SS ''Saint Paul'' was a trans-Atlantic

ocean liner An ocean liner is a passenger ship primarily used as a form of transportation across seas or oceans. Ocean liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes (such as for pleasure cruises or as hospital ships). Ca ...

named for the

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of Minnesota. ''Saint Paul'' was launched on 10 April 1895 by William Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia, as a steel passenger liner. The ship later was chartered for United States Navy service as an auxiliary cruiser from her owner, International Navigation Company, by a board appointed on 12 March 1898; and commissioned on 20 April 1898 for Spanish–American War service, Captain

Charles D. Sigsbee Charles Dwight Sigsbee (January 16, 1845 – July 13, 1923) was a rear admiral in the US Navy. In his earlier career, he was a pioneering oceanographer and hydrographer. He is best remembered as the captain of , which exploded in Havana Harbor, ...

in command.

Service history

Spanish–American War

Departing Philadelphia on 5 May 1898, ''Saint Paul''s first assignment was to cruise in search of Admiral Cervera's squadron between Morant Point, Jamaica, and western Haiti. She captured the British collier ''Restormel''—bound for Cuba with a critical cargo of Cardiff coal—on 25 May and sent her into

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under a prize crew. She cruised off Santiago de Cuba and Guantanamo Bay into mid-June, then sailed to join the force blockading San Juan, Puerto Rico. USS St Paul Capsized 1917

''Saint Paul'' arrived off San Juan on the morning of 22 June. Shortly after midday, in the

second battle of San Juan The Second Battle of San Juan occurred on 22 June 1898 when two Spanish vessels tried to break the American blockade off San Juan. Background San Juan had been under blockade by American forces since April 1898. Most of the time, the blockade c ...

, the Spanish cruiser , emerged from the harbor and, remaining under protection of shore batteries, opened fire on ''Saint Paul'' at long range without success. ''Isabel II'' was joined shortly by the destroyer , which attempted to close ''Saint Paul'' to launch torpedoes. ''Saint Paul'' took ''Terror'' under heavy fire, scoring at least one direct hit which heavily damaged the destroyer. ''Terror'' gave up the attack and returned to port, followed by ''Isabel II''. ''Saint Paul'' was relieved by off San Juan on the 26th and made for

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to coal. ''Saint Paul'' spent the remainder of her Spanish–American War service as a transport, operating for 48 days in July–August as a War Department vessel. She landed troops at Siboney, Cuba, and Arroyo, Puerto Rico, subsequently returning soldiers from Guantanamo Bay to New York City through 15 August. Entering the Cramp shipyard on 22 August for re-conversion to mercantile service, ''Saint Paul'' was decommissioned on 2 September and returned to her owner the same day.

Collision

On 25 April 1908, outward bound from Southampton, England, in a late snowstorm, ''Saint Paul'' was in collision with the British cruiser in the

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. ''Gladiator'' foundered in shallow water with the loss of 27 crew, but ''Saint Paul'' was able to return to Southampton for repairs.Medland, J. C. (2004).''Shipwrecks of the Wight''. Coach House Publications Ltd; 2nd Revised edition. .

World War I

''Saint Paul'' was again taken over for wartime service on 27 October 1917. Operated by the United States Shipping Board as a transport on the War Department account, she retained her merchant crew and carried a naval armed guard on board. She made twelve voyages between New York and Liverpool, England. She was transferred to the Navy account in April 1918; designated SP-1643; and overhauled at New York. Then, while being towed to her berth from dry dock on 28 April with her ballast removed, she capsized in the North River. Righted on 11 September, she was subsequently turned over to the Commandant,

3rd Naval District The naval district was a U.S. Navy military and administrative command ashore. Apart from Naval District Washington, the Districts were disestablished and renamed Navy Regions about 1999, and are now under Commander, Naval Installations Command ...

, on 17 October. ''Saint Paul'' entered the

New York Navy Yard The Brooklyn Navy Yard (originally known as the New York Navy Yard) is a shipyard and industrial complex located in northwest Brooklyn in New York City, New York (state), New York. The Navy Yard is located on the East River in Wallabout Bay, a ...

the following day, but the end of World War I led to cancellation of plans to convert the ship to a troopship.

Post-war

Placed in temporary commission on 14 January 1919 for the purpose of fixing responsibility for her care outside the Navy Yard, ''Saint Paul'' soon began reconversion for mercantile service. Returned to her owner on 24 March 1919, ''Saint Paul'' was scrapped in Germany in 1923.

Postage stamp

As part of the celebrations surrounding the 1901 Pan-American Exposition a set of six commemorative postage stamps were issued. The highest value, 10 cents, shows ''Saint Paul'' under steam. While the three lowest stamps in the series include rare inverted printings, no errors are known for this issue.

References

External links

*
Video dedicated to the ocean liner SS St. Paul
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Paul (1895) Ships built by William Cramp & Sons World War I cruisers of the United States Auxiliary cruisers of the United States Navy 1895 ships Spanish–American War cruisers of the United States Maritime incidents in 1908