The Metropolitan Steamship Company was for 75 years one of the chief transportation links between

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

and Boston, Massachusetts. It was closely associated with the

Whitney family The Whitney family is an American family notable for their business enterprises, social prominence, wealth and philanthropy, founded by John Whitney (1592–1673), who came from London, England to Watertown, Massachusetts in 1635. The historic fa ...

until its acquisition by

Charles W. Morse Charles Wyman Morse (October 21, 1856 – January 12, 1933) was an American businessman and speculator who committed frauds and engaged in corrupt business practices. At one time he controlled 13 banks. Known as the "Ice King" early in his career ...

in 1906. Even after being merged into

Eastern Steamship Lines Eastern Steamship Lines was a shipping company in the United States that operated from 1901 to 1955. It was created through successive mergers by Wall Street financier and speculator Charles W. Morse.Robert F. Bruner and Sean D. Carr, ''The Panic ...

, it was maintained as a distinct service, the Metropolitan Line, until 1941.

Metropolitan Steamship Company

Early history

The Metropolitan Steamship Company was established by Boston business interests soon after the end of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

in 1866 to operate steamships on the "outside route" between Boston and New York City around

Cape Cod Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of mainland Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer mon ...

. The company was organized in February 1866 by Peter Butler, James B. Taft, Thomas Clyde, Brigadier General

James Scollay Whitney James Scollay Whitney (May 19, 1811 – October 24, 1878) was an American business executive and politician. He was the father of Henry Melville Whitney and William Collins Whitney, founders of the Whitney family business interests. Early life W ...

, and Whitney's elder son,

Henry Melville Whitney Henry Melville Whitney (October 22, 1839 – January 25, 1923) was an American industrialist, the founder of the West End Street Railway Company of Boston, Massachusetts, and later the Dominion Coal Company Ltd. and the Dominion Iron and Steel ...

. One of the objectives of the investors was to place in remunerative service vessels they owned which were presently idle. James S. Whitney, who had been collector of customs for the Port of Boston in 1860–61, was elected president; Henry M. Whitney was named agent at Boston. Other members of the family eventually became financially interested in the company, including Whitney's younger son,

William Collins Whitney William Collins Whitney (July 5, 1841February 2, 1904) was an American political leader and financier and a prominent descendant of the John Whitney family. He served as Secretary of the Navy in the first administration of President Grover Clev ...

, and his sons-in-law,

Henry F. Dimock Henry Farnam Dimock (March 28, 1842 – April 10, 1911) was a lawyer in New York City who was closely associated with the Whitney family business interests. Early life and education Dimock was born in South Coventry, Connecticut, the son of Dr. ...

and

Charles T. Barney Charles Tracy Barney (January 27, 1851 – November 14, 1907) was the president of the Knickerbocker Trust Company, the collapse of which shortly before Barney's death sparked the Panic of 1907. Early life Charles T. Barney was born on January 27 ...

. Service was inaugurated in 1866 by Captain George L. Norton with the steamer ''Ashland'', a wooden propeller of 843 gross tons, built in 1853 at

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

and owned by Thomas Clyde. The ''Ashland'' was soon followed into service by the ''Jersey Blue'', ''City of Bath'', ''Mary Sanford'', ''Salvor'', ''Relief'', ''Miami'', ''Monticello'' and ''Fairbanks''. Oldest of these was the ''Jersey Blue'', a 368-ton, 133-foot wooden propeller built in 1850 at

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat, seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County and the second largest city within the New Yo ...

. All were propellers except the ''Miami'', a sidewheeler built in 1861–62 by the

Philadelphia Navy Yard The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard was an important naval shipyard of the United States for almost two centuries. Philadelphia's original navy yard, begun in 1776 on Front Street and Federal Street in what is now the Pennsport section of the ci ...

as the gunboat USS ''Miami'' and sold for mercantile use in 1865. The line's New York offices were at first located at the foot of Catherine Street, East River, but soon moved to Pier 10, North River, where they remained for nearly half a century. In December 1866 the wooden propellers ''Nereus'', ''Glaucus'' and ''Neptune'' were purchased from the failed Merchants' Steamship Company. Built in 1864, each was a vessel of 1,800 tons and measured 228 feet in length with a beam of 40 feet. Their hulls had to be strengthened, as they had been built for the more protected waters of Long Island Sound, not the open seas beyond Point Judith. Simple expansion steam engines gave a speed of 13 knots.

