American Line Fleet List
Fleet List of the American Line Showing Ownership, Nationality, Name of Ship, Year Placed in Service, and Gross Tonnage. Gross tonnage equals cubic feet of all enclosed space divided by 100. Notations Regarding the Ship (if any), Such as Previous Name or Renaming, are shown after the Gross Tonnage.
AMERICAN LINE
American Steamship Co.
(United States)
- Berlin (1874) 5,526
- British Crown (1879) 3,563
- British Empire (1878) 3,361
- British King (1881) 3,412
- British Prince (1882) 3,871
- British Princess (1882) 3,864
- British Queen (1881) 3,412
- Chester (1873) 4,770
- Haverford (1901) 11,635
- Illinois (1873) 3,104
- Indiana (1873) 3,335
- Kensington (1894) 8,669
- Merion (1902) 11,612
- New York (1888) 10,499
- Ohio (1873) 3,104
- Paris (1889) 10,669
- Pennsylvania (1873) 3,126
- Philadelphia (1889) 10,786
- St. Louis (1895) 11,629
- St. Paul (1895) 11,629
- Southwark (1893) 8,607
Berlin (1875) American Line
Built by Caird & Co., Greenock, Scotland. Tonnage: 5,526. Dimensions: 488' x 44'. Single-screw, 16 knots. Compound engines. Modifications: Re-engined in 1887 with triple expansion engines. Three masts and one funnel. Renamed: Meade (1898) United States Government. Fate: Scrapped in 1921. Previously Named: Ex-City of Berlin (1893).
Haverford (1901) American Line.
Built by John Brown & Co., Clydebank, Glasgow, Scotland. Tonnage: 11,635. Dimensions: 531' x 59'. Propulsion: Twin-screw, 13H knots. Triple expansion engines. Masts and Funnels: Four masts and one funnel. Passengers: 150 second and 1,700 third class. Services: (a) Liverpool-Philadelphia, (b) Southampton-New York. In White Star Line service, 1921-24. Fate: Scrapped in Italy, 1925. Sister ships: Merion.
Kensington (1894) American Line.
Built by J. & G. Thomson, Ltd., Glasgow, Scotland. Tonnage: 8,669. Dimensions: 480' x 57'. Propulsion: Twin-screw, 15 knots. Quadruple expansion engines. Masts and Funnels: Four masts and one funnel. Note: Named after a Philadelphia suburb. Maiden voyage: Liverpool-Philadelphia, June 27, 1894. Passengers: 60 first and 1,000 third. Other Services: Ran for a time in Antwerp-New York service, Red Star Line. Also used in Dominion Line service for a period. Fate: Scrapped in Italy, 1910. Sister ship: Southwark.
Merion (1902) American Line
Built by John Brown & Co., Clydebank, Glasgow, Scotland. Tonnage: 11,612. Dimensions: 531'x 59' (547' o.l.). Propulsion: Twin- screw, 12 knots. Triple expansion engines. Masts and Funnels: Four masts and one funnel. Maiden voyage: Liverpool-Boston, March 8, 1902, as a Dominion liner. Ownership Transfer: Served in Dominion Line for only a brief time, then transferred to American Line. War Service: Converted to dummy battleship in World War I. Fate: Torpedoed and sunk in Aegean Sea, May 30, 1915. Sister ship: Haverford.
New York (1888) American Line
Built by J. & G. Thomson, Ltd., Clydebank, Glasgow, Scotland. Tonnage: 10,499. Dimensions: 528' x 63' (560' o.l.). Twin-screw, 20 knots. Three masts and three funnels. Steel hull. Clipper bow. First voyage as New York Southampton-New York, March 11, 1893. Refit: New triple expansion engines installed in 1903. Reduced to two funnels. Renamed: (a) Harvard (1898), (b) New York (1899), (c) Plattsburg (1917) United States Government, (d) New York (1919) American Line. Liner sold to Polish Navigation Company in 1921. Fate: Scrapped at Genoa in 1923. Previous Names: Ex-City of New York (1893). Sister ship: Philadelphia.
Ohio (1873) American (Keystone) Line
Built by Wm. Cramp & Sons, Shipbuilding & Engineering Co., Philadelphia, Pa. Tonnage: 3,104. Dimensions: 360' x 42'. Propulsion: Single-screw, 13 knots. Compound engines. Masts and Funnels: Two masts and one funnel. Iron hull. Passengers: 76 cabin and 875 third class. Maiden voyage: Philadelphia-Liverpool in August 1873. Modifications: Triple expansion engines in 1887. Speed increased to 14 knots. Services: Made some New York sailings. Ownership Change: Sold to White Star Steamship Company of Seattle. Fate: Stranded in Finlayson Channel, British Columbia, August 26, 1909, with the loss of several lives. Sister ships: Indiana, Illinois and Pennsylvania. Owner: American Steamship Company.
