SS City of Everett

The SS "City of Everett" was an important whaleback steamship. She sailed from 1894 until 1923, and was the first U.S. Steamship to pass through the Suez Canal, as well as the first to circumnavigate the globe. [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4442/is_200410/ai_n16065472/pg_2 LAST of the WHALEBACKS | Sea Classics | Find Articles at BNET.com ] ] Her radio call letters were GF and her signal letters KMCQ.

Origin

In the 1890s, Alexander McDougall, the originator of the whaleback ship design, wanted to build ships in Washington, on the Pacific Coast. His steamer SS Charles W. Wetmore (1891 – 265 ft) became the first lake vessel to leave the Great Lakes when she took a load of grain from Duluth to Liverpool, England, shooting the St. Lawrence rapids in the process. "Wetmore" was sent around Cape Horn with a load of supplies for the establishment of a ship-building colony near Everett, Washington. From parts she carried, the "City of Everett" was built, commissioned in 1894. Intended to be the first of a line of whaleback ships built out of the facility in Everett, changing fortunes resulted in her being the only ship produced there by McDougall's ill-fated company.

Her career

On September 8, 1902, "City of Everett" suffered an explosion while loading at Port Arthur, Texas. Her captain, a mate, and several crew members were seriously injured; the resulting fire engulfed not only the ship, but also destroyed the docks and wharves of the Texas Company (later known as Texaco). [http://www.oldandsold.com/articles11/port-arthur-7.shtml]

In January 1905, "City of Everett" collided with the Norwegian steam freighter "Leif Eriksson" north of Charleston, South Carolina. "Leif Eriksson" took on water through a deep gash in her hull, and sank in less than 10 minutes with the loss of two lives. [cite web |title=September 25, 2007: Identification of the "Anchor Wreck" |publisher=Association of Underwater Explorers |author=Barnette, MC |url=http://uwex.us/AUEaugust07.htm |year=2007 |accessdate=2008-09-06 ]

Near Nantucket on January 23 1909, "City of Everett" heard a distress signal from the RMS "Republic", which was taking on water following a collision. Captain Thomas Fenlon of the "City of Everett" twice offered his ship's considerable pumping and towing abilities, but with assistance reportedly on the way from the White Star Line, "Republic" declined.http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9A01E4DB1031E733A25754C2A9679C946897D6CF&oref=slogin "New York Times article", January 26 1909 "Could Have Saved Republic, He Says"] Fog delayed tugs of the White Star Line, and towing efforts by the smaller US Coast Guard cutter "Gresham" failed. "Republic" sank the next day. Newspapers at the time reported that if the White Star Line had been successful in recovering the "Republic" with company ships, instead of using a third-party salvor, it could have recouped some of its salvage expenses from the owners of the recovered cargo aboard the "Republic". [ [http://www.rms-republic.com/sal01.html RMS Republic - Practically Unsinkable ] ] The inference was that "Republic's" captain had refused aid merely to prevent another company from sharing the salvage award if the ship were to be saved. "Everett's" Captain Fenlon maintained that, as "Republic" had remained afloat until the day after the collision, she could have been saved if she had accepted a tow from "City of Everett", stating that his boat was "built for ocean towing" and was equipped with "tremendously powerful machinery and towing cables seven inches in diameter", as well as pumps with a capacity of "two million gallons an hour".

While carrying molasses from Santiago, Cuba to New Orleans on October 11 1923, "City of Everett" foundered in the Gulf of Mexico. The ship and all twenty-six aboard were lost. [ [http://visseraa.piranho.de/International/id614.htm City of Everett - (1901-1922) ] ]

ee also

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* Steamships

References