EFC Design 1095 ("502" type): Notes & Illustrations
Click here for larger and more complete plans from the 1920 USSB ship register: Sheet 1, Sheet 2. (Download for full size)
Click here for similar plans from International Marine Engineering, April 1920: Sheet 1, Sheet 2
Click here for original 13,000 dwt troopship design from Int'l Marine Engineering, April 1919: Sheet 1, Sheet 2
Click on the photographs below to prompt larger views of the same images.
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Notes: The first wartime announcement by the Shipping Board and the military on the troopships to be built by the EFC was that they would be limited to two specific designs: a big, fast 13,000 tonner able to carry 3,500 troops at 18 knots and an 8,500 tonner that could carry about 2,300 men at 15 knots. The smaller one became the Design 1024 Hog Island Type B (q.v.), the larger became the 535-foot long Design 1029. The first five Design 1029 ships were ordered in December 1917 beginning with three from the New York Shipbuilding Co. in Camden, N.J. As related at greater length on the Design 1029 page, the German all-out spring offensive begun at Cambrai on 21 March 1918 caused President Wilson to direct the Shipping Board to "go the limit" in its ship construction effort. On 1 July 1918 New York Ship received Contract 418 SC for seven more troopships (EFC Hulls 2585-2591). It probably planned to build these in its new "Middle Yard", which consisted of two twin 600-foot ways (4 slips) that had begun producing ships in December 1917. The ships of Contract 418 SC, however, were not built to Design 1029 (the "535") but to a new Design 1095 (the "502"). (Oddly the 535 foot measurement was length overall while the 502 was between perpendiculars.) New York Ship returned to Design 1029 in contracts of August 1918 for six more troopships, four to be built in a planned "South Yard" that was specifically designed to build "535"s and two in its original "North Yard". The circumstances that resulted in the development of the new 502-foot design are not totally clear. Its design number, Design 1095 can be dated to between June and August 1918 based on the dates of designs with lower and higher numbers. In its final form Contract 418 SC of 1 July 1918 (perhaps as signed a few weeks later) was an order for seven 502 foot long steel passenger/troop ships of 15,500 tons displacement and 6,000 hp. It may have been in mid-1918 that the Shipping Board and New York Ship asked the shipyard's chief naval archictect, E. H. Rigg, to develop a version of the "535" that would be less expensive to build. Thanks to a reduction in the speed requirement from 17 to 14 knots, which allowed elimination of half of the propulsion plant, and a reduction in the number of troops to be carried from 3,500 to 2,700, Rigg and his colleagues could probably have scaled down the "535" to produce the "502." It was still a troopship, and this is probably the design of a "Twin-Screw Troopship of 13,000 Tons D.W." that was published in considerable detail in International Marine Engineering in April 1919 with comments that it could easily be converted to a combined passenger and cargo steamer for commercial service. Based on this article, the Design 1095 troopship was a three-deck vessel (A, B, and C Decks) with two 'tween decks and three hull islands (a short poop and forecastle and a long bridge) designed to carry a total deadweight of 13,000 tons on a mean full load draft of 31'9" and a corresponding displacement of 20,900 tons. As troopships they had accommodations for about 2,700 troops (including 200 naval crew) and their deadweight capacity on trials was limited to 7,000 tons. The designed speed was 14 knots (14.5 on trials at 24' draft) with 7,000 indicated horsepower, but reserve power was provided with the intention of giving the ship while in the war zone and lightened in draft the necessary power to reach 15 knots. The principal hull dimensions were 522.5' length overall, 502' length per classification rules (between perpendiculars), 62' beam molded, and 42' depth from keel to A deck (the top continuous deck). There were six cargo holds forward of the single engine and boiler rooms and four aft of them. The troops completely occupied the two 'tween decks, with the navy crew at the after end of the upper 'tween deck. Accommodations for 103 troop officers in 4-berth cabins filled the long bridge island on the A deck and 2-berth cabins for 43 more senior naval and troop officers filled the single level of superstructure on the bridge deck above it, which was split by the hatches to No. 5 and 6 holds and their derrick posts. Forward of the split a second deckhouse on the boat deck level carried the ship's wheel house, chart room, and captain's and executive officer's quarters. Propulsion was by two sets of four-cylinder triple-expansion reciprocating engines with cylinders of 24", 40.5", 54", and 54" and a 45" stroke driving two propellers and supplied with steam at 220 psi by six single-end Scotch boilers. The armament was four 6-inch rapid fire guns. As of October 1918 the troopship program included 19 "535"s and 7 "502"s, which by now clearly exceeded any conceivable postwar military requirement. The "502" emerged from an initial round of plan revisions in December 1918-January 1919 as essentially a big cargo vessel with a maximum of 12 passengers to prevent it coming under passenger ship requirements for bulkhead subdivision. The Shipping Board leadership on 8 March 1919 reviewed plans for the conversion of all three types of transports (including the Hog Island B type) and asked Rigg for new plans. The