Iron steamships

The line's first iron-hulled propeller, the '' General Whitney'', was built in 1873 by

Harlan & Hollingsworth Harlan & Hollingsworth was a Wilmington, Delaware, firm that constructed ships and railroad cars during the 19th century and into the 20th century. Founding Mahlon Betts, a carpenter, arrived in Wilmington in 1812. After helping construct ma ...

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington (Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christin ...

. A vessel of 1,848 tons, she measured 227 feet in length with a beam of 40 feet, and was propelled by two-cylinder compound engines. All of the company's iron steamers were designed by

Herman Winter Herman Winter (1885 – January 28, 1959) was an American labor union leader. Born in Helena, Montana, Winter moved to Kansas City, Missouri at an early age. He became a baker, and joined the Bakery and Confectionery Workers International Un ...

, the line's chief engineer from 1872 to 1891. Upon the death of James Whitney on October 24, 1878, Henry Whitney was elected his successor as president of the steamship line. In addition, he retained the office of agent at Boston. In 1884 the 2,625-toon iron propeller '' H.F. Dimock'' was built by

William Cramp & Sons William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Company (also known as William Cramp & Sons Ship & Engine Building Company) of Philadelphia was founded in 1830 by William Cramp, and was the preeminent U.S. iron shipbuilder of the late 19th century. Company hi ...

at Philadelphia and named for the line's New York agent. A similar 2,625-ton, 274-foot iron propeller, the ''

'', was built by Cramps in 1887. Both had two-cylinder compound engines. With the construction of the 2,706-ton, 288-foot '' H.M. Whitney'', powered by triple expansion engines at the Cramp shipyard in 1890, the line possessed four modern iron propellers – the ''General Whitney'', ''H.F. Dimock'', ''Herman Winter'' and ''H.M. Whitney'', and the older wooden propellers ''Glaucus'' and ''Neptune'' (the ''Nereus'' having been lost while a barge).

Into the 20th century

While on her customary route from New York to Boston the steamer ''H.F. Dimock'' collided with

William K. Vanderbilt William Kissam "Willie" Vanderbilt I (December 12, 1849 – July 22, 1920) was an American heir, businessman, philanthropist and horsebreeder. Born into the Vanderbilt family, he managed his family's railroad investments. Early life William Kiss ...

's yacht, the ''Alva'', in the Pollock Rip Slough, a narrow channel of Vineyard Sound, on July 24, 1892, sinking the ''Alva''. Captain Henry Morrison of the ''Alva'' filed suit against the ''H.F. Dimock'', but both the

United States District Court The United States district courts are the trial courts of the U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each federal judicial district, which each cover one U.S. state or, in some cases, a portion of a state. Each district c ...

for

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

and the

United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point ...

ruled against him. The ''H.M. Whitney'' was involved in a serious accident while still in harbor on September 28, 1892. While bound from Boston to New York, at 7 p.m. the ''H.M. Whitney'' was run down and sunk in Boston harbor by the transatlantic steamer ''Ottoman'' of the Warren Line, bound from

Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...

to Boston. There were no deaths, and the ''H.M. Whitney'' was refloated and reconditioned for further service In 1893 the firm of Flint & Company purchased the steamer ''El Cid'' of the Morgan Line and outfitted her as an auxiliary cruiser named ''Nichtheroy''(sold to United States Navy and renamed as

USS Buffalo (1892) The second USS ''Buffalo'' (later AD-8) was an auxiliary cruiser of the United States Navy, and later a destroyer tender. ''Buffalo'' was launched on 31 May 1893 by Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, in Newport News, Virginia, as ...

) for service in the Brazilian Civil War of 1893–94. At one point it was reported that Flint & Company wished to purchase the ''H.F. Dimock'' or ''Herman Winter'' from Metropolitan, but nothing came of it. The ''Glaucus'' and ''Neptune'' were withdrawn from service in 1893 and laid up at

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, behi ...

, where they remained until July 1906, when they were finally towed to Boston for breaking up. In 1898 the ''General Whitney'' was chartered by the Morgan Line for service between

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

St. Augustine, Florida St. Augustine ( ; es, San Agustín ) is a city in the Southeastern United States and the county seat of St. Johns County on the Atlantic coast of northeastern Florida. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorers, it is the oldest continuously inhabit ...

