SS Lake Frampton

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History
United States
NameLake Frampton
OwnerUSSB
OperatorWest India Steamship Co.
Ordered28 March 1918
Builder
American Shipbuilding Co., Lorain
Cost$806,367.10
Yard number745
Laid down3 August 1918
Launched21 October 1918
Commissioned30 November 1918
HomeportCleveland
Identification
FateSank, 12 July 1920
General characteristics
TypeDesign 1093 ship
Tonnage
Length251 ft 0 in (76.50 m)
Beam43 ft 6 in (13.26 m)
Depth26 ft 2 in (7.98 m)
Installed power267
ihp
Propulsion
triple expansion
Speed9+1⁄2 knots (10.9 mph; 17.6 km/h)

Lake Frampton was a steam cargo ship built in 1918 by

American Shipbuilding Company of Lorain for the United States Shipping Board (USSB) as part of the wartime shipbuilding program of the Emergency Fleet Corporation
(EFC) to restore the nation's Merchant Marine. The vessel was employed in coastal trade during her career and collided with another steamer, SS Comus, and sank in July 1920 on one of her regular trips with a loss of two men.

Design and construction

After the United States entry into

Atlantic they were to pass through Welland Canal connecting Lake Erie to Lake Ontario and from there continue on to Montreal where they would be commissioned and manned by American personnel. This arrangement, however, effectively limited these vessels' length and capacity due to dimensions of the Welland Canal. The ship was part of the order for eighteen vessels placed by the Shipping Board with the American Shipbuilding Co. and was laid down on 3 August 1918 at the builder's shipyard in Lorain and launched on 21 October 1918 (yard number 745).[2][1]

The vessel was designed specifically as a bulk carrier capable of carrying approximately 200,000 cubic feet of bulk cargo on each trip. The ship had two steel decks with

bridge located on top of her main deck, had her machinery located amidships and had two main cargo holds. A water-tight center-line bulkhead
ran the entire length of the ship from keel to the top of main deck. The freighter also possessed all the modern machinery for quick loading and unloading of cargo from four main hatches, including eight winches and a large number of derricks. The vessel was also equipped with wireless apparatus located in the bridge house, had submarine signal system installed and had electrical lights installed along the decks.

As built, the ship was 251 feet 0 inches (76.50 m) long (

triple expansion steam engine, with cylinders of 20-inch (51 cm), 33-inch (84 cm) and 54-inch (140 cm) diameter with a 40-inch (100 cm) stroke, that drove a single screw propeller and moved the ship at up to 9+1⁄2 knots (10.9 mph; 17.6 km/h).[4][3]
The steam for the engine was supplied by two single-ended Scotch marine boilers fitted for coal.

After successful completion of trials the freighter was handed over to USSB and officially commissioned on November 30.

Operational history

After delivery Lake Frampton sailed from Cleveland on 30 November 1918 for Montreal and from there proceeded on to New York where she arrived on December 22.

Manatí she returned to Philadelphia on February 6, thus successfully concluding her maiden voyage.[6]

The freighter together with several other vessels was then commissioned for one trip to Europe as part of the hunger relief mission. After loading full cargo of pork and other food supplies in New York she departed for Europe in mid March 1919 and arrived at Bordeaux on April 21 to unload her aid cargo.[7][8] From France the ship sailed on her return trip back to New York via Cardiff. She left Cardiff on April 26, but was forced to return to port after developing problems with her gear. After undergoing temporary repairs, the freighter was able to proceed on her westward trip about a week later, arriving in New York on May 22 where she was put into Morse drydock for further repairs.[9]

After finalizing her repair work, Lake Frampton proceeded to Norfolk and from there to

