SS Lyman Stewart

Last updated
History
Flag of the United States.svg United States
NameLyman Stewart
Namesake Lyman Stewart
Owner Union Oil Company
Builder Union Iron Works Co., San Francisco
Yard number116
Laid down4 May 1914
Launched31 October 1914
Sponsored byMiss Dorothy May Stewart
Commissioned26 December 1914
Maiden voyage26 December 1914
Homeport San Francisco
Identification
FateWrecked, 7 October 1922
General characteristics
Type Tanker
Tonnage
Displacement13,960 tons (loaded)
Length408.8 ft (124.6 m)
Beam55.5 ft (16.9 m)
Draft27 ft 0 in (8.23 m) (loaded)
Depth31.7 ft (9.7 m)
Installed power534 Nhp, 3,000 ihp
Propulsion Union Iron Works Co. 3-cylinder triple expansion
Speed11 knots (13 mph; 20 km/h)

Lyman Stewart was a steam tanker built in 1914 by Union Iron Works Company of San Francisco for the Union Oil Company of California, with intention of transporting oil and petroleum products to ports along the West Coast of the United States and Canada. The ship was named after Lyman Stewart, the president of the Union Oil Co. In October 1922 the tanker collided with another steamer, SS Walter Luckenbach, and was beached to avoid sinking but was subsequently declared a total loss.

Contents

Design and construction

Early in 1914 Union Oil Co. decided to add a large tanker of approximately 10,000 deadweight tonnage to its existing fleet of chartered vessels, expanding their oil carrying business. A contract for this vessel was awarded to the Union Iron Works Co. and Lyman Stewart was laid down at the builder's shipyard in San Francisco on 4 May 1914 (yard number 116) and launched on 31 October 1914, with Miss Dorothy May Stewart, daughter of Lyman Stewart, the president of the Union Oil Co., serving as the sponsor. [1] [2] The ship was shelter-deck type, had two main decks and was built on the Isherwood principle of longitudinal framing providing extra strength to the body of the vessel. The ship was equipped with wireless made by Federal Wireless Company and had electric lights installed along the decks. The tanker had a cargo pump room with two duplex pumps, and had her hold subdivided into sixteen cargo tanks fitted for carrying oil in bulk with a total capacity of approximately 63,694 barrels. In addition, the 'tween decks were designed for carriage of refined oil. [3]

As built, the ship was 408.0 feet (124.4 m) long (between perpendiculars) and 55.5 feet (16.9 m) abeam, and had a depth of 31.7 feet (9.7 m). [4] Lyman Stewart was originally assessed at 6,054  GRT and 3,830  NRT and had deadweight tonnage of approximately 10,200. [4] The vessel had a steel hull with double bottom, and a single 534 Nhp (3,000 ihp) vertical triple expansion steam engine, with cylinders of 26+1⁄2-inch (67 cm), 45-inch (110 cm) and 75-inch (190 cm) diameter with a 48-inch (120 cm) stroke, that drove a single screw propeller and moved the ship at up to 11 knots (13 mph; 20 km/h). [5] [3] The steam for the engine was supplied by four single-ended Scotch marine boilers fitted for oil fuel. [3]

The sea trials were held at the end of December 1914 off the Golden Gate during which the vessel performed satisfactorily and was transferred to her owners upon their completion. [6]

Operational history

After delivery to Union Oil the tanker departed San Francisco for Port San Luis, the major oil storage and shipping facility for Union Oil on 26 December 1914, arrived there next day and returned to San Francisco on December 29 with cargo of oil completing her maiden voyage. Following her first trip, the tanker entered the coastal trade transporting oil and various petroleum products from Union Oil terminals at Port San Luis and Port Harford to ports in the Pacific Northwest such as Seattle, Vancouver, Victoria and Port Moody. For example, she carried 56,000 barrels of fuel oil to Vancouver in September 1915. [7] In addition, during her first two years of service the tanker made occasional trips to Central America as a replacement for lost tanker Elsinore. For example, in July 1915 Lyman Stewart transported nearly 60,000 barrels of fuel oil to Nicaragua and Panama. [8] She also made several trips in later years to Hawaiian Islands. For example, in February 1917 the vessel brought nearly 60,000 barrels of fuel oil as well as drums of gasoline and distillate to Hilo. [9]

