In service 1901 Fate Scrapped 1925 Speed 14 knots Length 162 m Beam 18 m | Out of service 1924 Type Transatlantic liner Launched 4 May 1901 Tonnage 10.56 million kg Builder John Brown & Company | |
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Owner American Line (1901–1921)White Star Line (1920–1925) | ||
SS Haverford was an American transatlantic liner commissioned in 1901 for the American Line. During World War One, Haverford was utilized as a troop transport vessel in the North Atlantic Ocean. Following the war, the White Star Line purchased and recommissioned the ship. She was decommissioned in 1924 and scrapped in 1925.
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Transatlantic Liner (1901-1915)
SS Haverford was constructed by John Brown & Company of Clydebank, Scotland and funded by Clement Griscom Director of the International Navigation Company. She was launched as a passenger ship on May 4, 1901, six months prior to the launch of her sister ship, SS Merion. The Haverford and Merion were identical in design and named after suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where Griscom lived. After briefly, serving the Southampton to New York route, Haverford was transferred to the Liverpool - Philadelphia route by 1903. The ship also occasionally used by other lines in the International Mercantile Marine Company serving for the Red Star Line ( Antwerp-New York route) and Dominion Line (Liverpool-Halifax-Portland).
On June 14, 1906 an explosion occurred aboard Haverford, killing 13, when she was being unloaded at Liverpool docks. The explosion was attributed to explosive fumes produced by a load of 45 tons of Fels-Naptha soap that was being carried as cargo. The ship's owners attempted to sue the manufacturers of the soap, but the case was rejected by the United States District Court as adequate ventilation was not provided aboard the ship to deal with the known hazards of Naptha fumes.
World War One (1915-1920)
During World War I, Haverford was used as a transport ship for British troops, beginning in 1915. In 1917, the ship suffered heavy damage in a torpedo attack off the coast of Ireland by the German U-boat, U-94. In 1918, after a six-month hiatus for repairs, the ship was again attacked by a German submarine in the North Atlantic Ocean, surviving with far less damage.
Post World War One (1920-1925)
Haverford returned to passenger service, making its first voyage in August, 1920 from Liverpool to Philadelphia, regularly docking at Pier 53 on the Delaware River, the former location of the Washington Avenue Immigration Station. The ship was purchased by White Star Line in 1921 and retained the original ship name. This was unusual for White Star, as most of their vessels had names ending in "-ic". The ship was assigned to the Liverpool-Philadelphia route as well as the Hamburg-New York route. The ship experienced problems in 1924, relegating it to dry dock. After making her final voyage to Philadelphia, Haverford was decommissioned in 1924 and moved to Italy, where she was scrapped in 1925.
