SS William O'Brien

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History
United States
NameWilliam O'Brien
NamesakeWilliam J. O'Brien
Owner
  • East Coast Transportation Co. (1915–1917)
  • Delaware Navigation Co. (Apr–Oct 1917)
  • Huron Navigation Co. (Oct 1917-1920)
Operator
  • W.R. Grace & Co.
    (June–Sept 1915)
  • East Coast Transportation Co. (Oct 1915–Jan 1917)
  • Cosmopolitan Shipping Co. (Apr–Oct 1917)
  • Army Transportation Service (Oct 1917–February 1919)
  • France & Canada Steamship Co. (1919–1920)
Builder
New York Shipbuilding Co., Camden
CostUS$400,000
Yard number158
Laid down9 September 1914
Launched27 February 1915
Sponsored byMiss Alice O'Brien
Commissioned17 April 1915
Maiden voyage20 June 1915
HomeportNew York
Identification
FateFoundered, 18 April 1920
General characteristics
TypeCargo ship
Tonnage
Length353 ft 3 in (107.67 m)
Beam51 ft 2 in (15.60 m)
Depth24 ft 2 in (7.37 m)
Installed power301
ihp
Propulsion
triple expansion
Speed9+1⁄2 knots (10.9 mph; 17.6 km/h)

William O'Brien was a steam cargo ship built in 1914–1915 by

New York Shipbuilding Company of Camden
for the Carpenter–O'Brien Lumber Company of Delaware. The vessel was extensively employed on East Coast to Europe routes during her career and foundered on one of her regular trips in April 1920.

Design and construction

The Carpenter–O'Brien Lumber Company controlled by the William J. O'Brien's family of Minnesota was incorporated in Delaware in May 1913. As part of their expansion eastward they acquired a large tract of pine forest in central Florida near a town of

St. John's River. The Eastport sawmill were to mill pine logs coming from the O'Brien's holdings, and from there ship them by sea to the company's yard on Staten Island. In 1914 the company placed an order with the New York Shipbuilding Co. to build a cargo steamship, specifically designed for lumber transportation. The vessel was designed by San Francisco naval architect and marine engineer Edward S. Hough to be used seamlessly with monorail conveyor loading and unloading systems employed in many lumber-handling ports. The freighter was laid down on 9 September 1914 at the builder's shipyard and launched on 27 February 1915 (yard number 158), with Miss Alice O'Brien, daughter of William J. O'Brien of St. Paul, one of the principal owners of the company, being the sponsor.[2][3]

The vessel was designed specifically as a lumber carrier capable of carrying approximately 3,000,000 feet of packaged lumber on each trip. The ship had a single steel deck with

shelter deck and forecastle, had her machinery located aft and had eight main cargo holds. A water-tight center-line bulkhead ran the entire length of the ship from keel to the top of main deck. In order to be able to load and unload her cargo in a day or less, her holds and hatches were arranged in such a way so they could easily work together with the conveyor cargo loading system. The freighter had no cargo-handling gear of her own with the exception of a forward hoist which were to be used sparingly.[4]
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 353 feet 3 inches (107.67 m) long (

triple expansion steam engine, with cylinders of 24+1⁄2-inch (62 cm), 38+1⁄2-inch (98 cm) and 67-inch (170 cm) diameter with a 45-inch (110 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).[6][5]
The steam for the engine was supplied by three single-ended Scotch marine boilers fitted for oil fuel.

The sea trials were held on the Delaware River on 15 April 1915 during which the steamer performed satisfactorily. Following their successful completion, the freighter was handed over to her owners on April 17.[7]

Operational history

After delivery William O'Brien remained berthed in New York awaiting completion of the owner's yard on Staten Island. While idle, the freighter was chartered for three months by the

Bremerton Navy Yard. The freighter departed Philadelphia for her maiden voyage on 20 June 1915, arriving at the Panama Canal nine days later.[9] While transiting through the canal, the vessel got stranded and suffered some minor damage to her hull. After an uneventful journey through the Pacific, she arrived at her destination on July 22.[10] After undergoing quick repairs and unloading her cargo, she proceeded to visit several ports around the Puget Sound such as Tacoma and Mukilteo where she took on board a load of 1,000 tons of copper and 3,250,000 feet of lumber and departed for East Coast on August 16. The freighter reached New York on September 19, thus successfully concluding her maiden trip.[11]
Upon completion of the trip, the vessel was returned to her owners and was put under control of East Coast Transportation Co., a subsidiary of Carpenter–O'Brien Lumber Co., and proceeded on her first trip down the Atlantic coast arriving at Jacksonville on October 5. William O'Brien continued serving this general route through the end of 1916 carrying lumber from Jacksonville to New York on her northward journeys, and returning down south with general merchandise.

