Pennsylvania class steamship
Encyclopedia
The Pennsylvania class steamships—Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois— were a class of four cargo-passenger liners built by the Philadelphian
Philadelphian
Philadelphian is most commonly used to describe someone who is from the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.* List of people from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania"Philadelphian" may also refer to:...
shipbuilder William Cramp & Sons in 1872-73. Intended for the newly established American Line
American Line
The American Line was a shipping company based in Philadelphia that was founded in 1871. It began as part of the Pennsylvania Railroad, although the railroad got out of the shipping business soon after founding the company...
, the four ships were at the time the largest iron ships yet built in the United States, and were launched with considerable fanfare. Upon entering service in 1874, they also became the first American-built steamships to challenge British dominance of the transatlantic trade since the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Although soon outclassed by newer and larger vessels, all four of the Pennsylvania class steamships were to enjoy long and distinguished careers, the last of them being retired from service in 1921.
Development
Since 1850, the Pennsylvania Railroad Company (PRR) had enjoyed a lucrative partnership with the British Inman LineInman Line
The Inman Line which operated from 1850 until its 1893 absorption into American Line, was one of the three largest 19th century British passenger shipping companies on the North Atlantic, along with the White Star Line and Cunard Line...
, which transported European immigrants from Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
direct to Philadelphia, thus ensuring the Railroad a steady stream of customers. In 1857, the Inman Line
Inman Line
The Inman Line which operated from 1850 until its 1893 absorption into American Line, was one of the three largest 19th century British passenger shipping companies on the North Atlantic, along with the White Star Line and Cunard Line...
switched its destination to New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, depriving the Pennsylvania Railroad of this lucrative trade. The Railroad made its first attempt to compensate for the lost traffic by organizing its own steamship line in 1863, but the plan was dropped after the Philadelphia city council declined to provide financial support.
After a failed attempt to gain control of a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
shipping line, the Anchor Line
Anchor Line
The Anchor Line was a steamboat company that operated a fleet of boats on the Mississippi River between St. Louis, Missouri, and New Orleans, Louisiana, between 1859 and 1898, when it went out of business...
, in 1870, Pennsylvania Railroad decided to try establishing its own shipping line once again. It petitioned the Pennsylvania State Legislature for a charter for a new company to be known as the American Steamship Company
American Line
The American Line was a shipping company based in Philadelphia that was founded in 1871. It began as part of the Pennsylvania Railroad, although the railroad got out of the shipping business soon after founding the company...
(ASC), created to manage a new shipping line known as the American Line, which would be American's first transatlantic line since the end of the American Civil War. The Legislature granted the ASC its company charter in April 1871.
The ASC convened its first meeting on April 4, 1871, at which a committee was appointed by the company directors to recommend suitable vessels for its operations. The committee recommended the purchase of four iron steamships of 3,000 or more gross tons, capable of attaining a speed of 11.5 knots and of carrying 75 first class and 1,000 steerage passengers—specifications which were designed to ensure the new shipping line's competitiveness with existing transatlantic lines. The committee's recommendations were subsequently approved by the directors, and a public contract for the four vessels put out to tender.
Four bids were eventually submitted, ranging as high as $660,000 per ship. The bidders were John Roach & Sons
John Roach & Sons
John Roach & Sons was a major 19th-century American shipbuilding and manufacturing firm founded in 1864 by Irish-American immigrant John Roach. Between 1871 and 1885, the company was the largest shipbuilding firm in the United States, building more iron ships than its next two major competitors...
, William Cramp & Sons, Neafie & Levy
Neafie & Levy
Neafie, Levy & Co., commonly known as Neafie & Levy, was a Philadelphia shipbuilding and engineering firm that existed from the middle of the 19th to the beginning of the 20th century...
and Dialogue & Wood - all Philadelphia firms. The winning bidder was Cramp & Sons, which submitted the lowest bid of $520,000 per unit, and the contract for all four ships was subsequently signed with that company on August 30. Design of the vessels was entrusted to the marine architect Barnabus H. Bartol, a director of the American Line, and the head of the Cramp shipyard, Charles Cramp.