Paris (1889) American Line
Built by J. & G. Thomson, Ltd., Glasgow, Scotland, Tonnage: 10,669. Dimensions: 527' x 63' (560' o.l.). Propulsion: Twin screw, 20 knots. Triple expansion engines. Masts and Funnels: Three masts and three funnels. Service: Southampton-New York. Stranded on Manacles Rock, Cornwall in May 1899, where she remained until refloated the following July. Modifications: She was rebuilt with two funnels and quadruple expansion engines installed. Renamed Philadelphia and placed back in service, August 31, 1901. Fate: Scrapped in 1923. Other Names: Renamed: (a) Yale (1898) United States Government, (b) Paris (1899), (c) Philadelphia (1900), (d) Harrisburg (1917) United States Government, (e) Philadelphia (1919). Ex-City of Paris (1893). Sister ship: New York.
Pennsylvania (1873) American Line
SS Pennsylvania (1873) of the American Line. GGA Image ID # 1ee42e41d5
Built by Wm. Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Co., Philadelphia, Pa. Tonnage: 3,126. Dimensions: 360' x 42'. Propulsion: Single-screw, 13 knots. Compound engines. Masts and Funnels: Two masts and one funnel. Iron hull. Note: Known as the American (Keystone) Line. Absorbed later by the American Line. Passengers: 76 cabin and 875 third class. Modifications: Third class quarters enlarged in the 1880's. Tonnage increased to 3,300. The Pennsylvania was the pioneer vessel of the line. Launched in August 1872. Maiden voyage: Philadelphia-Liverpool, May 22, 1873. Re-engined with triple expansions in 1891. Service: Transferred to Antwerp-Philadelphia service of the Red Star Line in 1892. Ownership Change: Sold to Pacific Mail Line in 1898. Fate: Destroyed by fire at Iquique Bay, Chile, November 12, 1918. Sister ships: Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.
Philadelphia (1889) American Line
This Ship Sailed as the SS Philadelphia from 1901-1917
Built by J. & G. Thomson, Ltd., Clydebank, Glasgow, Scotland. Tonnage: 10,786. Dimensions: 527' x 63' (560' o.l.). Propulsion: Twin-screw, 19 H knots. Quadruple expansion engines. Masts and Funnels: Three masts and two funnels. First voyage as Philadelphia, Southampton to New York, August 31, 1901. WW1 Service: Served as a transport for the United States in First World War. Post War Service: Resumed regular service in March 1920. Fate: Scrapped in Italy, 1923. Previous Names: Ex-Harrisburg (1917-1919) United States Government, ex-Philadelphia (1901-1917), ex-Paris (1898-1900), ex-Yale (1898-1899), ex-Paris (1893-1898), ex-City of Paris (1889-1893). Sister ship: New York.
St. Louis (1895) American Line
Built by Wm. Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding & Engineering Co., Philadelphia, Pa. Tonnage: 11,629. Displacement of 16,000 tons. Dimensions: 535' X 63' (554' o.l.). Propulsion: Twin-screw, 21 knots. Quadruple expansion engines. 20,500 I.H.P. Masts and Funnels: Two masts and two funnels. Steel hull. Launched: November 12, 1894. Equipped with ten boilers, which had a total of 64 furnaces. Passengers: 320 first, 210 second, 800 third. Maiden voyage: New York-Southampton, June 5, 1895. Renamed: (a) Louisville (1917) United States Government, (b) St. Louis (1920). WW1 Service: Served as a troopship in First World War. Fate: She caught fire while refitting in 1920. The scuttled liner was refloated, but the rusting burned-out liner remained tied up in New York for four years. Finally towed to Italy to be dismantled by shipbreakers in 1925. 1924-25. Sister ship: St. Paul.
St. Paul (1895) American Line
Built by Wm. Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding & Engineering Co., Philadelphia, Pa. Tonnage: 11,629. Dimensions: 535' X 63'. Propulsion: Twin-screw, 21 knots. Quadruple expansion engines. Masts and Funnels: Two masts and two funnels. Passengers: 220 first, 220 second, 800 third. Crew: 377 members. Launched: on April 10, 1895. Not in March 1895, when an attempt was made. Maiden voyage: New York-Southampton, October 9,1895. War Service: Served as auxiliary cruiser during Spanish-American War. Sunk the British cruiser Gladiator, by colliding of the Isle of Wight during a storm, April 25, 1908. The Gladiator lost 27 men and the St. Paul underwent repairs before returning to service. As the United States transport Knoxville, during World War I, she capsized (April 1918) alongside a New York pier. Repairs and Reconditioning: Subsequently refloated and reconditioned for trans-Atlantic service. Post War Service: Made her re-entry New York-Cherbourg-Southampton run route, in March 1920. Fate: Scrapped in Germany, 1923. Sister ship: St. Louis.
