SS Agawam

''Agawam'' was a steam cargo ship built in 1917–1918 by Submarine Boat Company of Newark 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 chiefly employed on the East Coast and Mexican Gulf to United Kingdom routes throughout her brief career, and was eventually laid up and scrapped in 1926.

Design and construction

After the United States entry into World War I, a large shipbuilding program was undertaken to restore and enhance shipping capabilities both of the United States and their Allies. As part of this program, EFC placed orders with nation's shipyards for a large number of vessels of standard designs. Design 1023 cargo ship was a standard cargo freighter of approximately 5,300 tons deadweight designed by Submarine Boat Corp. and adopted by USSB.

''Agawam'' was the first vessel of the first order for 50 vessels placed by USSB with Submarine Boat Corp. on 14 September 1917. The ship was laid down at the shipbuilder's yard on 20 December 1917 (yard number 1) and launched on 30 May 1918, with Miss Mary Eurana Ward, niece of Charles M. Schwab president of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation and acting Director General of the Emergency Fleet Corporation, being the sponsor. As with many other vessels built for the Shipping Board, the name of the vessel was picked up by Mrs. Woodrow Wilson who often chose Native American words. The occasion represented the first launching of a fabricated vessel on the Atlantic coast and was widely celebrated. There were nearly 15,000 people in attendance with many dignitaries such as Charles M. Schwab, Charles P. Gillen, mayor of Newark, Charles A. Stone of the American International Corporation, George Westinghouse, Archibald Johnston of the Bethlehem Steel, Thomas Edison, Congressman R. Wayne Parker and W. Averell Harriman of the Merchants Shipbuilding Corporation among others.

Similar to all vessels of this class the ship had three islands and one main deck, had machinery situated amidships and had four main holds, both fore and aft, which allowed for the carriage of variety of goods and merchandise. The vessel also possessed all the modern machinery for quick loading and unloading of cargo from five large hatches, including ten winches and ten booms. She was also equipped with wireless apparatus and had electrical lights installed along the deck.

As built, the ship was long (between perpendiculars) and abeam and had a depth of . ''Agawam'' was originally assessed at and and had deadweight of approximately 5,100. The vessel had a steel hull with double bottom throughout and a single turbine rated at 1,500 shp, double reduction geared to a single screw propeller, that moved the ship at up to . The steam for the engine was supplied by two Babcock & Wilcox Water Tube boilers fitted for oil fuel.

The vessel had her dock engine trials performed on 19 September 1918 and construction was officially finalized on 1 October. ''Agawam'' left the yard on October 7 to load fuel oil and then proceed for loading. However, the oil overflowed from her fuel pipes and she was forced to return to the yard for repairs. On October 22 the vessel made a short trial trip to Yonkers and back and was tentatively accepted by the Shipping Board pending repairs to her engines. At about the same time she also took on board a cargo of 4,093 tons of refined sugar destined for Italy. The ship had another trial trip with her being fully loaded at the end of October, again showing continuous problems with the engines. After burnt out engine gears were replaced, ''Agawam'' went on a forty hour long trial trip on December 12–13 during which the vessel performed satisfactorily, reaching maximum speed of 11.11 knots. The ship was officially accepted by USSB representatives on 17 December 1918 and ''Agawam'' sailed out next day bound for Genoa. However, only three days later she radioed that she was returning and upon reaching Staten Island it was discovered the ship somehow had salt water in her boilers.

Operational history

Upon finalizing all the repairs, ''Agawam'' finally started out on her maiden voyage on 1 January 1919 with the same cargo of sugar loaded back in October. Soon after departure the vessel encountered very heavy weather. Due to her oil fuel being too dense and dirty her oil supply system became choked with sediment and she was only able to proceed at half speed. In addition, rampant seasickness among the engine crew and exhaustion of fresh water supplies for her boilers forced ''Agawam'' to put into Bermuda on 7 January 1919. The ship had to wait for a Westinghouse engineer to arrive and make repairs and adjustments to the vessel's engines and oil supply system. The ship also loaded approximately 200 tons of light fuel oil to reduce the density of her fuel. ''Agawam'' was finally able to leave Hamilton on 29 January 1919 but was further delayed for two days at St. George's due to heavy gale sweeping over Bermuda. After a largely uneventful trip ''Agawam'' reached Genoa on 18 February but was directed by Italian authorities to proceed to Naples which was reached next day. After finishing unloading her cargo, ''Agawam'' left Naples on her return trip on March 10 and after passage through stormy weather arrived at New York on April 2, successfully concluding her ninety-two day long maiden voyage. The freighter made one more trip with grain to Constantinople and Batoum in the summer of 1919 returning to Philadelphia at the end of July.

The vessel was subsequently allocated by USSB to Mississippi Shipping Company to serve on their Gulf to United Kingdom route. The vessel left Philadelphia at the end of September for loading at New Orleans

HOME


Content is Copyleft
Website design, code, and AI is Copyrighted (c) 2014-2017 by Stephen Payne


Consider donating to Wikimedia



As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases