SS Arizona

The SS "Arizona" was a passenger vessel owned by the Guion Line. She was built by John Elder & Company, in Govan, Scotland and launched on Monday, March 10 1879.

"Arizona" was initially owned by the Guion Line, operating out of Liverpool. Shortly after her maiden voyage, the ship made a record transatlantic passage from Sandy Hook, New Jersey to Queenstown (now Cobh, Ireland) in seven days, eight hours and 11 minutes. This passage was a record for an eastbound transatlantic passage at the time and earned the ship the Blue Riband award, which she held until 1882. [cite web|url=http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/descriptions/ShipsAA.html|title=Ship Descriptions]

On November 7 1879 the ship suffered a collision with an iceberg while en route to Liverpool. While the damage was severe, she remained afloat and was able to proceed to St. John's where she underwent repairs. [cite web|url=http://www.norwayheritage.com/p_ship.asp?sh=arizo|title=Arizona, Guion Line] After repairs the ship continued making the Liverpool-New York City transit until her final transatlantic passenger voyage on May 12, 1894. The "Arizona" was subsequently sailed to Gare Loch, where she was put in to storage.

The "Arizona" was operated from 1884 by Wm. G.Pearce, also of Liverpool. She was laid up in 1894, and was rebuilt in 1898 to 5,305 tons. She then briefly operated in the Pacific Ocean for passenger transport from San Francisco to Japan and China before being sold to the War Department later that year. She was used as a US Army transport in 1898 and again in 1902, when she was acquired by the US Navy for use as a receiving ship at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and commissioned as USS "Hancock". She served as a troopship in the First World War in the north Atlantic Ocean transporting troops until 1918 when she was laid up at the Philadelphia Navy Yard and was ultimately sold for scrapping in May 1926.

References

*Ships Monthly (June 1985), Govan Shipyard, Ian Johnston
* [http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=495 Shipping Times]

See also

* More Ships Built in Govan

External links

* [http://www.merchant-navy.net/Pictures/arizona.html Picture of the SS Arizona]