View source for SS Oklahoma (1908)

{{short description|20th US steam tanker}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=
|Ship image size=300px
|Ship caption=
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{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=[[United States]]
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|United States|1912}}
|Ship name=''Oklahoma''
|Ship namesake=[[Oklahoma]]
|Ship owner=*[[J. M. Guffey Petroleum Co.]] (1908-1913)
*[[Gulf Refining Company]] (1913-1914)
|Ship operator=
|Ship homeport=*[[Port Arthur, Texas|Port Arthur]]
|Ship route=
|Ship ordered=
|Ship builder=[[New York Shipbuilding Corporation|New York Shipbuilding Co.]], [[Camden, New Jersey|Camden]]
|Ship original cost=
|Ship yard number=53
|Ship way number=
|Ship laid down=1907
|Ship launched=29 February 1908
|Ship sponsor=Miss Mildred Fessenden Taber
|Ship completed=
|Ship christened=
|Ship commissioned=25 April 1908
|Ship maiden voyage=7 May 1908
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship identification= *US Official Number 205040
*[[Maritime call sign|Call sign]] KWNH
*{{ICS|Kilo}}{{ICS|Whiskey}}{{ICS|November}}{{ICS|Hotel}}
|Ship fate=Sank, 4 January 1914
|Ship notes= 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class=
|Ship type=[[Oil tanker|Tanker]]
|Ship tonnage=*{{GRT|5853}}
*{{NRT|3795}}
*{{DWT|9800}}
|Ship displacement=
|Ship length={{convert|419|ft|0|in|m|abbr=on}} 
|Ship beam={{convert|55|ft|2|in|m|abbr=on}} 
|Ship height=
|Ship draught=
|Ship draft={{convert|27|ft|0|in|m|abbr=on}} (loaded)
|Ship depth={{convert|28|ft|8|in|m|abbr=on}} 
|Ship Armament=
|Ship decks=
|Ship deck clearance=
|Ship ramps=
|Ship ice class=
|Ship sail plan=
|Ship power=424 [[Nhp]], 3,200 [[Horsepower#Indicated horsepower|ihp]]
|Ship propulsion=[[New York Shipbuilding Corporation|New York Shipbuilding Co.]] 3-cylinder [[triple expansion engine|triple expansion]]
|Ship speed={{convert|11+1/2|kn|mph km/h|lk=in}}
|Ship capacity=
|Ship crew=
|Ship armament=
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
'''''Oklahoma''''' was a steam tanker built in 1907–1908 by [[New York Shipbuilding Corporation|New York Shipbuilding Co.]] of [[Camden, New Jersey|Camden]] for the [[J. M. Guffey Petroleum Company]], with intention of transporting oil and petroleum products to ports along the [[East Coast of the United States]] and Europe. In January 1914 the tanker ran into a gale and broke in two and sank with a loss of twenty six men.

==Design and construction==
Early in 1907 J. M. Guffey Petroleum Co. following planned expansion of their pipeline system from Oklahoma to [[Port Arthur, Texas|Port Arthur]], decided to add a large tanker of approximately 10,000 deadweight to its existing fleet of older vessels, enlarging their oil carrying capabilities. A contract for this vessel was awarded to the New York Shipbuilding Co. and ''Oklahoma'' was laid down at the builder's shipyard in Camden (yard number 53) and launched on 29 February 1908, with Miss Mildred Fessenden Taber of New York City, daughter of George H. Taber, general manager of the J. M. Guffey Co., serving as the sponsor.<ref>{{cite news |title=Oil Carrier Is Launched. |newspaper=The Morning Post |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31710276/the_morning_post/ |date=29 February 1908 |page=1 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |accessdate=18 May 2019}}{{free access}}</ref><ref name=miramar>{{csr|register=MSI|id=2205040|shipname=Oklahoma |accessdate=18 May 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The Baltimore Sun |date=1 March 1908 |page=18 |title=Big Tank Steamer Launched. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31710319/the_baltimore_sun/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |accessdate=18 May 2019}}{{free access}}</ref> The ship was of the spar-deck type and had two main decks. The ship was equipped with wireless of De Forest type and submarine signal system, and had electrical lights installed along the decks. The tanker had her hold subdivided into sixteen cargo tanks fitted for carrying oil in bulk with a total capacity of approximately 2,520,000 gallons and had a cargo pump room with two duplex pumps located just aft of the main oil tanks. In addition, the tanker had eight extra compartments on the wings, with two of them being designed to carry freight cargo and the other six served as summer oil tanks.