Late in 1916 Carpenter-O'Brien Lumber decided to divest itself of their Florida holdings including their lumber freighter William O'Brien. Early in 1917 the vessel was put into New York Shipbuilding Co. drydock for modifications to make it suitable to carry cargo other than packaged lumber.[12] In February 1917, New York banker Sylvester W. Labrot and three of his partners formed Delaware Navigation Corporation and through it acquired steamer William O'Brien for approximately US$1,600,000 to serve on a route between East Coast and Europe. After delivery in April 1917 the vessel was put under management of Cosmopolitan Shipping Co. to be employed on New York to Genoa route. At the same time the owners created a new entity, Huron Navigation Corp., with a goal to increase capitalization with William O'Brien being transferred to the newly formed company in early October 1917. Under the management of Delaware Navigation Corp. William O'Brien made three trips to Europe before being chartered by the French government to carry general cargo from New York to Le Havre.[13]

On 12 October 1917 while William O'Brien was on her homeward journey, the

Barry Roads and looking for anchorage, William O'Brien struck British steamer SS Kyleakin anchored in port and caused minor damage to the latter's hull.[14]

On 22 November 1917 approximately 90% of Huron Navigation Corp. stock was bought for US$700,000 by the France & Canada Steamship Corp. owned by Charles and Francis R. Mayer bringing the vessel under their control. The Army wanted to use William O'Brien as a

British Admiralty
trading the services of William O'Brien for two smaller vessels capable of carrying coal. The vessel remained in Army service and operated by the British Admiralty through the early part of 1919.

On 16 October 1918 William O'Brien, while in the British Admiralty service, collided in River Mersey with British steamer SS Dorington Court and was forced to beach herself to avoid sinking.[15]

Following the end of hostilities, William O'Brien was discharged from her Army service and departed

Flushing due to her running out of fuel.[18]

Sinking

William O'Brien cleared out from

US Coast Guard and two cutters, Seminole and Acushnet, were dispatched from Woods Hole to search for survivors. On April 20 Port Saunders radioed that she encountered an empty lifeboat marked William O'Brien in approximately the same area as last reported by the distressed vessel.[22] On April 22 cutter Acushnet found a name board belonging to the missing steamer in a potential place of the foundering floating in the sea covered by fuel oil.[23] The search for the survivors continued for several more days but no trace of William O'Brien or any other lifeboats were ever found. Cutter Acushnet eventually was recalled back to Boston on April 25.[24]

Notes

  1. ^ Cases Decided in the Court of Claims of the United States. Vol. LX. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office. 1925. pp. 783–784.
  2. ^ "William O'Brien (2213085)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  3. Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  4. ^ "Lumber Operations On The Atlantic Coast". International Marine Engineering. Vol. XX, no. 3. March 1915. pp. 126–128.
  5. ^ a b c Lloyd's Register, Steamships and Motorships. London: Lloyd's Register. 1919–1920.
  6. ^ a b Merchant Vessels of the United States. Washington, DC: United States Printing Office. 1918–1919.
  7. Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  8. Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  9. ^ "Movements of Ocean Vessels". The Canal Record. Vol. VIII, no. 46. 7 July 1915. p. 406.
  10. Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  11. ^ "News Of The Shipping". The Baltimore Sun. 20 September 1915. p. 7.
  12. Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  13. ISBN 978-14766-6703-4
    .
  14. ^ Hearings By United States Congress House Committee on Appropriations. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office. 1929. pp. 595–597.
  15. ^ Cases Decided in the Court of Claims of the United States. Vol. LX. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office. 1925. p. 791.
  16. ^ "Shipping And Mails". The New York Times. 12 February 1920. p. 23.
  17. ^ "Movements Of Ocean Vessels". The Panama Canal Record. Vol. XIII, no. 12. 5 November 1919. p. 158.
  18. Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  19. The New York Herald
    . 17 April 1920. p. 12.
  20. ^ Annual Report of the Supervising Inspector General, Steamboat Inspection Service. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office. 1920. p. 16.
  21. Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  22. Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  23. Newspapers.com.Free access icon
  24. Newspapers.com.Free access icon
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