Due to her frequent trips to Canada the ship crew members were often involved in drug smuggling. In June 1920 it was reported that the quartermaster of Lyman Stewart was jailed for trying to bring in more than $1,000 worth of cocaine which he acquired in Chinatown in Vancouver. [10]

Starting in 1920 in addition to transporting oil from Port San Luis, the ship started carrying refined oil products from Oleum and San Pedro to the same ports in the Pacific Northwest. During one of such trips on 1 September 1920 Lyman Stewart was on her passage from San Francisco for Seattle with a cargo of 60,000 barrels of fuel oil and 6,000 barrels of gasoline. At about 23:00 while travelling in heavy fog she collided off Fort Bragg with Standard Oil tanker SS Richmond on her return trip from Seattle to Los Angeles. Richmond suffered by far heavier injuries and had to put into port of San Francisco with about 4 feet of water in her holds. Lyman Stewart suffered minor damage and was able to continue on her trip up north. [11] [12] Richmond was assessed the next day and put into drydock for repairs that lasted until September 9 and cost over US$25,000. After return from her trip, Lyman Stewart also was put into drydock and had her bow plates replaced. [13] [14] [15]

Sinking

Lyman Stewart departed for her last voyage from Martinez in the early afternoon of 7 October 1922 carrying 1,018,332 US gallons (24,246 barrels) of gasoline consigned to Shell Oil Company in addition to approximately 45,000 barrels of oil bound for Richmond Beach. The tanker was under command of captain John G. Cloyd and had a crew of thirty eight men. The tanker was proceeding out to sea through the northern San Francisco Bay and then via Raccoon Strait travelling at a speed of approximately 9 knots (10 mph; 17 km/h). After reaching Point Covallo she ran into a heavy fog bank and reduced her speed down to 6.5 to 7 knots (7.5 to 8.1 mph; 12.0 to 13.0 km/h). The sea was smooth and the tide was at half ebb with the current being 3 to 4 knots (3.5 to 4.6 mph; 5.6 to 7.4 km/h) out to sea. At the same time steamer SS Walter A. Luckenbach under command of captain George A. Benner and piloted by captain John A. Norberg with general cargo from Boston and New York was entering the Golden Gate from westerly direction. After reaching Mile Rock at about 15:06, the freighter reduced her speed to approximately 9.8 knots (11.3 mph; 18.1 km/h) and continued to her destination. At about 15:19 she encountered a strong eddy current somewhere around Fort Point and attempted to correct her course. As Lyman Stewart was trying to round Lime Point at the entrance into the Golden Gate, the strong tide current took her slightly south of the mid channel. At approximately 15:23 a lookout on the tanker suddenly spotted a large ship coming out of the fog at about two full ship lengths away. Captain Cloyd ordered to put the engines full astern but due to very short distance between the vessels, it was too late to avoid the collision. Walter A. Luckenbach struck Lyman Stewart on her port bow just aft of the forepeak and plowed in over 15 feet, with the gash extending both above and below the water line. The vessels remained together until 15:29, when due to current they drifted apart and separated, with the tanker beginning to fill very rapidly. In order to maintain buoyancy, captain Cloyd ordered to pump out cargo from the bow holds. In the meantime wireless distress signals were sent out and picked up by four shore stations. Several tugs, boats and US Coast Guard cutter Tulare were immediately dispatched to the site of the incident but could not immediately locate the vessels due to heavy fog. After separating, the two vessels drifted back toward Mile Rock until about 15:46 when the steamship SS F. S. Loop arrived at the scene and inquired if any assistance was required, while Walter A. Luckenbach left the scene and proceeded to port with her bow smashed and holed. Immediately after the impact captain Cloyd ordered his crew to abandon ship which they did in orderly fashion in three lifeboats. The captain together with seven officers remained on board the tanker and tried to beach her to avoid sinking. Lyman Stewart initially grounded on Mile Rock but was dragged off by the waves and slowly drifted down the coastline shadowed by F. S. Loop until she went ashore near Point Lobos, not far from Seal Rock at around 16:10. [16] [17] [18] An attempt to refloat the tanker was made on October 9 but it proved to be unsuccessful due to precarious ship position on the rocks and flooded engine room. [19] Further attempts were made to dislodge the vessel, but due to rough weather and deteriorating condition of the tanker the underwriters decided to abandon the salvage work and on October 17 declared Lyman Stewart total wreck. [20]