, on April 23, 1899. Lifeboats were launched, but as they came ashore in the surf one capsized, drowning Captain Hawthrone and 16 men. When the

Joy Steamship Company The Joy Steamship Company (also the Joy Line) was an independent steamship line operating in Long Island Sound in the early decades of the 20th century. It was named for its owner Allan Joy. Founded in 1899, the Joy Line initially competed with th ...

established its New York City-

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...

service in 1899, the company also instituted freight-only service between New York and Boston. The Joy Line was acquired by the

New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , commonly known as The Consolidated, or simply as the New Haven, was a railroad that operated in the New England region of the United States from 1872 to December 31, 1968. Founded by the merger of ...

in 1906, ending its freight service to Boston. On January 23, 1900, the ''Herman Winter'' was bound from New York to Boston when she collided with the freighter ''Ardendhu'' of the Munson Line off Robinson's Hole, Vineyard Sound. The ''Ardendhu'' sank with the loss of two crew members, but the ''Herman Winter'' brought 29 survivors into Vineyard Haven. In 1900 the 2,707-ton, 278-foot steamer '' James S. Whitney'' was built to replace the lost ''General Whitney''. Built by Harlan & Hollingsworth at Wilmington, this modern steel propeller was powered by triple expansion engines. The annual passenger season for the line was from May to November. In 1903 the line's steamers left

India Wharf India Wharf (1804-c. 1962) in Boston, Massachusetts, flourished in the 19th century, when it was one of the largest commercial wharves in the port. The structure began in 1804 to accommodate international trade at a time when several other improve ...

, Boston, for New York daily at 4 p.m. The evening sailing in the opposite direction from New York was from Pier 14, North River.

Charles W. Morse gains control

Originally chartered in Massachusetts, the Metropolitan Steamship Company was reincorporated in May 1905 in Maine. In 1906 Whitney and his associates sold a controlling interest in the company to

of the

Eastern Steamship Company Eastern Steamship Lines was a shipping company in the United States that operated from 1901 to 1955. It was created through successive mergers by Wall Street financier and speculator Charles W. Morse.Robert F. Bruner and Sean D. Carr, ''The Panic ...

. Whitney later said this was the worst mistake he ever made. Morse organized the Consolidated Steamship Company in January 1907 as a holding company for Metropolitan as well as Eastern Steamship Company, Clyde Steamship Company and

Mallory Steamship Company Mallory is an Irish surname derived from the Gaelic ''Ó Mallairígh''. Spelling variants include Mallary, Mallery, Malorie, Mallorie, Mallerie and Mallorey. Mallory and Mallerie are also given names derived from the surname. Surname * Arenia ...

. Despite an initial announcement of such a sale, Morse failed in his attempt to purchase the Long Island Sound fleet of the New York, New Haven and Hartford. He did, however, acquire control of the

New York and Cuba Mail Steamship Company The New York and Cuba Mail Steamship Company, commonly called the Ward Line, was a shipping company that operated from 1841 until liquidated in 1954. The line operated out of New York City's Piers 15, 16, and 17—land which later became the site ...

and the New York and Porto Rico Steamship Company in 1907. In 1906–07 the steamers ''Harvard'' and were built by the Delaware River Iron Shipbuilding & Engine Works (the operator of the old

John Roach John Roach may refer to any of the following: *John Roach (shipbuilder) (1816–1887), United States shipbuilder *John Roach (bishop) (1921–2003), bishop of the Catholic Church *John Roach (baseball) (1867–1934), former Major League Baseball pit ...

shipyard) at

Chester, Pennsylvania Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located within the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area, it is the only city in Delaware County and had a population of 32,605 as of the 2020 census. Incorporated in 1682, Chester ...

, for a Metropolitan subsidiary, the Metropolitan Steamship Company of New Jersey. Each of the 3,731-ton steel propellers measured 407 feet in length with a beam of 61 feet, and had accommodations for 987 overnight passengers. Amongst the first American ships to be fitted with

steam turbines A steam turbine is a machine that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam and uses it to do mechanical work on a rotating output shaft. Its modern manifestation was invented by Charles Parsons in 1884. Fabrication of a modern steam turbi ...

, the two ships had a maximum speed of 24 knots and upon entering service were the fastest American-flagged vessels afloat. Owing to the highly leveraged nature of his financing, the Morse business empire crashed in the

Panic of 1907 The Panic of 1907, also known as the 1907 Bankers' Panic or Knickerbocker Crisis, was a financial crisis that took place in the United States over a three-week period starting in mid-October, when the New York Stock Exchange fell almost 50% from ...

