Lake Frampton was a steam cargo ship built in 1918 by American Shipbuilding Company of Lorain 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 employed in coastal trade during her career and collided with another steamer, SS Comus, and sank in July 1920 on one of her regular trips with a loss of two men.
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 1093 cargo ship was a standard cargo freighter of approximately 4,200 tons deadweight capacity designed by Great Lakes Engineering Works and adopted by USSB as a bulk cargo carrier. As shipbuilders along the Great Lakes had significant experience with designing and building ships of that nature, USSB placed their orders with these companies. However, in order to bring the vessels from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic they were to pass through Welland Canal connecting Lake Erie to Lake Ontario and from there continue on to Montreal where they would be commissioned and crewed by American personnel. This arrangement, however, effectively limited these vessels' length and capacity due to dimensions of the Welland Canal. The ship was part of the order for eighteen vessels placed by the Shipping Board with the American Shipbuilding Co. and was laid down on 3 August 1918 at the builder's shipyard in Lorain and launched on 21 October 1918 (yard number 745).[2][1]
The vessel was designed specifically as a bulk carrier capable of carrying approximately 200,000 cubic feet of bulk cargo on each trip. The ship had two steel decks with poop, forecastle and bridge located on top of her main deck, had her machinery located amidships and had two main cargo holds. A water-tight center-line bulkhead ran the entire length of the ship from keel to the top of main deck. The freighter also possessed all the modern machinery for quick loading and unloading of cargo from four main hatches, including eight winches and a large number of derricks. 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 251feet 0inches (76.50m) long (between perpendiculars) and 43feet 6inches (13.26m)abeam, a depth of 26feet 2inches (7.98m).[3][4]Lake Frampton was originally assessed at 2,622GRT and 1,621NRT and had deadweight of approximately 4,165.[3] The vessel had a steel hull with double bottom and a single 267 Nhp (1,300 ihp) vertical reciprocating triple expansion steam engine, with cylinders of 20-inch (51cm), 33-inch (84cm) and 54-inch (140cm) diameter with a 40-inch (100cm)stroke, that drove a single screw propeller and moved the ship at up to 9+1⁄2 knots (10.9mph; 17.6km/h).[4][3] The steam for the engine was supplied by two single-ended Scotch marine boilers fitted for coal.
After successful completion of trials the freighter was handed over to USSB and officially commissioned on November 30.
Operational history
After delivery Lake Frampton sailed from Cleveland on 30 November 1918 for Montreal and from there proceeded on to New York where she arrived on December 22.[5] The ship was then assigned to the West India Steamship Company to serve on their Caribbean to the Northeast route. Lake Frampton sailed out of New York on January 1919 bound for the West Indies. Upon loading full cargo of sugar at Manatí she returned to Philadelphia on February 6, thus successfully concluding her maiden voyage.[6]
The freighter together with several other vessels was then commissioned for one trip to Europe as part of the hunger relief mission. After loading full cargo of pork and other food supplies in New York she departed for Europe in mid March 1919 and arrived at Bordeaux on April 21 to unload her aid cargo.[7][8] From France the ship sailed on her return trip back to New York via Cardiff. She left Cardiff on April 26, but was forced to return to port after developing problems with her gear. After undergoing temporary repairs, the freighter was able to proceed on her westward trip about a week later, arriving in New York on May 22 where she was put into Morse drydock for further repairs.[9]
After finalizing her repair work, Lake Frampton proceeded to Norfolk and from there to Port Eads where she arrived on July 9.[10] After loading a cargo of lumber the vessel sailed to London and returned to Charleston on August 26.[11][12] The vessel stayed on her European route until the end of the year, returning to Baltimore on 16 January 1920 with a cargo of iron ore from Huelva.[13] Subsequently, the vessel was shifted to coastal trade, carrying phosphates from Florida to Baltimore, and coal from Norfolk to Cuba, and returning with cargoes of sugar. For example, Lake Frampton cleared out from Norfolk on February 7 with 3,412 tons of coal bound for Cienfuegos.[14]
The freighter arrived at New York on June 13 from Sagua with a cargo of sugar and then proceeded to drydock for repairs and maintenance and remained there for the next 3 weeks.[15]
Sinking
