SS Amerika Archival Collection
Amerika (1905) Hamburg-American Line
Built by Harland & Wollt, Ltd., Belfast, Ireland. Tonnage: 22,225. Dimensions: 668' x 74'. Twin-screw, 18 knots. Four masts and two funnels. Renamed: (a) America, (b) Edmund B. Alexander. WW1 Service: interned at Boston during World War I and in 1917 converted into an American troopship. Post War Service: After the War she was sold to the United States Lines and used on the Atlantic Ferry again as a passenger liner, under the name America. Sold to the United States Government in 1932 and was laid up in the James River as a reserve transport. WW2 Service: During World War II, she was put back into government service and assigned the name Edmund B. Alexander.
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Passenger Lists
1907-08-08 SS Amerika Passenger List
Cabin Passenger List for the SS Amerika of the Hamburg America Line, Departing 8 August 1907 from Hamburg to New York via Southampton and Cherbourg, Commanded by Captain H. Knuth.
1908-11-12 SS Amerika Passenger List
Cabin Passenger List for the SS Amerika of the Hamburg America Line, Departing 12 November 1908 from Hamburg to New York via Southampton and Cherbourg, Commanded by Captain H. Knuth.
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Passage Contracts, Tickets, and Receipts
SS President Lincoln Prepaid Passage Contract - 20 November 1907
Steerage Prepaid Passage Contract issued by the Hamburg America Line on 20 November 1907 for passage from Hamburg, Germany to New York on the SS Amerika, and a Train from New York to Ellsworth, Minnesota for a German Immigrant Family.
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Books
The Fabulous Interiors of the Great Ocean Liners - 1984
Some 200 superb photographs—in long shots and close-ups—capture exquisite interiors of world's great "floating palaces"—1890s to 1980s: Titanic, Île de France, Queen Elizabeth, United States, Europa, more. Informative captions provide key details.
The First Great Ocean Liners in Photographs - 1983
Sumptuous volume recalls the glorious early years of elegant transatlantic travel. Over 190 historic photographs depict exterior and interior views of 101 great ocean liners, including the Virginian, Imperator, Vaterland, Bismarck, Lusitania, Mauretania, Balmoral Castle, Titanic, Olympic, Aquitania and dozens more. Full captions.
The book profiles the opulent lifestyles aboard such floating palaces as Normandie, Rex, Olympic, Amerika, Queen Mary, France, Mauritania, Queen Elizabeth II, Imperator, and Titanic. "Perhaps the most readable book on the subject ever to have appeared" --Country Life. Black-and-white photographs.
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Sailing Schedules
Sailing Schedule, Hamburg-Dover-Boulogne-Cherbourg-New York, from 29 July 1905 to 2 December 1905. Ships Included the Amerika, Blücher, Deutschland, Fürst Bismarck, Graf Waldersee, Hamburg, Moltke, Patricia, Pennsylvania, and Pretoria. SS Graf Waldersee Passenger List, 29 July 1905. GGA Image ID # 1f06676725
Twin-Screw Express and Passenger Steamship Services, and Sailing Schedule, Hamburg-Southampton-Boulogne sur Mer-Cherbourg-Plymouth-New York, from 23 August 2906 to 27 October 1906. Ships Included the Amerika, Batavia, Blücher, Deutschland, Graf Waldersee, Hamburg, Kaiserin Auguste Victoria, Oceana, Patricia, Pennsylvania, and Pretoria. SS Moltke Passenger List, 21 August 1906. GGA Image ID # 1e43a0cfd7
Sailing Schedule, Bremen-Galveston, Bremen-Cuba, Bremen-Savannah, Bremen-London, and Bremen-Hull, from 9 April 1907 to 12 September 1907. Ships Included the Amerika, Breslau, Cassel, Chemnitz, Frankfurt, Hannover, Hansa, and Köln. SS Chemnitz Passenger List, 6 April 1907. GGA Image ID # 1f766f1fa7
Sailing Schedule, Hamburg-Southampton-Boulogne-Cherbourg-New York and New York-Plymouth-Cherbourg-Hamburg, from 12 May 1909 to 19 June 1909. Ships Included the Amerika, Blücher, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Deutschland, Graf Waldersee, Kaiserin Auguste Victoria, Pennsylvania, President Grant, and President Lincoln. SS Blücher Passenger List, 12 May 1909. GGA Image ID # 1f892ff7a1