. The Metropolitan Steamship Company went into receivership in February 1908. The ''H.M. Whitney'' was outbound from New York to Boston with passengers and freight when a failure of her steering gear caused her to run aground in the Hell Gate channel of the East River on the afternoon of May 23, 1908. After floating off on a rising tide, she anchored in mid-channel, where her lights were concealed by a heavy fog that lay over the river and Long Island Sound all that evening and night. Fortunately, damage was minor, and she was able to proceed when the fog cleared. During 1907 three modern steamers, the ''

'', '' Bunker Hill'' and '' Old Colony'', had been built by Cramps at Philadelphia as package freighters for the Maine Steamship Company, a New Haven subsidiary. Each of the 4,029-ton steel propellers measured 395 feet in length with a beam of 52 feet three inches. The ''Massachusetts'' and ''Bunker Hill'' were propelled by steam turbines while the ''Old Colony'' had reciprocating engines. They were running between New York, Boston and Portland on what was called the Boston Merchants' Line when

Charles Sanger Mellen Charles Sanger Mellen (August 16, 1852 – November 17, 1927) was an American railroad man whose career culminated in the presidencies of the Northern Pacific Railway (1897-1903) and the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (1903-1913). Hi ...

of the New Haven sold a controlling interest in the trio to Morse in 1908. In the meantime, Morse had been indicted for his role in precipitating the Panic of 1907. He was sentenced to federal prison in November 1908 for violation of federal banking laws but remained free on appeal until January 1910.

Corporate restructuring

On March 10, 1909, the ''H.F. Dimock'', bound from New York to Boston, and the coastwise steamer ''Horatio Hall'' of the Maine Steamship Company collided in the eastern Vineyard Sound shortly after 8 a.m. while sailing at half speed in a heavy fog. The accident occurred in Pollock Rip Slue, not far from where the ''H.F. Dimock'' had collided with the ''Alva'' in 1892. Captain John A. Thompson of the ''H.F. Dimock'' brought his vessel alongside the ''Horatio Hall'' so that the latter's five passengers could be transferred. The ''Horatio Hall'' sank at the edge of the channel. Most of her crew left in lifeboats and were picked up by the ''H.F. Dimock'', but Captain W. Frank Jewell, the pilot, first mate, and two seamen remained in the pilot house, which remained a few feet above water. (They were picked up later.) The ''H.F. Dimock'' left the scene at 11:15 a.m. and sailed slowly toward Orleans Life-Saving Station, where she was beached. The passengers and crew were removed by the lifesavers under Captain James H. Charles. Moderately damaged, the ''H.F. Dimock'' was later hauled off the beach and towed to shipyard for repairs. On October 8, 1909, Metropolitan's assets were sold at foreclosure sale to John W. McKinnon of Chicago. The company was reincorporated in Maine on October 11, 1909, with Morse as president, McKinnon as vice president, Charles L. Andrews as secretary and Campbell Carrington as treasurer. The ''James S. Whitney'' was outbound from New York to Boston when she ran aground in Hell Gate channel at 5:40 p.m. on December 18, 1909. Captain J.W. Crowell found it necessary to give way for a passing Fall River Line package freighter, and while doing so was forced aground by the ebbing tide. It was necessary to lighter part of her cargo before she could be pulled off by tugs. No passengers were on board at the time. Early on July 15, 1910, the ''James S. Whitney'' was again in trouble while bound from New York to Boston with a cargo of wool, cotton and oil. She passed Point Judith at 5:30 a.m. and caught fire about half an hour later. In an attempt to reach Vineyard Haven she ran onto the western end of Middle Ground Shoals in Vineyard Sound at 8 a.m. The steamer backed off the shoal at 11:45 a.m. and, accompanied by the revenue cutter ''Acushnet'', safely reached Vineyard Haven. Contained in one section of the cargo hold, the fire continued to smolder for a couple days but was finally extinguished. On the afternoon of the next day, July 16, 1910, fire destroyed Piers 14 and 15 on the North River in New York City. The ''H.F. Dimock'' of the Metropolitan Steamship Company and the ''Altemaha'' of the Brunswick Line were able to leave their berths with some damage, but two sailors from the ''H.F. Dimock'' panicked and were drowned. The ''Harvard'' suffered only some blistered paint and was able to sail on her evening departure for Boston from Pier 9. Later in 1910 the ''Harvard'' and ''Yale'' were leased for $360,000 a year to the

Pacific Navigation Company The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

for service between

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

and

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

. After a voyage by way of the

Strait of Magellan The Strait of Magellan (), also called the Straits of Magellan, is a navigable sea route in southern Chile separating mainland South America to the north and Tierra del Fuego to the south. The strait is considered the most important natural pa ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

, they entered service in December 1910. Sailings were extended to

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

in 1911. Leased by H.F. Alexander's Admiral Line for service on the same route in 1916, they saw war service in 1918 as military ferries on the

English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" ( Cotentinais) or (Jèrriais), ( Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kan ...