The wreck was sold for US$6,100 at auction to the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp. at the end of October 1922, but the bid was rejected by the underwriters because they wanted the tanker to be broken up and sold for scrap instead of refloating. [21] [22] Subsequently, early in November the wreck was acquired by captain Thomas P. H. Whitelaw for US$2,500 who attempted to start the salvage work at the end of the month. [23] No real salvage work, however, was performed with exception of securing most valuable parts of the engine and putting cables on the ship. In addition, captain Whitelaw constructed a bridge over to the wreck making it a tourist destination. Plans were made to refloat the vessel in April or May 1923 but they went unfulfilled. In early September 1923 it was reported the ship was breaking up on the rocks, with her stern being completely broken, and more work was done to remove some parts of the tanker but she was never refloated. [24] [25]

In November 1925 an attempt was made to remove remaining cargo of oil and gasoline from the steamer tanks. The first try proved to be successful, and approximately 20,000 gallons of gasoline was recovered and eventually sold to a taxicab company. On the second attempt however, the barge used to store the cargo was broken into pieces during a gale stopping any further recovery work. [26] In November 1926 Lyman Stewart broke in two and remained in her beached position until completely broken up and demolished by the wind and the waves. [27]

Related Research Articles

SS <i>Emidio</i>

Hammac was a steam tank ship built in 1920–1921 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation of Alameda 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. Early in 1923 the vessel together with two other tankers was sold to General Petroleum Corporation and renamed Emidio. The tanker spent the vast majority of her career carrying oil along the West Coast of the United States as well as between West and East coast. In December 1941 she was shelled and damaged by the Japanese submarine I-17 and eventually wrecked with a loss of five crewmen.

Silvanus was a steam tanker built in 1920–1921 by the Southwestern Shipbuilding & Drydock Company of San Pedro for the Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Company with the intention of transporting oil and petroleum products between Dutch East Indies and various destinations in Europe and the Far East. The tanker was employed in this capacity through the first part of 1926. In April 1926 Silvanus collided with the tanker Thomas H. Wheeler in the Mississippi River, resulting in the explosion and death of 26 seamen. Silvanus was declared a total loss and sold at auction to the newly formed Petroleum Navigation Company of Texas. The tanker was rebuilt and renamed Papoose and started operating in March 1927. In March 1942, she was attacked by German U-boat U-124 off the coast of North Carolina. The ship drifted for several days and eventually sank in 200 feet (61 m) of water off Oregon Inlet.

SS <i>W. L. Steed</i>

W. L. Steed was a steam tanker built in 1917–1918 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation of Quincy for Pan American Petroleum and Transport Company, with intention of transporting oil and petroleum products between Mexican and Gulf ports and the Northeast of the United States. The ship was briefly requisitioned by the US Government during World War I but returned to commercial service in early 1919. The ship was named after William L. Steed, superintendent of the Mexican Petroleum Company of California.

SS <i>Montebello</i>

Montebello was a steam oil tanker built in 1920–1921 by the Southwestern Shipbuilding Co. of San Pedro for Union Oil Company with the intention of carrying oil and petroleum products along the West Coast of the United States and Canada as well as between the United States and Chile. In December 1941 the tanker was sunk on one of her regular trips by the Japanese submarine I-21.

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.

SS Elsinore was a British steam tanker that was built on Tyneside in 1913. Her career was cut short by a German cruiser sinking her off the Pacific coast of Mexico in September 1914.

SS <i>Rosecrans</i>

Methven Castle was a steam iron passenger cargo ship built in 1882–1883 by Barclay, Curle & Company of Glasgow for Donald Currie & Co. with intention of serving as cargo, passenger and mail carrier on their existing route from England to South Africa. The vessel was later sold to the North American Mail Steamship Co. of Tacoma to work on their Oriental trade routes and renamed Columbia. In 1899 the ship was chartered by the United States Army to transport troops and supplies to various overseas destinations. In 1900 the Army bought out the ship placing it in service as the United States Army Transport Rosecrans but sold it two years later to Matson Navigation Company. The vessel was then converted into an oil tanker to carry oil from the West Coast to Alaska and Hawaii. Subsequently she was sold in 1905 to Associated Oil Co. to carry oil from California to various ports along the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii. In January 1913 while on one of her regular trips, the ship was wrecked off the mouth of the Columbia River with the loss of almost her entire crew.

