SHIP SIGHTINGS IN THE PORT OF NEW YORK
~ 50 YEARS AGO ~

SS LIMON of the United Fruit Company docked at Pier 3 NR.

Enroute to the Staten Island ferry I passed several piers operated by United Fruit Company, ("The Great White Fleet"), where several of their "banana boats" would often be berthed. On this day the SS LIMON, was in the south berth of Pier 3. She was a true cargo ship with a large capacity of refrigerated space for the carraige of perishable cargoes from Central America to the U.S. East Coast. Built in 1945, she measured 7075 grt and was a steam turbine driven, twin screw ship and could attain a speed of 18.5 knots.

RMS QUEEN ELIZABETH departing from for Cherbourg and Southampton sails passed lower Manhattan.

Sailing down the river was RMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, a liner that I saw earlier at Pier 90 NR when she had completed refueling and was preparing to sail back to Europe. I now made my way to the ferry that would take me to Staten Island but a bit later than I had planned therefore I was unable to catch up with the great Cunarder before she sailed through the narrows and out into the Atlantic.

Viewed from the departing ferry, FORT AVALON of Furness Withy
and an American President Line cargoship sail into New York Harbor

As the Staten Island ferry was departing from the Whitehall Street Terminal the harbor activity included several ships arriving in the port. Furness Withy's, 1949 built, FORT AVALON, a small cargoship of 3484 grt arrived from the Canadian Maritimes and behind her was an American President Line freighter.

Cunard Line's PARTHIA sails into New York, an unidentified tanker is behind her.

United States Lines cargoship AMERICAN LEADER departs from New York for Phildelphia.

Half way across the harbor the ferry passed the departing United States Lines cargoship AMERICAN LEADER. This 8277 grt vessel, built in 1946, was in regular service between New York and other U.S. East Coast ports and ports in Continental Europe. She had arrived from Rotterdam several days ago and having discharged her New York cargo was now heading for the "outports", Phildelphia, Baltimore and Norfolk.

The view of the lower Manhattan skyline from the ferry enroute to Staten Island.

STATEN ISLAND

At the end of the half-hour ferry ride I arrived at the St. George ferry terminal on Staten Island and walked south along a road that ran near the shore and the piers. The first ships that I came across were two American President Line cargo ships.

There were few people around this area and the ships appeared to be idle. PRESIDENT FILMORE (left photo) was a converted Victory ship, built in 1944 and of 7608 grt. The other vessel, PRESIDENT JEFFERSON, was a C-2 cargo ship built in 1946 and of 7925 grt. They were used in several of the line's worldwide services and would change from one service                     to another.
Just beyond these piers, further to the south, was the U.S. Army Terminal on Staten Island where several Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) transports would often be berthed. On this day there were two troopships at the terminal. I was able to photograph the ships but I was not able to clearly identify either of them.

In the photograph on the left the ship at the end of the pier is a P2-S2-R1 Type Transport of 17800 grt, 622 feet long and capabale of carrying 5000 troops. The smaller ship was a C4-S-A1 Type Transport of 10600 grt and 523 feet long and a capacity of 3000 troops. Both ships were built during WWII and part of a large fleet of troop transports, named after U.S. Generals, and still in service transporting U.S. military personnel and supplies between the United States and various overseas bases. Most of the activity at this terminal had to do with supplying bases in the occupation zones in West Germany via the port of Bremerhaven.

The ship that I really traveled there to see was docked further on. She was now also being operated by MSTS, having recently been turned over to them at the end of her service for United States Lines.

SS WASHINGTON docked in Staten Island prior to her final voyage.

Another view of SS WASHINGTON preparing to depart on her final voyage to Europe.

WASHINGTON was built by New York Shipbuiding Company, Camden, New Jersey and entered service for United States Lines in 1933 joining her sistership MANHATTAN. They sailed between New York City and Cobh, Le Havre, Southampton and Hamburg until 1939. Having served as a troop transport during WWII she was not fully restored to commercial service but instead sailed between New York, Southampton and Bremerhaven transporting troops, military personnel and their families. Of 29,627 grt and 705 feet in length, she carried 1106 persons at a speed of 20 knots. When the liner returned from this voyage she was sent to the "mothball fleet" in the Hudson River and tied up alongside the MANHATTAN. In June 1965 WASHINGTON was towed down the Hudson River to Kearny, New Jersey where she was broken up for scrap.

As dusk begins to close in SS WASHINGTON departs for Europe
on the first leg of her final trans-atlantic round trip.

The area surrounding where WASHINGTON was berthed was not at all good for photographing departing ships therefore I returned to the St. George ferry terminal. At the ferry terminal I was able to view and photograph the ship from a distance as she sailed on what turned out to be the first leg of her final voyage. It was getting dark and I had but one more photo left on the last roll of film. With the ship sightings completed and the final roll of film used up, I returned to Manhattan on the ferry as the evening approached.