S.S. Yorktown

[j. t. thompson]

 

 

 

S.S. Yorktown was launched in February 1894 by the Delaware River Iron Ship Building and Engine Works, for the Old Dominion Steamship Company. Her sister, S.S. Jamestown, had been launched there in December 1893. Old Dominion operated both ships in the company's Main Line Division between New York and Norfolk.

 

In April of 1898, the Navy purchased Yorktown for use as an auxiliary cruiser. She underwent conversion at the Morgan Iron Works, at New York; the conversion included the installation of 4 x 6 pounders. She was commissioned as USS Resolute in May of 1898.

 

 

[j. t. thompson]

USS Resolute operated at a high tempo during the Spanish-American War. Serving initially as a scout, she relied on her speed, (16 knots,) for protection.

Resolute was present on 3 July at the Battle of Santiago de Cuba, steaming eastward to warn Army transports of the Spanish squadron's possible emergence. And on 3 August Resolute engaged Spanish shore batteries at Manzanillo. At the end of hostilities, she was shifted to transport duties.

After an outbreak of yellow fever on board, Resolute underwent fumigation in December 1898. 

 

USS Resolute during or soon after fumigation.

 

 

Following fumigation, Resolute returned to transport missions through March 1899. Her final service was as a marker vessel for the steam trials of the battleship

Kearsarge (BB-5) at Portsmouth, N.H., from May to September 1899.

Resolute was decommissioned at the League Island (Philadelphia) Navy Yard on 15 December 1899. She was transferred to the War Department on 22 January 1900,

and became the Army transport Rawlins.

 

[j. t. thompson]

This image was posted by Forum member UncleBeardo. It is from an album that included period photos of the Puerto Rico Regiment. I believe it's the U.S. Army Transport Rawlins. The Army operated Rawlins mostly along New York to Cuba and Puerto Rico routes.

 

On 10 February 1901, a pilot ran Rawlins hard aground on a coral reef at Santiago, near the wreck of the collier Merrimac. Three tugs worked with Rawlins for two days before she came off. Fortunately, she suffered no material damage.

 

The 1st Battalion, and band, of the Puerto Rico Regiment participated in the inauguration of President Mckinley. They left San Juan on 25 February on the Rawlins, arriving at Newport News on 1 March.

 

On the morning of 10 April, Rawlins was docked at Brooklyn, N.Y., when a fire was discovered in bales of hay that had been loaded. The ship's pumps failed, and an effort began to introduce steam to the fire, when the first alarm was sent in from ashore. 

Altogether, and after a second alarm, six fire engines, two hook and ladder trucks, and three fireboats responded, all engaged in streaming water onto the fire.

Longshoremen, and there were about 200 of them, worked at unloading cargo from the portside of the ship onto the dock.

Rawlins started listing to starboard, and this became so pronounced that her spars were close to touching the opposite dock. At this inclination she began shipping tons of water, causing her to settle on the bottom, listed to starboard. This extinguished the fire.

Interestingly, over the next five minutes, the ship slowly retuned to an even keel, still in the mud.

 

 

 The War Department refloated, then sold Rawlins to the Merchants and Miners Transportation Company, on 27 July 1901.

 

 

 

[j. t. thompson]

The Merchants and Miners Transportation Company of Baltimore, Maryland renamed the ship S.S. Powhatan. They operated her along the East Coast, in passenger and general freight service, from 1902 through 1916.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[j. t. thompson]

On the night of 13 December 1916, S.S. Powhatan was outbound from Norfolk, and near Thimble Shoal Light, when she collided with the British steam tanker Telena. A gaping hole, some fifty feet in length, was opened in Powhatan's starboard side.

With distress calls going out, and with his ship in danger of sinking, Captain W. S. Chase ran Powhatan aground.

The first vessel to reach Powhatan was the S.S. Jamestown, still in the employ of Old Dominion. Jamestown stood by until relieved by the Coast Guard Cutter Yamacraw.

 

 Quite possibly Powhatan in lower frame.

 

Yamacraw rescued the passengers and injured crewmembers. Captain Chase and the rest of the crew stayed with Powhatan as efforts were begun to raise the ship. However, they were forced off when a winter storm came through on 18 December.