Lake Frampton left New York on her last voyage, in ballast, at around 18:00 on 11 July 1920 bound for Newport News. The vessel was under command of captain Frank Powers and carried a crew of 37. The freighter proceeded down the coast on her usual course and passed Barnegat Gas Buoy about 01:20 on July 12, about five miles off. The weather was clear, the stars were shining brightly, but there was no moon. The ship was moving at about 10 knots (12mph; 19km/h). At the same time, SS Comus was proceeding up the coast at the speed of about 12 knots (14mph; 22km/h) on a voyage from New Orleans to New York with around 100 passengers, 78 crew and general cargo. At 02:45 Comus passed Absecon Light and approximately 15 minutes later her second officer on duty saw the range lights of Lake Frampton about 6 or 7 miles away to his left. Shortly after, Lake Frampton changed her course 17° to starboard and continued on at the same speed. Noticing Lake Frampton maneuver, the navigator on Comus ordered a hard astarboard, swinging about 15° attempting to swing the vessel clear. Instead, at about 03:20, east of the Tucker's Beach Light, Comus's stem struck Lake Frampton on her port side forward of the deck, nearly cutting her in half. As Comus reversed her engines, the ships quickly separated and Comus drifted about half a mile away from the stricken freighter.[16][17][18]
Lake Frampton started to take on water rapidly, and captain Powers ordered the ship to be abandoned. Due to the vessel listing heavily on port side, only starboard lifeboat could be launched. The captain and fifteen other crew members managed to get into it. The rest of the crew was forced to jump into water. Comus stood by about a mile away and commenced rescue work immediately lowering her own lifeboats. Lake Frampton went down about 10 minutes after the collision. All crew with an exception of an oiler and fireman was rescued by Comus.[17]
West Compo was a steam cargo ship built in 1918–1919 by Northwest Steel Company of Portland for the United States Shipping Board as part of the wartime shipbuilding program of the Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFC) to restore the nation's Merchant Marine. The vessel was commissioned into the Naval Overseas Transportation Service (NOTS) of the United States Navy in January 1919 and after only one overseas trip was decommissioned four months later and returned to the USSB. Afterwards the vessel was largely employed on the Atlantic Coast of the United States to France route until mid-1921 when she was laid up and eventually broken up for scrap in 1936.
Cotati was a steam cargo ship built in 1918–1919 by Moore Shipbuilding and Drydock Company of Oakland 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 briefly used for the first two years of her career to transport frozen meat between North and South America and Europe. The ship was subsequently laid up at the end of 1921 and remained part of the Reserve Fleet through the end of 1940. In January 1941 she was sold together with two other vessels to the New Zealand Shipping Co. and subsequently in 1942 was transferred to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and renamed Empire Avocet. The ship was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-125 on 30 September 1942 on one of her regular wartime trips.
Mopang was a steam cargo ship built in 1919 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 Gulf to Europe routes throughout her short career. In June 1921 the vessel struck a mine while attempting to enter the Burgas Bay and sank without any casualties.
Sylvan Arrow was a steam tanker built in 1917–1918 by New York Shipbuilding Co. of Camden for Standard Oil Company, with intention of transporting oil and petroleum products between United States and ports in the Far East. The ship was briefly requisitioned by the US Government during World War I but returned to commercial service in early 1919.
Ozette was a steam cargo ship built in 1918–1919 by Seattle North Pacific Shipbuilding Company of Seattle for the United States Shipping Board as part of the wartime shipbuilding program of the Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFC) to restore the nation's Merchant Marine. The vessel was largely employed on the East Coast to Europe routes during her career before she was laid up in and eventually broken up for scrap in 1936.
West Cawthon was a steam cargo ship built in 1919 by Southwestern Shipbuilding Co. of San Pedro 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. Initially, the vessel was placed in the Pacific trade, but was soon acquired by the Green Star Steamship Co. and was put on the Gulf to the Mediterranean route. In 1923 Green Star Steamship Co. went bankrupt and vessel was bought back by USSB. The freighter then spent next two years serving the Mediterranean ports of Italy and Spain before being laid up late in 1924. In 1926 the vessel was bought by the American-South African Line and for the next fourteen years continuously sailed between the East Coast of the United States and South Africa. In 1940 she was sold to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and renamed Empire Bison. The ship was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-124 on 1 November 1940 on one of her regular convoy trips.
Corvus was a steam cargo ship built in 1919 by Columbia River Shipbuilding Company of Portland for the United States Shipping Board as part of the wartime shipbuilding program of the Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFC) to restore the nation's Merchant Marine. The freighter was operated on international and domestic routes through 1944. Early in 1945 she was transferred to Soviet Union as part of lend-lease program and renamed Uzbekistan. After several months of operation, the freighter was rammed by another vessel on 31 May 1945 and was beached to avoid sinking. She was subsequently raised and towed to Portland where she was scrapped in 1946.