, a locale for which they were well suited. Later, they were operated on their old California coastwise route by the

Los Angeles Steamship Company The Los Angeles Steamship Company or LASSCO was a passenger and freight shipping company based in Los Angeles, California. Description The company, formed in 1920, initially provided fast passenger service between Los Angeles and San Francisco. I ...

Metropolitan Line

For the 1911 season the ''Massachusetts'', ''Bunker Hill'' and ''Old Colony'' sailed between New York, Boston and

Portland, Maine Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine and the seat of Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 in April 2020. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, the 104th-largest metro ...

, for the Maine Steamship Company. In 1911 the Metropolitan Steamship Company and Maine Steamship Company were consolidated with the

to form the Eastern Steamship Corporation. The ''Massachusetts'' and ''Bunker Hill'' were sent to the Cramp yard in 1912 for the addition of passenger accommodations and conversion to oil fuel. Their sister, the ''Old Colony'', remained coal-fired. The line went into receivership in 1914, but emerged in 1917 as

. The company's Boston-New York service, the Metropolitan Line, began using the

Cape Cod Canal The Cape Cod Canal is an artificial waterway in the U.S. state of Massachusetts connecting Cape Cod Bay in the north to Buzzards Bay in the south, and is part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. The approximately canal traverses the neck ...

in 1916. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

the ''James S. Whitney'' and ''H.M. Whitney'' were sold to foreign interests, reportedly for $400,000 each, for ocean service. The ''H.F. Dimock'' and ''Herman Winter'' were also sold during this period and placed in the banana trade between Mobile, Alabama, and

Bocas del Toro Bocas del Toro (; meaning "Mouth of the Bull") is a province of Panama. Its area is 4,643.9 square kilometers, comprising the mainland and nine main islands. The province consists of the Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Bahía Almirante (Almirante Bay ...

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...

. After the United States' entry into

, the ''Massachusetts'' and ''Bunker Hill'' were purchased by the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

in 1917 and converted into minelayers as the (later AK-44) and USS Shawmut (CM-4) (later ). Eastern assigned the steamers ''Camden'', ''Belfast'' and ''North Land'' to the Metropolitan Line from 1918 to 1925. In 1924 the steamers ''Boston'' and ''New York'' were built for the service; they were joined at peak periods by the ''North Land''. Sailings on the Metropolitan Line had always been summer-only, but Eastern assigned the steamers ''George Washington'' and ''Robert E. Lee'' to the route in the off season from 1927 to 1932. When the steamers ''Saint John'' and ''Acadia'' were built in 1932, ''Saint John'' was assigned to the Boston-

Saint John, New Brunswick Saint John is a seaport city of the Atlantic Ocean located on the Bay of Fundy in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. Saint John is the oldest incorporated city in Canada, established by royal charter on May 18, 1785, during the reign of K ...

route in the summer, with the ''Acadia'' on a new route between New York and

Yarmouth, Nova Scotia Yarmouth is a town in southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. A port town, industries include fishing, and tourism. It is the terminus of a ferry service to Bar Harbor, Maine, run by Bay Ferries. History Originally inhabited by the Mi'kmaq, the regi ...

. In the off season both were assigned to the Metropolitan Line. Service on Eastern's various routes was gradually reduced in the 1930s. The steamer ''New York'' left Manhattan on the last sailing of the Metropolitan Line on November 29, 1941.Hilton, p. 100.

Footnotes

{{reflist, 2

References

*John Harrison Morrison, ''History of American Steam Navigation'', p. 403. New York: W.F. Sametz & Co., Inc., 1908. *Francis B.C. Bradlee, "Some Account of Steam Navigation in New England", Essex Institute Historical Collections, Vol. XVI, No. 3 (July 1920), pp. 181–182. *''The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography'', Vol. X, pp. 154–155. New York: James T. White & Company, 1909. Reprint of 1900 edition. *Robert Gardiner (ed. dir.), ''Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905'', p. 130. London: Conway Maritime Press, 1979. *Hilton, p. 99; Robert Gardiner (ed. dir.), ''Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921'', p. 133. London: Conway Maritime Press, 1985. *Ralph Shanks, Wick York and Lisa Woo Shanks, ''The U.S. Life-Saving Service. Heroes, Rescues and Architecture of the Early Coast Guard'', pp. 48, 59, 243. Petaluma, California: Costano Books, 1996. *George W. Hilton, ''The Night Boat'', p. 89. Berkeley, California: Howell-North Books, 1968. Defunct shipping companies of the United States Transport companies established in 1866 Companies based in Boston 1866 establishments in Massachusetts American companies established in 1866