The rather gentlemanly process of allowing the crew to leave didn't last long after the introduction of Q-ships - armed ships masquerading as merchantmen until the U-boat surfaced to sink the ship with gunfire - more economical than torpedoes. The first successful Q-ship attack on a U-boat came just 6 days before the Cambuskenneth was sunk. Not long thereafter U-boats began more often to stay submerged and attack from stealth with little or no warning, as they did with the Lusitania.

Up to WWII, steel windjammers were more effective, faster and cheaper to operate than steamships on long blue-water runs, like trade between Europe and South America, Asia and Australia. Coal was expensive and hard to get in the remoter parts of the world. The great steel sailers were reliable and could be operated with fewer than 30 men. They were quite plentiful until the war changed everything by boosting the development of propulsion technology and the building of large numbers of powered vessels. Some operated into the 1950s.

The commercial steamship steam boat debuted in 1907 1807. How on earth are there still sailing ships in the harbor nearly a century after that?

Were mechanically driven ships still been so expensive that sometimes made financial sense, not only to travel at, what?, one fourth the average speed but also to employ all the hands needed to sail a ship?

Or am I looking at mechanically driven ships that have masts merely to get extra speed when the wind is right? I can't tell if the smokestacks and the masts belong to the same vessels or different ones.

The Brooklyn tower of the Williamsburg bridge is visible behind the Brooklyn bridge. The Williamsburg is still two years away from opening at this point.

"All hands were allowed to leave the Cambuskenneth unharmed before the Forstmann sank her with gunfire about 26 miles SSW of Galley Head, Ireland."

Ahh, when wars were fought civilly. The blue team will please line up on the right side of the field and the red team will take the left. Begin firing at the umpire's signal.

Originally founded in 1899 to operate cargo service to Cuba and later to Mexico and other gulf ports. First passenger ship was purchased in 1915. The last ship was sold in 1938 and the company went bankrupt.

Founded in New York in 1899 to operate a cargo service to Havana and later extended to Mexico and Gulf ports. In 1915 a passenger ship was purchased for the trade to Cuba and after World War I the company commenced passenger and cargo services between New York and the east coast of South America using mainly ex-German ships which had been interned in US ports. The company suffered severely during the depression and many of it's ships were scrapped or laid up. The last ship was sold in 1938 and the company went bankrupt.

The remaining passenger ships were taken over by the US Maritime Commission and laid up.

Routes:
New York to Bahia to Rio de Janeiro to Santos to
Montevideo to Buenos Aires
New York to Nassau to Miami to Havana
New York to Bermuda
Miami to Nassau
New Orleans to Havana
New York to Antilla

Steamship Antilia: launched 1893 at Grangemouth, Scotland. Renamed Malaita in 1905. Scuttled in Bass Strait, Australia, 1927.

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Marine Engineer and Naval Architect, Feb 1, 1893.

Launches — Scotch.

Antilia. — On January 21st the Grangemouth Dockyard Co. launched a steel screw steamer to the order of the Nassau Steamship Co., designed to carry fruit and goods between the West Indies and New York. Dimensions, 200 ft. by 30 ft. by 14⋅9 ft. moulded to main deck. She will be fitted up with all the latest improvements, including steam windlass, steam steering gear, &c. The vessel will be fitted with triple-expansion engines by Messrs. Hutson & Son, of Kelvinhaugh Engine Works, Glasgow, designed for a speed of ten knots loaded. The vessel has been constructed under the superintendence of Mr. John M'Keddie, consulting engineer, Edinburgh. As the vessel left the ways she was named the Antilia by Miss M'Keddie, daughter of the superintending engineer.

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Munson Steamship Line previously seen on Shorpy at their Mobile, Alabama pier: On the Waterfront: 1905.

Sail just hanging on as steam takes over. Wonderful photo, thanks Shorpy, but also a little sad.

at center right was built in Port Glasgow, Scotland, in 1893. The 1,924-ton vessel was sailing under Norwegian registry and carrying a cargo of wheat when was was stopped by u-boat U39 (the Walter Forstmann) on June 29, 1915. All hands were allowed to leave the Cambuskenneth unharmed before the Forstmann sank her with gunfire about 26 miles SSW of Galley Head, Ireland.

The New York Times: July 1, 1915

The Norwegian ship Cambuskenneth which sailed from Portland, Ore. on Feb. 9 for Liverpool or Manchester was sunk today by gunfire of the German submarine U-39.

The Cambuskenneth was twenty miles south of Galley Head on the Cork coast when the submarine signaled her to halt. It was ascertained that there were eight Germans among the ship's crew and these had the novel experience of being rowed to the submarine and later disappearing under the sea with her while their mates (thirteen in all) were left floating in the ship's boats. The latter were landed at Galley Head this morning.

Amazing, the South Street Seaport actually *was* a seaport back then, not a tourist trap filled with schlock stores and crappy restaurants.

This is a wonderful view. I didn't realize trucks, motorized wagons really, weren't invented until 1896-Just five years before this picture was taken. No cars, cargo ships with sails and a few with steam and sail.

Quite a look back. We've come a long way.