cargo and living spaces were redesigned on orders of the shipping board's experienced Director of Operations, J.H. Rosseter, who drew some of the plans himself. The big 4-berth officer cabins on the A deck (or Saloon Deck) easily became 22 large two passenger cabins, the 2-berth cabins on the main part of the bridge deck (soon called the Promenade Deck) became ten two-person cabins, and a new Promenade Deck (or Upper Promenade Deck) was added on the old boat deck level above them with ten more two-person cabins, for a total in this version of 84 passengers, all first class. The boats were moved to the top of the new promenade deck, which was carried out to the sides of the vessel, glass enclosed, and was made of unsheathed steel. (The lower promenade deck was open.) The drawings at the top of this page essentially represent this design with Rosseter's accommodations and generally represent all seven ships as completed. The first five "502"s were delivered with cabins for 78 passengers, the last two had 82, but more berths were soon squeezed in forward of the split under the wheel house and elsewhere. In 1922 the accommodations were downgraded from First to Cabin class, and capacities rose to 135-150 cabin passengers. Blue Hen State reached a high of 176 cabin class berths. Several also had third class or steerage berths, of which Centennial State at one time had a high of 596 in addition to her 84 first class berths. On 25 September 1923 the Dollar Steamship Line purchased all seven "502"s from the Shipping Board and put them into a new round the world service, which it initiated on 5 January 1924. On October 11-12 1924 President Polk burned out just after she arrived at New York from Europe. She was handed over to the naval architect Theodore E. Ferris for reconfiguration. Ferris joined the two parts of the bridge house together, giving the ship a well proportioned upperworks and producing two long promenade decks (upper and main) on each side, about half of their lengths being glass enclosed. A thicker funnel topped with an Admiralty cap further improved her appearance. The reconditioned ship was delivered by Newport News on 9 April 1925. A similar reconditioning of President Harrison, President Garfield, and President Adams was funded on 29 May 1929 under the Jones-White Act, although a fourth was also funded but not proceeded with. After reconfiguration President Harrison carried 158 first class passengers, a few less than President Polk. President Hayes, President Monroe, and President Van Buren remained in essentially their "as built" condition at the beginning of World War II but later also had their superstructures rebuilt. Names: These ships generally had three names before World War II: the one assigned by Mrs. Wilson on 10 December 1918 (Jason became Woodbury on 4 January 1919), a state name assigned on 25 November 1919, and the President name assigned in May 1922. Six were given new President names in 1940 when they were replaced by new ships. These various names were: EFC 2585: Jason/Woodbury, Old North State, President Van Buren (1940: President Fillmore) EFC 2586: Iassus, Creole State, President Hayes (1940: President Tyler) EFC 2587: Jadwin, Granite State, President Polk (1940: President Taylor) EFC 2588: Icaria, Panhandle State, President Monroe (1940: President Buchanan) EFC 2589: Jakin, Wolverine State, President Harrison (1940: name retained) EFC 2590: Ida, Centennial State, President Adams (1940: President Grant) EFC 2591: Idman, Blue Hen State, President Garfield (1940: President Madison) Sources: The essential source on this class is Mark H. Goldberg, The "Stately President" Liners: American Passenger Liners of the Interwar Years; Part I, The "502"s (Kings Point, 1996), although the information contained in that book is presented differently here. The journal International Marine Engineering provided essential information on the original transport design. Specifications: Design 1095 (S.S. Old North State, EFC Hull 2585): Steel Transport. Deadweight tons: 13000. Dimensions: 502' length pp x 62' beam mld. x 42' depth mld., 31.75' draft loaded. Propulsion: 2 screws, 2 quadruple expansion engines, 6 Scotch boilers, 7000 IHP, 14 kts. Configuration: 3 decks, 8 holds, 10 hatches. |
| S.S. Blue Hen State (Design 1095, EFC Hull 2591), the seventh and last of her type, was delivered on 6 July 1921 by the New York S.B. Co., Camden, N.J. With her allocation to an operator uncertain, she carried very few lifeboats and wore EFC livery with the USSB shield on her funnel when she left the yard for Hoboken, N.J., where she was painted grey all over and temporarily laid up. (NARA: RG-32-UB box 34) (Click photo to enlarge) |
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S.S. Blue Hen State (Design 1095, EFC Hull 2591) Still with few lifeboats, this starboard quarter view shows the ship in New York Harbor. The steamer President of New York, alongside aft, is delivering or receiving the U.S. Mail, and further forward a New York Central Railroad tug is assisting. Photo No. None Source: Shipscribe |
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S.S. Panhandle State (Design 1095, EFC Hull 2588) The first of her type to be completed, she was photographed by the New York Shipbuilding Corp. leaving its yard on 31 August 1920. Her funnel markings with the USSB shield and red, white and blue bands are those of the United States Mail and Steamship Co., her first operator. She began her first voyage for them on the North Atlantic route on 18 September 1920. Photo No. None Source: Shipscribe |