 

 

 

After the storm, Merchants and miners ceased all efforts to raise the Powhatan.

 

It was rumored that barrels of whiskey, lost overboard following the collision of 13 December, washed up on Willoughby Spit and were recovered by residents of the area. And, in fact, Powhatan had loaded whiskey at Baltimore.

Virginia being a dry State, the police investigated but were unable to locate said barrels.

[j. t. thompson]

 In May of 1917, R. T. Hasler acquired Powhatan at a U.S. Marshals auction for $21,600. A syndicate was then formed, the Powhatan Steamship Co, Inc, for the purpose of raising the ship. And raise her they did, on 21 August 1917.

 

Photo of Powhatan taken shortly after being refloated. 

This photo was featured on the cover of The American Marine Engineer, vol.13, January 1918.

 

 

 

 23 August, Powhatan being towed up the Elizabeth River to Colonna's Marine Railway for repair.

[268th C.A.]

Intresting reading. I guess because I'm from VA. Dont tell anyone... Colonna's ship yard is still there in bussiness. My newphew worked there. 

[j. t. thompson]

Hello 268th C.A.,

 

I've enjoyed scanning the period newspapers from the area. Quite lively reportage.

 

 

On 25 September 1917, a marine engineer and his accomplice were arrested after getting off of a launch from Berkley to Norfolk. They had in their possession a suitcase containing seven quarts of whiskey, said to have come from the Powhatan. (Powhatan had several hundred cases of bottled liquor in her cargo.)

 

On 28 August, the authorities placed a Special Guard on Powhatan's cargo while they worked with the State prohibition commissioner and State Attorney General to determine what was to be done with the liquor.

 

On 01 September it was reported that two men had been arrested in connection with theft of whiskey from Powhatan. During the incident, another man fell from a gangway and drowned. Authorities believed only one quart of whiskey had been gotten ashore.

 

[268th C.A.]

it is intresting reading, my dad was a cop in Norfolk back in the mid 1950's. I've looked back and seen many arrest he made in the papers. None I ever heard him talk about. His stories are his now. I did hear him talk of some, but none I read about. 

[j. t. thompson]

In 1919, Charles L. Dimon bought the Powhatan. In October, he had it towed to the Morse Dry Dock and Repair Company's Brooklyn, New York yard for rebuilding.

 

 

Powhatan at Morse Dry Dock and Repair Company, October 1919.

 

 

Powhatan would now be rebuilt, repowered, and renamed S.S. Cuba.

[j. t. thompson]

 

S.S. Cuba, November 1920.

 

 

 

 

S.S. Cuba, November 1920.

[j. t. thompson]

When S.S. Cuba entered service in November of 1920, she was billed as the world's first electric drive passenger liner. She featured first class accommodations for 260 passengers, and well-appointed public spaces. Her limited cargo capacity was reserved for express freight, such as refrigerated tropical fruit. She could also carry a few automobiles, which could be driven on and off the ship through a side port. Cuba was also equipped with submarine signaling apparatus.

This was a clever ship.

 

 

[kfields]

Very nice read and thanks for posting.

I was looking in the book "The Great American Spanish War Scenes" by Lt Edgar Johnston (1898). Lots of US Navy ships. No Resolute but did find a Yorktown. Here is a photo of a ship named the Yorktown. Different Yorktown than in your post?

 

On 11/1/2025 at 6:23 PM, j. t. thompson said:

 

 

 

S.S. Yorktown was launched in February 1894 by the Delaware River Iron Ship Building and Engine Works, for the Old Dominion Steamship Company. Her sister, S.S. Jamestown, had been launched there in December 1893. Old Dominion operated both ships in the company's Main Line Division between New York and Norfolk.

 

In April of 1898, the Navy purchased Yorktown for use as an auxiliary cruiser. She underwent conversion at the Morgan Iron Works, at New York; the conversion included the installation of 4 x 6 pounders. She was commissioned as USS Resolute in May of 1898.

 

 

 

[j. t. thompson]

Hello kfields,

 

Two different Yorktowns. S.S. Yorktown was a merchant ship. Your photo is of USS Yorktown, a Navy vessel commissioned in 1889 as Gunboat No. 1.