Sailing Schedule, Hamburg-Boulogne sur Mer-Southampton-Cherbourg-New York, from 7 October 1909 to 15 February 1910. Ships Included the Amerika, Blücher, Bulgaria, Cincinnati, Deutschland, Graf Waldersee, Kaiserin Auguste Victoria, Pennsylvania, President Grant, and the President Lincoln. SS Deutschland Passenger List, 7 October 1909. GGA Image ID # 1e41f7f6aa
Sailing Schedule, Hamburg-New York via Boulogne-sur-Mer, Southampton, and Cherbourg, from 4 October 1912 to 20 February 1913 and Hamburg-Philadelphia from 7 October 1912 to 17 December 1912. Ships Included the Amerika, Cincinnati, Corcovado, Graf Waldersee, Hamburg, Kaiserin Auguste Victoria, Patricia, Pennsylvania, President Grant, President Lincoln, Pretoria, Prinz Adalbert, Prinz Oskar, and Victoria Luise. Assignment of Ship's Captains Included with Hamburg-New York Ships. SS Patricia Passenger List, 28 September 1912. GGA Image ID # 1ed91a7f1a
Sailing Schedule, Hamburg-Bologne-Southampton-Cherbourg-New York, from 25 October 1913 to 19 February 1914. Ships Included the Amerika, Graf Waldersee, Kaiserin Auguste Victoria, Moltke, Patricia, Pennsylvania, President Grant, President Lincoln, and Pretoria. SS Pretoria Passenger List, 25 October 1913. GGA Image ID # 1ee4c20743
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Excerpts from Information for Passengers
Information for Passengers - 8 August 1907
Important! Passengers' attention is called to the ships rules and regulations, a copy of which will be found in each cabin.
Passengers are requested to inquire for their Mail at the Information office.
Souvenir Postal Cards will be furnished to Passengers free of charge by the Information office.
A complete safe deposit system, comprising about 150 steel boxes, similar to those found in banks, has been installed on steamers "Kaiserin Auguste Victoria" and "Amerika." The boxes are assigned to Passengers upon application to the Purser, and the rental is $ 1.00 and $ 2.00 for the trip, according to the size of the box. To ensure the safety of valuables, each depositor receives a check for identification.
The Marconi Wireless Telegraph Service.
Communication is established nearly every day with either shore-stations or passing ships. The operator will receive messages for transmission at the time and rate stated on the Marconi bulletin.
The Hamburg America Line is not responsible for the transmission of the telegrams.
Passengers and their friends are informed that an office has been opened in Paris at 35 Boulevard des Capucines (opposite Rue Scribe) for the special purpose of accepting wireless messages for transmission through Marconi Coast Stations to Passengers on steamers fitted with Marconi apparatus. All information in connection with the service may be obtained at the above office.
Inquiry Office
On the Roosevelt Deck of the S. S. Amerika, an Inquiry Office of the Passenger Department has been established. This Office furnishes information to Passengers concerning the sailings of our steamers, the railway services from the port of arrival into the interior, the Pleasure and Health Cruises arranged by the Hamburg-American Line, and the various personally Conducted Tours managed by the Company's Tourist Office (Reisebureau der Hamburg-Amerika Linie).
It also provides information concerning the despatch of baggage, customhouse arrangements, and other essential questions to travelers. At the Inquiry Office, tickets are issued for the return passage either from or to America, for railway journeys from the various ports of arrival into the interior, for Pleasure and Health Cruises, and for Conducted Tours on shore.
The Inquiry Office is where the letters and telegrams arriving on board for Passengers are kept and delivered. In connection with the Inquiry Office, there is a Bookstall of the firm Georg Stilke, Berlin.
The Information Office also has complete control of all matters relating to change of staterooms and charge of all unoccupied cabins.