Smith, Eugene W., Passenger Ships of the World: Past and Present, Boston: George H. Dean Company, 1963.
History of the American Line
Though the American Line, as now constituted, is of comparatively modern origin, it is the successor of several much older organizations. Of these, the oldest is the Inman Line, the last acquired by it.
On the 16th of April 1850, an iron screw steamship of 1609 tons gross register left Glasgow on her maiden trip to New York. This was the beginning of the Inman Line.
After a few voyages, this ship was sold to Messrs Richardson, Spence & Co. of Liverpool, where William Inman (1825–1881) was a partner. The sailings of the steamships were thenceforth for some years between Liverpool and Philadelphia. But in 1857, New York replaced Philadelphia as a regular terminus.
In 1859, the regular call at Queenstown was commenced by this line, which may have been responsible for two other innovations in transatlantic traffic. Before 1850, practically all the steamships crossing the ocean, except for the " Great Britain," were paddle-boats.
After the advent of the Inman liners, the screw began to be everywhere substituted for the paddle. In the second place, the Inman steamers were the first that regularly undertook the conveyance of third-class passengers to the extinction of the old clipper vessels that had hitherto carried on the traffic.
In 1867, the Inman liner " City of Paris " (the first bearing the name) held the westward record with eight days 4 hours, and in 1869, the " City of Brussels " came home in 7 days 22 hours 3 minutes.
Till 1872, these records held good. The " City of Brussels " also had the distinction of being the first Atlantic mail steamer fitted with steam steering gear.
About 1875, Mr. William Inman turned the concern into a limited company, and in 1886, the business was amalgamated with the International Company, and the vessels, though still flying the red ensign, became the property of a group of United States capitalists, who also acquired the old American Line which had been started in 1873 with four Philadelphia-built steamers.
This company had been conducted under the auspices of the Pennsylvania Railroad. It plied between Liverpool and Philadelphia. A third constituent in the Inman and International Steamship Company was the Red Star Line, as the Soci6t6 Anonyme Belge-Americaine was familiarly called.
Its service was from Antwerp to New York. The whole was placed under the management of Messrs Richardson, Spence & Co., who thus, after thirty-two years, reassumed the direction of the old company.
In 1887, the two ships," City of New York " and " City of Paris, were built on the Clyde for the company. At the time of their construction, they were the largest vessels ever built, always accepting the " Great Eastern." The " City of Paris " was the first vessel (1889) to cross the Atlantic in less than six days.
The year 1893 was important in the company's history and, indeed, in the United States. The two vessels mentioned above were admitted to the American registry by Congress, a stipulation being made that two new ships of at least equal tonnage and speed to the pair should be ordered by the company from American firms and that they should be capable of being employed by the United States government as auxiliary cruisers in case of war.
President Harrison hoisted The American flag over the " New York " in 1893. The company's British headquarters were transferred from Liverpool to Southampton in the same year. In 1894, the new fleet's first American-built ocean liner was launched and named the "St Louis."
In 1898, the American Line had the distinction of supplying its country's navy with cruisers for use in war. The " St Paul," the only vessel of the tour under contract in American waters at the time, was put under the command of Captain Sigsbee, whose own battleship, the " Maine," had been blown up in Havana harbor on the 15th of February.
The other three ships were also put into commission, the " Paris " being temporarily renamed the " Yale " and the " New York " the " Harvard." In 1902, with their twin-screw liner " Kensington," the American Line made the first experiments towards fitting Atlantic passenger steamers with appliances for liquid fuel.
The express fleet of the line consists of the four vessels, " St Louis " and " St Paul," each of 11,600 tons and a length of 554 ft.; and the "New York " and " Philadelphia," each of 10,800 tons and 560 ft. length.
Several still larger but less speedy steamships have been constructed for the company's intermediate services. In addition to the weekly express service between Southampton and New York, the American Line runs steamers between New York and Antwerp, Philadelphia, Queenstown and Liverpool, and Philadelphia and Antwerp.
Benedict William Ginsburg, Steamship Lines: American Line, Encyclopædia Britannica, Volume 25, 1911.