Construction
In 1871, no American shipyardShipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
was equipped to build even a single ship of the dimensions of the Pennsylvania class, let alone an entire class of such vessels. The largest iron ship built in the United States to date was Harlan and Hollingsworth
Harlan and Hollingsworth
Harlan & Hollingsworth was a Wilmington, Delaware, firm that constructed ships and railroad cars during the 19th century and into the 20th century.-Founding:...
's steamer Wyanoke, launched in 1870 and more than 1,000 tons lighter than a ship of the Pennsylvania class. In order to construct the four vessels, Cramp & Sons was forced to undertake a major revamping of its shipbuilding facilities.
The company began by purchasing real estate at Norris St., Philadelphia, a few blocks from its existing works, on which it built an entirely new shipyard, which was fitted with its own blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
, engine, boiler
Boiler
A boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications.-Materials:...
and carpentry
Carpentry
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
shops in addition to a 700-foot outfitting wharf
Fitting-out
Fitting-out, or "outfitting”, is the process in modern shipbuilding that follows the float-out of a vessel and precedes sea trials. It is the period when all the remaining construction of the ship is completed and readied for delivery to her owners...
. Cramp also purchased new tools and production equipment. Cost of the real estate alone was above $265,000, and in order to limit the financial risk involved in the expansion, the firm made the decision to incorporate as the William Cramp & Sons Ship and Engine Building Company; however, it remained a proprietary business with the Cramp family owning all the shares.
Fortuitously, Cramp & Sons had built its first compound engine only the previous year, and Charles Cramp had also recently travelled to the United Kingdom to acquaint himself with the latest developments in engine technology, hiring a consultant engineer along the way. The company was thus in a position to fit engines of the latest design. Many parts for the ships however, such as iron plates, anchor chains, joinery for the first class cabins, gas fixtures etc., came from specialist Philadelphian manufacturers under subcontract.
Work on the ships remained on schedule until about February 1872, when progress began to be delayed by shortages of both craftsmen and materials. Cramp had expanded his company's workforce to over 1,000 to build the ships, but strong industry-wide demand at the time made it difficult to find skilled workers. The local ironmolding industry also had difficulty supplying the Cramp shipyard with the amount of iron plate it required.
Launch
By August 1872 the first of the four ships, Pennsylvania was ready for launch. The event was considered of such patriotic and economic significance that a half day holiday was declared for the cities of Philadelphia and CamdenCamden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
and the surrounding area. The launch took place at 10:12 am on Thursday, August 15, watched by thousands of cheering spectators.
The second ship, Ohio, followed on October 30. On December 28, Philadelphia's Mayor William S. Stokley presented the American Line with four twelve pound Dahlgren howitzers
Dahlgren gun
Dahlgren guns were muzzle loading naval artillery designed by Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren USN, mostly used in the period of the American Civil War. Dahlgren's design philosophy evolved from an accidental explosion in 1849 of a 32-pounder being tested for accuracy, killing a gunner...
intended for installation on the ships as signal guns—a gesture of civic pride in the achievement of building the four vessels. The last two ships of the class, Indiana and Illinois, were launched in March and June 1873.
Description
When completed, each of the four Pennsylvania class ships was fitted with a 2,000 horsepower compound steam engine serviced by several large boilers, delivering power to a single propeller. Each vessel had a single large stackChimney
A chimney is a structure for venting hot flue gases or smoke from a boiler, stove, furnace or fireplace to the outside atmosphere. Chimneys are typically vertical, or as near as possible to vertical, to ensure that the gases flow smoothly, drawing air into the combustion in what is known as the...
amidships and two schooner-rigged auxiliary masts, one fore and one aft, capable of utilizing a total of ten sails. The sails were only for use in case of mechanical breakdown.
An idea of the vessels' internal appointments may be drawn from descriptions of two of the individual ships of the class. Indiana
Service history
Financial troubles
Unfortunately, the vessels' entry into service closely coincided with the panic of 1873Panic of 1873
The Panic of 1873 triggered a severe international economic depression in both Europe and the United States that lasted until 1879, and even longer in some countries. The depression was known as the Great Depression until the 1930s, but is now known as the Long Depression...
, which triggered one of the longest economic recession
Recession
In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction, a general slowdown in economic activity. During recessions, many macroeconomic indicators vary in a similar way...
s in U.S. history. By 1875, immigration to the United States
Immigration to the United States
Immigration to the United States has been a major source of population growth and cultural change throughout much of the history of the United States. The economic, social, and political aspects of immigration have caused controversy regarding ethnicity, economic benefits, jobs for non-immigrants,...
had plunged to just 50% of its previous level, while overall trade declined 17%. Consequently the four ships—the only ships fully owned by the American Steamship Company—steadily lost money.