USS <i>Radnor</i> Cargo ship of the United States Navy

USS Radnor (ID-3023) was a cargo ship and later troop transport that served with the United States Navy in 1918–19, during and shortly after World War I. The ship later went into merchant service, and in 1948 under Chinese ownership reportedly became the first all-Chinese ship to visit South America. Radnor was originally ordered as SS War Indian by a private company, but with U.S. entry into World War I in April 1917, she was requisitioned by the U.S. Navy for use as a cargo ship. Commissioned as USS Radnor (ID-3023) in May 1918, the ship spent the remainder of the war transporting cargoes for the Navy. After the war, USS Radnor was converted into a troop transport and used to repatriate U.S. troops home from France.

SS <i>Samuel Q. Brown</i> Steam tanker

Samuel Q. Brown was a steam tanker built in 1920–1921 by Merchant Shipbuilding Corporation of Chester for Tide Water Oil Co., a subsidiary of Standard Oil, with intention of operating between New York and the oil-producing ports of the southern United States and Mexico.

SS <i>Lightburne</i> 20th c. American tanker

Lightburne was a steam tanker built in 1918–1919 by Texas Steamship Company of Bath for The Texas Company, with intention of transporting oil and petroleum products between Mexican and Gulf ports and the Northeast of the United States. The ship was named after R. W. Lightburne, Jr., a Kansas City-based steamship agent who rendered valuable assistance to the United States Shipping Board during the war.

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.

SS <i>China Arrow</i> Steam tanker built in 1920

China Arrow was a steam tanker built in 1920 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation of Quincy for Standard Oil Co., with intention of transporting oil and petroleum products between United States and the Far East. During the first part of her career the tanker was used to carry oil and gasoline between United States and Asia, later becoming a coastal tanker serving the East Coast of the United States. The ship was torpedoed and sunk in February 1942 on one of her regular trips by German submarine U-103.

India Arrow was a steam tanker built in 1921 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation of Quincy for Standard Oil Co., with intention of transporting oil and petroleum products between the United States and the Far East. During the first eight years the tanker was chiefly employed in the Pacific trade, carrying cargo between Gulf ports and a variety of destinations in East Asia. In late 1920s the tanker was moved to serve intercoastal trade routes while still making occasional trips to Asia. In early 1930s she was permanently assigned to trade routes between the Gulf and the ports on the United States East Coast, where she remained for the rest of her career.

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.

Oklahoma was a steam tanker built in 1907-1908 by New York Shipbuilding Co. of Camden for the J. M. Guffey Petroleum Company, with intention of transporting oil and petroleum products to ports along the East Coast of the United States and Europe. In January 1914 the tanker ran into a gale and broke in two and sank with a loss of twenty six men.

Swiftstar was a steam tanker built in 1920-1921 by Northwest Bridge & Iron Company of Portland for the Swiftsure Oil Transport Co., a subsidiary of the France & Canada Steamship Co., with intention of transporting oil from foreign ports to refineries along the Gulf and East Coasts of the United States. The ship had short but troubled history. In July 1923 after departing Colón the tanker went missing. Large oil slick, burnt remnants and several lifeboats bearing the ships's name were later found indicating the ship exploded. All 32 people on board were presumed lost.

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.

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.

MV <i>J. A. Moffett Jr.</i>

J. A. Moffett Jr. was an oil tanker built in 1920–1921 by the Federal Shipbuilding Company of Kearney for the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey with the purpose of carrying oil and petroleum products. Originally built as a steamship, the vessel had her engines changed in 1927 converting her into a motor vessel. She was torpedoed in 1942, killing the captain, before being abandoned, towed and sold for scrap.