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S.S. Creole State (Design 1095, EFC Hull 2586) A press photo with the date 1-1-21 and a caption in pencil on the back: "S.S. Creole State, first of new liners built by Government for American Marine to be allocated for service on this coast for trans-Pacific runs. It flies the Pacific Mail flag." She left Baltimore for San Francisco on 27 December 1920. She is in EFC livery, and this may be a retouched version of the trial photograph in Goldberg, page 286. Photo No. None Source: Shipscribe |
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S.S. Centennial State (Design 1095, EFC Hull 2590) The sixth of her type to be completed, she was photographed by the New York Shipbuilding Corp on a trial trip on 21 April 1921. She was painted in standard EFC livery with the USSB shield on her funnel because she had not been assigned to a commercial operator. Photo No. None Source: Shipscribe |
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S.S. President Monroe, ex Panhandle State (Design 1095, EFC Hull 2588) Being operated by the Shipping Board's United States Line in the North Atlantic. By the spring of 1922 five of the "502"s were in this United States Line service without turning a profit while President Harrison and President Hayes had been turned in by Pacific Mail and were in layup on the West Coast. All seven "502"s were sold to the Dollar Line in late 1923. Photo No. None Source: Shipscribe |
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S.S. President Adams, ex Centennial State (Design 1095, EFC Hull 2590) Being operated by the Shipping Board's United States Line in the North Atlantic service between 1921 and 1924. The post card was printed in Liverpool, England. The building with Old English trim over her bow is a hotel. Photo No. None Source: Shipscribe |
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S.S. President Polk, ex Granite State (Design 1095, EFC Hull 2587) In her original configuration before her accommodations burned out in October 1924. The funnel markings are those of the United States Line. Photo No. None Source: www.shipsnostalgia.com/media/president-polk.336444/ |
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S.S. President Hayes, ex Creole State (Design 1095, EFC Hull 2586) Passing the Bund at Shanghai near the mouth of Soochow Creek and the American Consulate in the Hongkew District on 25 July 1927, probably on a Dollar Line round the world cruise. Photo No. None Source: www.virtualshanghai.net/Photos/Images?ID=34830 from NARA RG-151-FC-Box35-FolderC |
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S.S. President Harrison, ex Wolverine State (Design 1095, EFC Hull 2589) After being reconditioned in 1929 to the design developed in 1924 for President Polk by Theodore E. Ferris with the split in the bridge house filled in. Note the two long promenade decks, each with the forward half glass enclosed. Photo No. None Source: Steamship Historical Society of America, on numa.net/2012/09/divers-seek-bones-of-peking-man/ |
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S.S. President Garfield, ex Blue Hen State (Design 1095, EFC Hull 2591) After being reconditioned in 1929 to the design developed in 1924 for President Polk by Theodore E. Ferris with much improved aesthetics. Photo No. None Source: Shipscribe |
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USS Kenmore, ex S.S. President Madison, ex President Garfield, ex Blue Hen State (Design 1095, EFC Hull 2591) In Chesapeake Bay off Fairfield, Baltimore, Md., on 14 August 1942 on post-conversion trials as a Navy convoy loaded transport (AP 62). She was converted to the Navy hospital ship Refuge (AH 11) in 1943-44. Photo No. 19-N-32217 Source: U.S. National Archives, RG-19-LCM |
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USAHS Marigold, ex S.S. President Fillmore, ex S.S. President Van Buren, ex Old North State (Design 1095, EFC Hull 2585) President Fillmore sailed on her first voyage as a War Shipping Administration (WSA) troopship in March 1942. She was converted to an Army hospital ship between October 1943 to June 1944 at Tacoma, Wash and served primarily in the Pacific until decommissioned in June 1946. Photo No. U. S. Maritime Commission photo 5680 Source: NHHC L-file (Army) |
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USAHS Emily H.M. Weder, ex S.S. President Buchanan, ex President Monroe, ex Panhandle State (Design 1095, EFC Hull 2588) President Buchanan was initially operated by WSA as a passenger and cargo ship with a passenger capacity of about 100. She was delivered to the Army at New York in October 1943 and was converted to a hospital ship at New York between November 1943 and July 1944, briefly being named Iris before emerging as Emily H.M. Weder. Decommissioned as hospital ship in November 1945, she was converted in January 1946 to carry military dependents and troops and her name was changed back to President Buchanan. Photo No. U. S. Maritime Commission photo 5679 Source: NHHC L-file (Army) |
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USAT President Tyler, ex S.S. President Hayes, ex Creole State (Design 1095, EFC Hull 2586) President Tyler was operated by WSA as a troopship from January 1942 to February 1945. Her conversion to a hospital ship named Howard A. McCurdy was then begun at East Boston, Mass., but was cancelled incomplete after V-J Day. She was then selected for use in carrying military dependents (capacity 622). She is probably shown here after she began carrying them from England in February 1946. Photo No. None Source: Shipscribe/World Ship Society |
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