A number of attempts were made to improve profitability—for example, in 1875 all four ships had their capacity for carrying first class passengers upgraded from 75 to 100, and in the same year an unsuccessful attempt to transport fruit was made. A more successful experiment was made in November of the same year when the Illinois sailed for Liverpool with 30 sides of dressed beef along with 140 sides of mutton and some poultry, which may have been the first successful shipment of fresh meat across the Atlantic. However, reliable shipments of fresh meat would not become possible until the invention of refrigeration
Refrigeration
Refrigeration is a process in which work is done to move heat from one location to another. This work is traditionally done by mechanical work, but can also be done by magnetism, laser or other means...
some twenty years later.
A high point for the class came in 1876, when the Indiana had the honor of transporting President Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
to Liverpool on the first leg of his highly successful world tour. By this time however the ASC's financial troubles were well known, and in 1878, the ships' original builder, William Cramp & Sons, offered to buy back three of the four Pennsylvania class ships in order to convert them into cruisers for the Russian Navy. The ASC refused the offer.
Transfer of management
A brief upturn in the U.S. economy between 1879 and 1881 assisted the ASC's profitability, but after the economy slumped again in 1882, ASC's parent company, the Pennsylvania Railroad, was no longer prepared to underwrite the losses. In October 1884, the Pennsylvania Railroad forced the sale of the ASC's four Pennsylvania class ships to its other shipping company, the International Navigation CompanyInternational Navigation Company
The International Navigation Company was a Philadelphia based holding company owning 26 ships totaling 181,000 tons and carried more passengers than either Cunard or White Star, when the company was reorganized as International Mercantile Marine in 1902...
, and the American Steamship Company was disbanded. In the course of its ten-year history, the ASC had cost the PRR almost a million dollars, although the losses were offset to some extent by the extra business the Pennsylvania class ships had brought to the railroad. Around this time, each of the four ships also had their hull
Hull (watercraft)
A hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull is the superstructure and/or deckhouse, where present. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...
s strengthened at the cost of $25,000 per ship.
The main difference between the ASC and the INC was that the former had run American-built, American-flagged ships, while the latter employed foreign built vessels which sailed under the Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
flag and operated under the name of the Red Star Line
Red Star Line
The Red Star Line was an ocean passenger line founded in 1871 as a joint venture between the International Navigation Company of Philadelphia, which also ran the American Line, and the Société Anonyme de Navigation Belgo-Américaine of Antwerp, Belgium...
. This saved money because the Red Star Line employed European crews, who were paid less than their American counterparts. The INC, however, continued to run the Pennsylvania class on the Philadelphia-Queenstown-Liverpool route under the established American Line name.
Later service
Steerage
Steerage is the act of steering a ship. "Steerage" also refers to the lowest decks of a ship.-Steerage and steerage way:The rudder of a vessel can only steer the ship when water is passing over it...
-class passengers. During the 1890s, the vessels operated a variety of different routes, sometimes under charter to the Red Star Line, including Antwerp–New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Antwerp-Philadelphia, as well as their original Liverpool to Philadelphia route.
In 1897, Clement Acton Griscom, head of the Inman Line
Inman Line
The Inman Line which operated from 1850 until its 1893 absorption into American Line, was one of the three largest 19th century British passenger shipping companies on the North Atlantic, along with the White Star Line and Cunard Line...
which now controlled the vessels, took advantage of high demand for American flag vessels caused by the Alaskan gold rush to sell off his ageing fleet of Pennsylvania class vessels. Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana were all sold to Pacific steamship companies servicing gold rush customers, while the fourth ship, Illinois was sold to the U.S. Navy to serve as a supply ship. All four ships continued to serve in these respective roles for at least another dozen years.
Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana all eventually succumbed to accidents in Pacific waters. Illinois, as , served in both the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
and the First World War, and continued in U.S. Navy service until being struck from the Navy List
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
in 1921. She was finally scrapped in 1928. In total, the four ships of the Pennsylvania class gave a total of well over 160 years of service to their various owners.