placed out of commission at
45:
19:
815:, W. W. Norton & Company,
326:, the ship served in both the
1:
813:The American Line (1871–1902)
826:Heinrich, Thomas R. (1997):
450:Experimental meat shipments
434:After the wooden bridge of
268:and her three sister ships—
977:
739:, Norway Heritage website.
522:
178:class passenger-cargo ship
92:American Steamship Company
897:
166:
38:
18:
841:Tyler, David B. (1958):
419:when, just opposite the
255:William Cramp & Sons
109:William Cramp & Sons
421:Philadelphia Naval Yard
167:General characteristics
403:Like her sister ships
334:was scrapped in 1928.
288:compound steam engines
711:North Atlantic Seaway
775:Flayhart, pp. 59–60.
662:Heinrich, pp. 59–61.
653:Flayhart, pp. 23–24.
539:Spanish–American War
456:1873 financial panic
328:Spanish–American War
766:Flayhart pp. 58–59.
374:marine steam engine
535:United States Navy
292:American Civil War
25:Stern view of USS
933:
932:
851:978-0-87413-101-7
572:auxiliary cruiser
525:USS Supply (1873)
238:
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29:(formerly the SS
968:
881:
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799:
789:
776:
773:
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757:Flayhart, p. 26.
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749:
748:Flayhart, p. 53.
746:
740:
730:
721:
707:
690:
689:Flayhart, p. 33.
687:
681:
680:Flayhart, p. 24.
678:
672:
671:Heinrich, p. 53.
669:
663:
660:
654:
651:
645:
644:Flayhart, p. 23.
642:
636:
635:Heinrich, p. 62.
633:
627:
624:
560:for many years.
318:. In the 1870s,
310:auxiliary vessel
146:January 23, 1874
97:Port of registry
55:
50:
49:
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23:
16:
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737:, American Line
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529:In March 1898,
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388:Service history
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248:passenger-cargo
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5:
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618:
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592:by crewmen of
523:Main article:
520:
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438:' sister ship
417:Delaware River
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162:Scrapped, 1928
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303:transatlantic
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207:Depth of hold
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143:Maiden voyage
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100:United States
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84:American Line
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75:Illinois, USA
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53:United States
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903:Pennsylvania
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889:Pennsylvania
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544:Renamed USS
543:
530:
528:
517:
509:
508:
503:
498:
497:
491:
487:
483:Pennsylvania
482:
480:
477:
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444:Pennsylvania
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440:Pennsylvania
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428:
424:
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405:Pennsylvania
404:
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392:
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381:Pennsylvania
380:
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367:Construction
360:
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349:Pennsylvania
348:
344:Pennsylvania
343:
341:
331:
323:
319:
314:
298:
296:
281:
275:
271:Pennsylvania
269:
265:
260:Pennsylvania
259:
246:was an iron
242:
240:
239:
176:Pennsylvania
175:
113:Philadelphia
64:
30:
26:
792:"Supply II"
604:Mare Island
338:Development
307:U.S. Navy's
186:3,104 gross
127:Yard number
961:1873 ships
940:Categories
806:References
474:1880s–1897
226:11.5 knots
215:Propulsion
210:32 ft 2 in
614:Footnotes
608:Navy List
575:SMS
342:The four
313:USS
264:vessels,
253:built by
251:steamship
138:June 1873
122:$ 520,000
924:Illinois
735:Illinois
716:Illinois
590:Cormoran
586:Cormoran
577:Cormoran
531:Illinois
510:Illinois
504:Illinois
499:Illinois
492:Illinois
488:Illinois
467:Illinois
436:Illinois
429:Illinois
425:Illinois
413:Illinois
393:Illinois
357:Illinois
332:Illinois
320:Illinois
299:Illinois
266:Illinois
243:Illinois
231:Capacity
135:Launched
89:Operator
71:Namesake
65:Illinois
31:Illinois
917:Indiana
353:Indiana
283:Indiana
183:Tonnage
105:Builder
39:History
849:
834:
819:
600:Supply
594:Supply
582:Supply
569:German
565:Supply
554:Supply
546:Supply
518:Supply
324:Supply
315:Supply
262:-class
194:343 ft
191:Length
27:Supply
709:From
550:Cuban
399:1870s
223:Speed
202:43 ft
151:Refit
81:Owner
910:Ohio
847:ISBN
832:ISBN
817:ISBN
718:1873
558:Guam
516:USS
460:Ohio
409:Ohio
407:and
361:Ohio
359:and
280:and
277:Ohio
199:Beam
159:Fate
154:1891
119:Cost
60:Name
733:SS
241:SS
130:183
63:SS
942::
853:).
794:–
780:^
725:^
694:^
541:.
411:,
355:,
351:,
294:.
274:,
111:,
880:e
873:t
866:v
838:.
823:.
798:.
720:.
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