Today has been rainy, foggy and cold. Perfect weather for reading up on old Navy ships. So I read up on USS Yorktown, of which I knew little. She had an active and interesting career. 

Wikipedia has a pretty good overview of USS Yorktown (PG-1.) It mentions that she rescued the last surviving members of the guano mining settlement on Clipperton Island in July 1917. Now there is a tale; A mad lighthouse keeper, mayhem, and murder.

 

 

USS Yorktown, making full speed (16.65 knots) at Newport R.I. circa 1889.                        Naval History and Heritage Command / Catalog # 43169

 

 

Thanks for posting. Happy Thanksgiving.

J.T.

 

 

[j. t. thompson]

S.S. Cuba entered the Roaring Twenties in service between Jacksonville and Havana.

Jacksonville at the time was the most populous city in Florida, and the principal and practically the only port on the Florida East Coast.

Havana was, well... Havana.

 

 

ca. 1920

[j. t. thompson]

In January of 1923, S.S. Cuba moved to the West Coast and began regularly scheduled service between San Francisco and Portland, Oregon.

 

 

 

31 January 1923

 

 

[j. t. thompson]

[j. t. thompson]

 

 

 Portland,   24 August 1923

[j. t. thompson]

19 March 1924               (No vibration.)

 

 

 

9 May 1924

 

 

 

13 May 1924

 

 

 

27 May 1924                 (No problems.)

 

 

 

30 July 1924                    (No propeller.)

 

 

 

14 November 1924            (No Passengers.)

[j. t. thompson]

In January of 1925, S.S. Cuba was brought around to the East Coast and put into regularly scheduled service between New York and Miami.

 

  From the collection of Bjorn Larsson                                                                                                                                                                    timetableimages.com

 

New York City was experiencing record setting snowstorms that January, and Miami Steamship Co. adopted the slogan: "From Snow to Flowers in 68 Hours."

[j. t. thompson]

 On 21 January, when S.S. Cuba entered the harbor at Miami Beach on her inaugural run, she was greeted by a flotilla of yachts and motorboats. A seaplane circled above, and showered Cuba's decks with cut flowers. Commodore Stolz' yacht "Fleetwood II," carrying local dignitaries and Mommolo's Royal Italian Band, escorted Cuba to the dock.

 As the passengers came ashore, they were taken by motor to a reception held at the Miami Beach Casino and the Roman Pools, where they were met at the door by 12 beautiful girls in bathing suits led by Miss Mary Brown. The passengers were presented with bouquets of flowers and coconuts, and were welcomed by the mayor of Miami Beach who gave them keys to the city.

 The president of the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce spoke at length, after which the passengers were entertained by the fancy diving of Al White, world champion diver. Little Ruth Hoerger, two-year-old diver, also performed.

 

S.S. Cuba at the docks, 21 January. (Note party flags and seaplane,)

[j. t. thompson]

 

26 February 1925

 

 

21 May 1925

 

 

6 June 1925

 

 

S.S. Cuba would be renamed S.S. Seneca.

[j. t. thompson]

Clyde Line got S.S. Seneca into regularly scheduled service between New York and Miami by mid - June of 1925. They would at times shift Seneca into scheduled service between Miami and Havana. Channel depth at Miami would continue to be a problem.

 

 

Florida State Archives / Romer                                                                      Circa 1925

 

S.S. Seneca just off the Clyde Line's docks at Miami. (Note Clyde Line house flag at top of mast.)

[j. t. thompson]

S.S Seneca / circa 1925                                                                                                                                                                                 Gleason Waite Romer

Courtesy of Special Collections & Archives, Miami-Dade Public Library System.                 https://cdm17273.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/

 

 

 

 

21 September 1925

 

 

24 September 1925

 

 

17 October 1925

[j. t. thompson]

 

S.S. Seneca / ca. 1925                                                                                                           Gleason Waite Romer

Special Collections and Archives, Miami-Dade Public Library System 

 https://cdm17273.contentdm.oclc.org/digital

 

 

Seneca outbound from Miami.