Port Eads where she arrived on July 9.[10] After loading a cargo of lumber the vessel sailed to London and returned to Charleston on August 26.[11][12] The vessel stayed on her European route until the end of the year, returning to Baltimore on 16 January 1920 with a cargo of iron ore from Huelva.[13] Subsequently, the vessel was shifted to coastal trade, carrying phosphates from Florida to Baltimore, and coal from Norfolk to Cuba, and returning with cargoes of sugar. For example, Lake Frampton cleared out from Norfolk on February 7 with 3,412 tons of coal bound for Cienfuegos.[14]

The freighter arrived at New York on June 13 from Sagua with a cargo of sugar and then proceeded to drydock for repairs and maintenance and remained there for the next 3 weeks.[15]

Sinking

Lake Frampton left New York on her last voyage, in ballast, at around 18:00 on 11 July 1920 bound for

Newport News. The vessel was under command of captain Frank Powers and carried a crew of 37. The freighter proceeded down the coast on her usual course and passed Barnegat Gas Buoy about 01:20 on July 12, about five miles off. The weather was clear, the stars were shining brightly, but there was no moon. The ship was moving at about 10 knots (12 mph; 19 km/h). At the same time, SS Comus was proceeding up the coast at the speed of about 12 knots (14 mph; 22 km/h) on a voyage from New Orleans to New York with around 100 passengers, 78 crew and general cargo. At 02:45 Comus passed Absecon Light and approximately 15 minutes later her second officer on duty saw the range lights of Lake Frampton about 6 or 7 miles away to his left. Shortly after, Lake Frampton changed her course 17° to starboard and continued on at the same speed. Noticing Lake Frampton maneuver, the navigator on Comus ordered a hard astarboard, swinging about 15° attempting to swing the vessel clear. Instead, at about 03:20, east of the Tucker's Beach Light, Comus's stem struck Lake Frampton on her port side forward of the deck, nearly cutting her in half. As Comus reversed her engines, the ships quickly separated and Comus drifted about half a mile away from the stricken freighter.[16][17][18]

Lake Frampton started to take on water rapidly, and captain Powers ordered the ship to be abandoned. Due to the vessel listing heavily on port side, only starboard lifeboat could be launched. The captain and fifteen other crew members managed to get into it. The rest of the crew was forced to jump into water. Comus stood by about a mile away and commenced rescue work immediately lowering her own lifeboats. Lake Frampton went down about 10 minutes after the collision. All crew with an exception of an oiler and fireman was rescued by Comus.[17]

Notes

  1. ^ a b Contract and Requisitioned Steamships Taken on August 3, 1917, Under Authority of the President's Executive Order of July 11, 1917. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office. January 31, 1920. p. 21.
  2. ^ "Lake Frampton (2217288)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  3. ^ a b c Lloyd's Register, Steamships and Motorships. London: Lloyd's Register. 1920–1921.
  4. ^ a b Merchant Vessels of the United States. Washington, DC: United States Printing Office. 1919–1920. p. 127.
  5. ^ "Marine Intelligence". New York Herald. 23 December 1918. p. 14.
  6. ^ "News Of The Ships And Shipping Men". The Philadelphia Inquirer. 7 February 1919. p. 15.
  7. Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  8. ^ "Marine Intelligence". New York Herald. 22 April 1919. p. 12.
  9. ^ "Army Queries Answered". The Standard Union. 21 June 1919. p. 12.
  10. ^ "Foreign Shipping". Daily Press. 10 July 1919. p. 9.
  11. ^ "Maritime News". The Tampa Tribune. 28 August 1919. p. 11.
  12. ^ "Important Sailings". International Shipping Digest. Vol. 1, no. 1. August 1919. p. 32.
  13. ^ "Shipping". The Baltimore Sun. 17 January 1920. p. 11.
  14. ^ "Activities in the Export and Bunker Trades". The Black Diamond. Vol. 64, no. 7. 14 February 1920. p. 161.
  15. The New York Tribune
    . 14 June 1920. p. 7.
  16. Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  17. ^
    Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  18. ^ The Comus. Southern Pac. Co. v. United States, 19 F.2d 774 (2d Cir 1927).

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