References

  1. ↑ "New Oil Tanker Goes Down Ways". The San Francisco Chronicle. 1 November 1914. p. 34. Retrieved 10 May 2019– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  2. ↑ "Lyman Stewart (2212860)" . Miramar Ship Index . Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 "The New Oil Tank Steamer "Lyman Stewart"". The Master, Mate and Pilot. Vol. VII, no. 8. January 1915. pp. 244–245.
  4. 1 2 Merchant Vessels of the United States. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office. 1918–1919.
  5. ↑ Lloyd's Register, Steamships and Motorships. London: Lloyd's Register. 1921–1922.
  6. ↑ "Tanker Runs Trials". The Province. 2 January 1915. p. 11. Retrieved 11 May 2019– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  7. ↑ "Oil to Vancouver". The San Francisco Examiner. 12 September 1915. p. 78. Retrieved 11 May 2019– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  8. ↑ "Several Oil Cargoes". The San Francisco Examiner. 8 July 1915. p. 18. Retrieved 11 May 2019– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  9. ↑ "Lyman Stewart Comes With Oil". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. 15 February 1917. p. 6. Retrieved 12 May 2019– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  10. ↑ "Seizure Bares Big Drug Ring". The San Francisco Examiner. 15 June 1920. p. 1. Retrieved 13 May 2019– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  11. ↑ "Tankers Collide Off Ft. Bragg". The Petaluma Argus-Courier. 2 September 1920. p. 8. Retrieved 13 May 2019– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  12. ↑ "Tankers in Collision". The San Francisco Examiner. 3 September 1920. p. 19. Retrieved 13 May 2019– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  13. ↑ "Tanker Badly Damaged". The San Francisco Examiner. 4 September 1920. p. 21. Retrieved 13 May 2019– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  14. ↑ "Stewart in Drydock". The San Francisco Examiner. 11 September 1920. p. 21. Retrieved 13 May 2019– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  15. ↑ "Richmond Makes Record". The San Francisco Examiner. 12 September 1920. p. 8. Retrieved 13 May 2019– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  16. ↑ "38 Rescued As Steamers Strike in Fog". The San Francisco Examiner. 8 October 1922. p. 1. Retrieved 14 May 2019– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  17. ↑ "Giant Oil Tanker Abandoned in Crash Outside Golden Gate". The San Francisco Examiner. 8 October 1922. p. 2. Retrieved 14 May 2019– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  18. ↑ "The Walter A. Luckenbach. Union Oil Co. of California et al. vs. Luckebach S. S. Co. Inc. Luckenbach S. S. Co. Inc. vs. Union Oil Co. of California et al., 14 F.2d 100 (9th Cir. 1926)".
  19. ↑ "Big Oil Tanker Still Held Fast on Cliff Rocks". The San Francisco Examiner. 9 October 1922. p. 28. Retrieved 13 May 2019– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  20. ↑ "Attempts to Float Tanker Lyman Stewart Are Unsuccessful; Vessel Will Be Abandoned; Craft Insured For $1,250,000". The San Francisco Examiner. 18 October 1922. p. 16. Retrieved 13 May 2019– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  21. ↑ "Ship on Rocks Sold for $6,100". The San Francisco Examiner. 24 October 1922. p. 5. Retrieved 14 May 2019– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  22. ↑ "$6,100 Bid for Boat in Wreck Rejected". The San Francisco Examiner. 25 October 1922. p. 6. Retrieved 14 May 2019– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  23. ↑ "Salvage of Stewart Starts". Oakland Tribune. 23 November 1922. p. 30. Retrieved 14 May 2019– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  24. ↑ "Lyman Stewart Breaking Up". The San Francisco Examiner. 3 September 1923. p. 15. Retrieved 14 May 2019– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  25. ↑ "Salvage Lyman Stewart". The San Francisco Examiner. 11 September 1923. p. 22. Retrieved 14 May 2019– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  26. ↑ "$6,000 Barge Wrecked, Following Attempt to Recover $100,000 Sunken Gasoline and Oil Cargo Off Point Lobos". The San Francisco Examiner. 22 November 1925. p. 22. Retrieved 18 May 2019– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  27. ↑ "Lyman Stewart, Wrecked in Bay, Fast Breaking Up". Oakland Tribune. 20 November 1926. p. 17. Retrieved 18 May 2019– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg

Coordinates: 37°46′42.3″N122°30′58.2″W / 37.778417°N 122.516167°W / 37.778417; -122.516167

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.