West Niger was a steam cargo ship built in 1919–1920 by Southwestern Shipbuilding Company of San Pedro 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 freighter spent her entire career in the Pacific connecting the West Coast of the United States with the Chinese and Japanese ports in the Far East. Early in 1928, the ship, together with ten other vessels, was sold by the Shipping Board to the States Steamship Co. and subsequently renamed Nevada. In September 1932, the vessel, while on her regular trip to Japan, ran aground in foggy weather on Amatignak Island and subsequently broke into three parts and sank with the loss of thirty four out of thirty seven men.
City of Brunswick was a steam cargo ship built in 1921 by Oscar Daniels Shipbuilding Company of Tampa for the United States Shipping Board as part of the wartime shipbuilding program of the Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFC) to restore the nation's Merchant Marine. The freighter ran aground and was wrecked on her first commercial trip to Europe off Halifax in August 1921.
Cansumset was a steam cargo ship built in 1918-1919 by Pacific Coast Shipbuilding Company of Bay Point for the United States Shipping Board as part of the wartime shipbuilding program of the Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFC) to restore the nation's Merchant Marine. The vessel was largely employed on the Pacific Coast of the United States to Europe route until 1921 when it was laid up and eventually broken up for scrap in 1930. Due to frequent breakdowns during her short career the freighter was known as the "Hoodoo" ship of the USSB.
Cockaponset was a steam cargo ship built in 1918–1919 by Pacific Coast Shipbuilding Company of Bay Point for the United States Shipping Board as part of the wartime shipbuilding program of the Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFC) to restore the nation's Merchant Marine. The vessel was largely employed on the Gulf Coast of the United States to Europe route until 1930 when she was laid up. In late 1940 the ship together with 15 other vessels was acquired by the British government to alleviate significant shortage of tonnage due to an ongoing German U-boat campaign. In May 1941 the freighter was torpedoed and sunk on her first war trip to the United Kingdom.
Cokesit was a steam cargo ship built in 1918–1919 by Guy M. Standifer Construction Company of Vancouver for the United States Shipping Board as part of the wartime shipbuilding program of the Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFC) to restore the nation's Merchant Marine. The vessel was largely employed on the East Coast of the United States to Australia route until 1928 when she was laid up. In late 1937 the ship together with several other vessels was bid on and subsequently acquired next year by the Greek tramp operator John D. Chandris to carry cargo from Australia to Greece and United Kingdom. The freighter was also renamed Adelfoi Chandris. Following the surrender of France, the ship was interned in Dakar and passed into Vichy government hands in 1940 and renamed Saint Marin. Under the terms of Nevers Agreement she eventually was transferred to Italy and renamed Catania. In early August 1943 the vessel together with several other ships was bombed and damaged in Naples harbor by the Allied aircraft.
Olockson was a steam cargo ship built in 1918–1919 by Guy M. Standifer Construction Company of Vancouver for the United States Shipping Board as part of the wartime shipbuilding program of the Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFC) to restore the nation's Merchant Marine. In March 1920, only on her second voyage, the vessel caught fire and had to be abandoned by the crew. The ship was subsequently towed to Baltimore where she was broken up in 1924.
Antinous was a Design 1015 ship steam cargo ship built in 1919–1920 by Guy M. Standifer Construction Company of Vancouver for the United States Shipping Board 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 Gulf to Europe routes throughout her career. In September 1942, while on a passage to British Guiana to load her cargo, she was torpedoed and sunk by German submarines operating at the time in the Caribbean.
Yaklok was a steam cargo ship built in 1918–1919 by Seattle North Pacific Shipbuilding Company of Seattle for the United States Shipping Board as part of the wartime shipbuilding program of the Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFC) to restore the nation's Merchant Marine. The vessel made several trips to Europe during the first two years of her career before being laid up in mid-1921 and eventually being broken up for scrap in 1930.
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.
Lakeside Bridge was a steam cargo ship built in 1919 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 Gulf to Europe routes throughout her short career. In December 1920 the vessel went ashore in strong gale and was wrecked without loss of life.
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.
Milwaukee Bridge was a steam cargo ship built in 1918–1919 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 first briefly employed on the East Coast to United Kingdom route in the first two years of her career before being laid up at the end of 1921. In 1927 she was acquired by Matson Navigation Company to operate between California and Hawaii and renamed Malama. On New Year's Day 1942 while en route to New Zealand under U.S. Army operation with cargo of military supplies she was discovered by Japanese merchant raiders and was scuttled by her crew to prevent capture.
Haleakala was a steam cargo ship built in 1919 by Long Beach Shipbuilding Company of Long Beach 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 first employed in the Pacific trade before being briefly laid up. She was reactivated in 1922 and entered the South American trade connecting the ports of Argentina and Brazil with a variety of ports in the Northeastern United States. In September 1926 while on one of her regular trips, she disappeared without a trace, possibly foundering in the hurricane with the loss of all hands.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
United States 
