St. Louis

1910

(Rainier Grouls RG-47)

Type: Passenger
Displacement: 11,629 tons
Dimensions: 554 x 63 ft.
Machinery: Steam quadruple expansion, twin screws = 19 knots
Passengers: 1,340 (320 1st class, 220 second class, 800 steerage)
Crew: 400

Builder: William Cramp & Sons Ship & Engine Building Company, Philadelphia, PA, 1895

Notes: Built for the American Line's North Atlantic service between England and New York. Launched 12 Nov 1894; sponsored by Mrs. Grover Cleveland. Fifth largest liner in the world at completion. Maiden voyage New York to Southampton 5 Jun 1895. A steampipe explosion in Aug cost 5 lives. In 1896 she returned to the builders for modification, including shortening the smokestacks. Chartered for Naval service in Apr 1898 as an armed merchant cruiser and transport during the Spanish-American War. She was specially fitted with drag lines to cut undersea communication cables, severing the cables between St. Thomas and San Juan, between Santiago de Cuba and Jamaica, and between Guantanamo Bay and Haiti in May and June. Was present at the Battle of Santiago on 3 Jul 1898, and later transported many prisoners of war, including Adm. Cervera, to internment in the United States.
Returned to commercial service with American Lines in Sep 1898. Boiler repairs in 1903 and funnels raised. In Mar 1917 she was furnished with an armed guard for protection on her regular New York to Liverpool service. On 30 May, while sailing up the Irish Channel, she dodged a torpedo and may have struck the submarine that fired it. Taken over as transport USS Louisville in Apr 1918. After service, including six crossings returning American troops from Europe, she decommissioned and returned to the American Line in Sep 1919. While being reconditioned for passenger service at Hoboken, she caught fire and sank at her berth, Jan 1920. Later refloated and taken over by insurance underwriters, she lay at various docks in the New York area, but never sailed again. Sold and scrapped at Genoa in 1925.
Sister ship St. Paul also built 1895; requistioned as transport USS Knoxville in 1918, she capsized at her berth in New York while fitting out. She was raised and returned to service in 1920. Sold for scrap in 1923.