Source: SS Amerika Passenger List - 8 August 1907
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Photographs
A Real Floating Hotel. The SS Amerika Contains Lifts and a Grill Room. Top: Arrival of the Hamburg-American Liner Amerika at Dover, on her Maiden Voyage. Middle: A Lift on the SS Amerika, the Latest form of Luxury. Bottom: Up-to-Date Appointments on the SS Amerika Like this Grill Room with Separate Tables, Where Meals are Served à la Carte. The Bystander, 18 October 1905. GGA Image ID # 1f3cd0195d
The installation of lifts in the new Hamburg American liner the Amerika demands rather more than passing reference in that she is, surprisingly enough, the first vessel to be so fitted. The convenience needs no emphasis. There is one electric passenger lift to carry seven people serving the main deck, the awning deck bridge, and the promenade, an after-goods lift that raises 500 pounds and serves the lower orlop, lower and main decks, and a forward goods lift for a load of 500 pounds serving the lower orlop and awning decks, In addition, there is a small service lift for raising 300 pounds between the main deck and the promenade. It has been left to Messrs R Waygood and Co Limited of Great Dover Street, the holders of the King's warrant to initiate this departure in the interests of ocean travelers' comfort. (The Syren and Shipping, 26 August 1905: 225)
The Carlton Restaurant on the Hamburg-American Liner SS America, a Replica in Miniature of the Restaurant in Pall Mall. The Bystander, 8 November 1905. GGA Image ID # 1f3cf04e27
Electric Light Bath on the Steamship Amerika. Modern Sanitation, September 1906. GGA Image ID # 1f3d0552c1
Bathroom of Imperial Suite on the Steamship Amerika. Modern Sanitation, September 1906. GGA Image ID # 1f3d29bbb7
The SS Amerika - 1905
The SS Amerika has just left the yard of Messrs Harland & Wolff and will start on her maiden voyage this month. In all respects, the vessel is fitted in a thoroughly up-to-date manner.
The vessel's furnishings show great taste and ingenuity, and the passengers can enjoy every comfort and luxury that recent invention has brought. No expense has been spared. Several paintings by Gottfried Hoper are hung in the principal sitting rooms, and a portrait of the Kaiser adorns the ladies drawing room.
The water-tight doors can be closed automatically and instantly from the navigating bridge, which like the conning tower in a warship, is the center of the vital activity of the vessel. A restaurant is installed on the Carlton principle and has its staff of waiters and chefs. There is an admirably equipped gymnasium on board.
The second intermediate and other passenger departments are less ornate, but in their way, they are nonetheless comfortable and complete. The electric light installation and other electrical appliances are a unique feature. They have all been supplied and fitted by Messrs WH Allen Son & Co Ltd Queen's Engineering Works Bedford.
The electrical plant is large, consisting of no less than five 12 and 20 in by 12 in open vertical compound engines directly coupled to multipolar dynamos, each having an output of 750 amperes at 100 volts when running at a speed of 230 revolutions per minute.
In addition, there is a daylight set placed above the water line consisting of a 9 and 15 in by 9 in open vertical compound engine coupled to a dynamo with an output of 280 amperes at 100 volts when running at 300 revolutions per minute.
There are considerably over 3000 lights installed on board, a large percentage of which are 25 cp, the remainder being 16 cp. They have fitted the ship with a complete telephone installation throughout the passenger accommodation in addition to the ordinary bell installation.
Electric ventilation has also been installed throughout, along with motors for many other apparatus such as electric lifts, hoists, boot cleaning machines, barber's brush machines, knife cleaning machines, dough mixers, etc.
The ship is also fitted out, with electric radiators in cabins and saloons. In addition, there are much smaller apparatus such as electric steering telegraphs, electric whistle control electric bells in connection with water-tight doors, and special automatic telltale arrangements with the signal lanterns.
Her tonnage, The Amerika, was launched on the 20th of April, exceeding 20,000 in actual figures of 22,800. Her length is 670 ft, the beam is 74 ft, and her depth is 52 ft. Her height from the boat deck is 77 ft 6 in, and twin screws propel her.
There are eight decks, and electric elevators run through all five decks where there is passenger accommodation. The machinery is of the quadruple expansion balanced type which reduces vibration to a minimum.
She is expected to be able to steam at the rate of twenty knots per hour. The captain officers and crew number 530 all told the engine staff consisting of 132 The Amerika was intended for the Hamburg and New York passenger trade calling at Dover and Cherbourg.
"The SS America," in The Steamship: An Illustrated Monthly Scientific Journal Devoted to the Interests of Shipbuilders, Marine Engineers, Electricians, and Shipbowners, Leith: John Lockie, C.E., Vol. XVII, No. 196, October 1905, p. 160.
