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YALE & HARVARD
LASSCO Line issued postard, circa 1922 illustrating sister ships YALE and HARVARD. (Martin Cox collection)
YALE 1906-1949
HARVARD 1906-1931
Built by Delaware River International Shipbuilding and Engine works, Chester, PA.
3,818 GRT
407 x 61 feet
Triple screw, 23 knots
Crew 135
These two sister ships were based on design plans created by W. Denny & Brothers of Dumbarton Scotland, the ships were different from the American designed coastal steamers. Each had turbine propulsion and were triple screw steamers. Both ships were converted to burn oil instead of coal at three years of age and were pioneers in this concession.
Launched in 1906 for Metropolitan Steamship Co. built for overnight run New York and Boston. In 1908 the Pacific Steam Navigation Co., chartered them to operate between Los Angeles and San Francisco. To reach the West coast this meant the long trip around South America as this pre-dated the Panama Canal. They were leased to the Pacific Alaska Navigation Co, this line then merged with Pacific Coast Steamship Co., to form the Pacific Navigation Co.
They were making four round trips a week between Los Angeles and San Francisco when the US entered the WWI the US Navy purchased the ships for an estimated $1,000,000 each for use as transports. They were overhauled at Mare Island in San Francisco and due to a fuel shortage both were converted back to coal burning. The HARVARD was renamed CHARLES and in September 1917 both ships were sent through the Panama Canal to England. As transports between Southampton and Le Havre they each made 166 round trips and carried over 500,00 soldiers. Aprox 3,500 on each trip across the English Channel.
After the war they sailed for Philadelphia to the League Island Navy Yard and were placed in reserve. A plan to use them as sea plane tenders was dropped and the ships were sold to the YALE-HARVARD Syndicate, a group of Los Angeles businessmen, later known as Los Angeles Steamship Co. Both departed 17 June 1920, stops were made at Jacksonville, Colon and Salina Cruz. CHARLES was renamed HARVARD and arrived in Los Angeles on 10 July. The YALE was 600 miles behind because of a fuel shortage in the Canal zone. Upon her arrival in the Harbor two days later, numerous craft blew whistles in welcome.
YALE and HARVARD sailed for LASSCO from 1921 until the 30s between San Francisco and Los Angeles and San Diego.
Matson Line took over LASSCo in 1930 and shortly there after HARVARD was wrecked off Point Arguello near Santa Barbara 30 May 1931 with no loss of life. YALE continued alone and was laid up in 1936. Sold for dormitory use in 1940 for defense workers in Alaska. In 1942 US Navy used her as transport in Aleutian Islands renamed GREYHOUND. Laid up after the war Olympia Washington, scrapped at Stockton in 1949.