United States Merchant Marine Academy - Midships Yearbook (Kings Point, NY)

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WORLD CUNVULSIUN The sudden outbreak of World War I forced the United States into a position of leadership , in world shipping. Ships of belligerent and neu- tral alike were being dispatched to the bottom. After a slow start, shipbuilding accellerated rapidly, becoming 'cbig businessn for the first time since the middle of the nineteenth century. With United States' entry into the conflict, the government entered into the shipbuilding pro- gram. Yards on all three coasts were producing at top capacity, and new yards were constantly under construction. This tremendous output soon quelled the sub- marine menace. Huge sums had been spent, but the objective, winning the war, was realized. ' American shipbuilding was slowly galvanized into greater activity than at any time in the previous fifty years. Yards were enlarged, thousands of hands hired, and steel and iron orders increased. Shown here are ships being out- fitted for the emergency at the Newark Bay Shipyard. 1 V Xl rihl M 'L l ,Lf ,, ..., 13, :...L4.:..',,li! X l . 1, , ,, . 'wavy ALM a .Ji1l1J,siL.m,.,...1fa gn. A vessel constructed at the Hog Island Shipyard during World War I, to help build the 'ibridge to Frrumvfi' L Q,

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ii., E ll ... i 'dx' 'u x X hm -if K I' 1 T1 V ll ' lf 1 X u L . s sir 9 ' ef is ss-1 qi.. f K . . E , '5- ., al.. si.. .. -A x V .K W.. 3, . 6 '-f . . - ' 1 . 452' ,, , 8, .far si ' Y President Benjamin Harrison raises the new house flag of the L-illl9l'lClIll Line on the steamship New York, 1893. BRIGHTENING S IES The anew navy' stimulated national interest in a maritime future. Government orders led to the modernization of shipyards, engine works, and machine shops. Maritime ambition was reawakened. In 1891 the government passed a mail subsidy, the Postal Aid Law. It was the good fortune of the United States to acquire at this time a line capable of taking advantage of the subsidy. The Inman Line, an American-owned British company. came under the control of the Inter- national Navigation Company, new owners of the American Line. This transfer brought the nation two fine new ships, built in England. Con- gress agreed to allow these vessels to come under American registry only if two similar vessels Wollfl be built in this country. These were sub- sequently built, and thc United States was Operating four fine vessels. The S anieh-American War showed the need for an sthmian canal. Completion of the Panama Canal immcasurably stimulated Amcrl- can as well as world maritime activity. 25 -at ,.., Q If A 4 Y, ' fu 9 is 'Tb- GX I . I -. The luxurious New York was one of the first twin screw passenger ships built. A crowd of twenty-five thousand people assembled to watch the St. Louis take the water in 1894. Mrs. Cleveland christened the vessel. Shown above is President Cleveland addressing the crowd. se., f .. fs.i5fl!:i5e1ft, -.I .. .Q .,.. . ' ith 4 ,Ln 5-, vi ,ai-glilar, . M , . f'ffI2:i..3LLia:f.af:9i'W'Wif31 ' .:' ,'i,,,:Tggj'gMig' 'f-11:6-gl., , . . fv,1gljyf,rg:.:,,'4.5 V g .J .31 V sw , , -1-Wg, ,-. 'af 5' J -, '.- -1s.e.:,f.fi -- --L f:?17 fe9 - SU! . -.V . , , . sf' 'vi , '-521531, . ' ' '- ' ' The Kroonland was the first 4,,,,... ,Q , lam, ..j,L.-.VW I .Ji -25.5 V-,.s-51.4 1 pq- .5411-n 6.31. steamshlp to run on a sched- - - 'Y fggivfgff Q,-:':' 'wen' uled coast-to-coast service via V the Panama Canal. I ., Avia- 1' -gg...f q 1 ' of Jef.. at -' J e Wfflzk 1-1,-M'-ij 5 ffl' Af? iw -,qi V Q -ni. .. I 2 ,Q 1 ,g b 55:55,fsftggggfilgfifQ! 'wif'-Lfqfyi,-.s,,,.,,. .,7,V, ,,,,,,, , Y. I 'ytfsfllii A 1 jeff. ggi? A 1ffa3 gi1f,,3,. .? .A ,.,,p.w'i ' 1 uf I. 'ng -6 if 1 its , ff i'i'.'.g,'tn Q ' C if t 41 we--ff .-. M , .A --,gy ' V .ef , , an ,. Q , , ,: ' 4. X v.,,q4a,, f -. 5:-lx, ' tif. l'- Vwiii iii ljifliw fi' x f- f I' 'wg1 .- ,ff YG - lx:-',. ' fi .wif-3f:fTL ', :?, i , . f -- , . 1. 942-1 .AshMy-s-at-sfi.f'-'fish , l l 4 inf-'L sf ,mi '25 ,, '- 5,5 fl: 5'-..f -A E..-' --11-U '- I f X 'l i i LN'-,,g 'a llhlr f Y? .ht V' ,iid-iii:- W , Q ' I 6 ' 1 V I Wi'.iiefiif, if A- ' .. ,. ' ' ' - f ' ..,.f - 3' 1 ' 'iii hx I 4x ,JL . , ink, R... ip Pi W wave-iP,,:1.g-QL' .I -In-M. '- -' ,,,g.,-nf:lg.,'ffT,-5 WM--,N ow' ' fm' CA'-iq t. -I Qfwanr.-,.. ., --.. ..nrs4l'mfrfiizw'f-4.- . N H .I--JL I i ' ' ,'.,. , '. L ' . L, , ,,gJ-.wr7f1:1- 1 ' - . , '-'YTYTWT-r 41f-w:1,.w,:,- P - ' A , , A + . .at ..., .. t 'Sl' V - ..l.1f, .SXV V ' . .!:ii.,, i R' t.,mA! T,-:7..l?1',,-.1 .f --ps- lux rim'-N I i e - . f :.u'.f-'::p ' .am J . . W. , .. W .. I V-l,,1,i.17v . . 'Wi NH. .,,, A-IF N 'fm X-:-. , ',.. ' ...3q5' rf.. ws..-,i I . . ., ..

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xg!- -U ul Q i iff , It t , . A , , .. 7:1-A if r h J. 'i lag I . I il A ' k , 1, i X5 I, k X Q ,JL 1 ss At the close of the war the United States had the greatest surplus of ship tonnage it had ever known. The immediate tie up of a great part of the war-built tonnage THE PUSTWAR WHITE ELEPHANT struck many Americans as tragic. The early armistice found the country with an excess of ships, with more on the ways, and still others paid for and not yet started. At the end of the war the world was burdened with thirty-three per cent more tonnage and twenty per cent less cargo. Hundreds of vessels were laid up, to rot and decay. Billions of dollars rusted away. The post-war cargo-less industry suffered falling freight rates, idleness, and wide-spread distress. Bank- ruptcy resulted for many companies. The sight of a great fleet of wooden ships gradually de- teriorating in one of the Hud- son coves was depressing to the taxpayer.