Maritime History of the Great Lakes

Detroit Marine Historian, v. 3, n. 9 (May-June 1950), p. 3

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SIX MISFITS THAT FITTED It is unusual that a group of ships is built, all of which turn out to be unsuited to their intended use; and it is even rarer when six misfits stay in useful service for 30 years; yet such is the case of the six bald-headed aux- iliaries built at Toledo in 1916. Originally intended for a New York shipping line, the sextet measured just under 2000 gross tons on Wel- land Canal dimensions, 252 x 43 x 21, with deadweight about 3000 tons. They had an ugly four-masted schooner rig with a straight stem and no bowsprit. Their single screw was powered by a Swedish Bolinders hot- bulb Diesel, with only 320 h.p. Before completion, these ships were acquired by Standard of New Jersey for salt water service. Here are the amazing records of these unusual craft, given in order of completion. MOONLITE, Sold by Esso, 1922 to Pacific S.S.Co., ani renamed ADMIRAL PEARY, and equipped in 1924 with 1000 h.p.McIntosh & Seymour engines. Sold to Mexico in 1934 and renamed SONORA. In Panama registry during World War II, she was operated by AGWI ani Lykes. Destroyed by fire, June 23, 1945 off the east coast of Florida STARLITE, was renamed STANDTOW NO.2 in 1921, and sold to an Argentine subsidiary of Esso in 1922 and renamed TRANSITO. Reduced to a barge by 1938, she was ranamed ESSO NO.11, and renamed again in 1947 as ESSO SANTA FE, still under the Argent inian flag. Apparently still in service. TWILITE was renamed STANDTOW NO.1 in 1921, and then also went to Argentine, bearing in succession the names NORSWORTHY, PLATAPET, ESSO NO.1 (1938) and ESSO FORMOSA (1947). Now in same ownership, (Cis. Trans. de Petroleos,S.A.) as her sister ship ESSO SANTA FE DAWNLITE was sold by Esso in early twenties to Pacific Steamship, who kept her original name, rig and engines until 1930. She was then sold to the Sabine Towing Co. of Port Arthur, Texas, reduced to a tank narge and renamed PURE WOFFORD. In 1947 she became the SAN CARLOS owned by Julius S.Gissel of Houston. SUNLITE went through a similar change of ownership in the Twenties, and again in 1930, when she became Sabine's PURE SHERRILL. She now belongs to Gissel as SAN GABRIEL DAYLITE was also in the Paci- fic S.S.Co from 1921 to 1930.In that year she became a barge at Baltimore. Retired in 1940,she was due for scrapping, but was refitted in 1941 with an old triple expansion steam engine. Last year, still called DAYLITE, she was listed under Panamanian registry, being owned at Macao, Brazil. With their original rig and motors these vessels were gross- ly under-powered. Yet, either with new engines or none at all, these six "misfits" weathered the depression, escaped the Jap- anese scrap market, and survived the Battle of the Atlantic. Jack Miller Auxiliary tanker S.0.C0.57 A ship similar to those described in this article. Note: In a future issue of the Marine Historian we will describe the seven Great Lakes built ships which served for many years in the fleet of the Sabine Towing and Transportation Co. of Port Arthur, Texas. Two of them are described by Mr.Miller in the above article. The others ere equally interesting. Editor.

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