As built, the ship was {{convert|419|ft|0|in|m}} long ([[length between perpendiculars|between perpendiculars]]) and {{convert|55|ft|2|in|m}} [[beam (nautical)|abeam]], and had a depth of {{convert|28|ft|8|in|m}}.<ref name=uslist>{{cite book |year=1911–1912 |title=Merchant Vessels of the United States |location=Washington, DC |publisher=United States Government Printing Office}}</ref> ''Oklahoma'' was originally assessed at {{GRT|5853}} and {{NRT|3795}} and had [[Deadweight tonnage|deadweight]] of approximately 9,800.<ref name=uslist/> The vessel had a steel hull with double bottom extending under her forepeak and boiler room, and a single 424 [[Nhp]] (3,200 [[Horsepower#Indicated horsepower|ihp]]) vertical [[triple expansion steam engine]], with cylinders of {{convert|28|in|cm|adj=on}}, {{convert|46|in|cm|adj=on}} and {{convert|76|in|cm|adj=on}} diameter with a {{convert|54|in|cm|adj=on}} [[stroke (engine)|stroke]], that drove a single screw propeller and moved the ship at up to {{convert|11+1/2|kn|mph km/h}}.<ref name=lloyds>{{cite book |year=1909–1910 |title=Lloyd's Register, Steamships and Motorships |location=London |publisher=[[Lloyd's Register]]}}</ref> The steam for the engine was supplied by three single-ended Scotch boilers fitted for coal. At the time of her construction the vessel was one of the biggest tankers ever built in the United States.

The sea trials were held from April 11 through April 13, during which the tanker was able to achieve top speed of {{convert|12+1/4|kn|mph km/h}}, about 3/4 of a knot over her contractual speed. After successful completion of the sea trials, ''Oklahoma'' was turned over to her owners approximately a week later and officially commissioned on April 25.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper= Courier-Post |title=Trial Trip of New Oil Steamer. |page=12 |date=11 April 1908 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31710365/courierpost/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |accessdate=18 May 2019}}{{free access}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Oil Tanker In Splendid Trip. |newspaper=The Morning Post |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31710570/the_morning_post/ |date=14 April 1908 |page=9 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |accessdate=18 May 2019}}{{free access}}</ref>

==Operational history==
After delivery to her owners the tanker loaded a full cargo of petroleum consigned to the [[Anglo-American Oil Company]] and departed [[Philadelphia]] for United Kingdom on 7 May 1908. After reaching and unloading her cargo at [[Belfast]] on May 21 and [[Dublin]] on May 23, the ship sailed back to Philadelphia arriving there on June 8, thus successfully completing her maiden voyage.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=22 May 1908 |page=6 |title=Other Ports.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=26 May 1908 |page=7 |title=Other Ports.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=9 June 1908 |page=6 |title=Arrived Yesterday.}}</ref> On her second trip to England in June 1908 the tanker grounded on the upper end of [[Tinicum Island]] while travelling down [[Schuylkill River]] with a cargo of 2,400,000 gallons of oil, but was able to refloat herself on the rising tide and proceed to her destination.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=17 June 1908 |page=7 |title=Maritime Notes. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31815904/the_philadelphia_inquirer/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |accessdate=22 May 2019}}{{free access}}</ref> After two more trips from Philadelphia, the tanker was reassigned to a different route and started carrying oil from [[Port Arthur, Texas|Port Arthur]] to United Kingdom for the remainder of 1908. Starting in 1909 ''Oklahoma'' was put on a domestic coastal route carrying oil and petroleum products from Gulf ports of Port Arthur and [[Beaumont, Texas|Beaumont]] to refineries in Philadelphia and New York. She continued serving this route without interruptions for the remainder of her career.

On 4 January 1911 while attempting to dock in Port Arthur the tanker rammed and cut in half the barge ''Saratoga'' belonging to the [[Texas Company]]  also causing minor damage to the wharf totaling in excess of {{usd}}10,000.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The Galveston Daily News |date=5 January 1911 |page=10 |title=Rammed Amidship. }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |newspaper=Pensacola News Journal |date=6 January 1911 |page=2 |title=Tank Steamer Cuts Barge in Twain. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31919434/pensacola_news_journal/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |accessdate=25 May 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |newspaper=Pensacola News Journal |date=6 January 1911 |page=2 |title=Tank Steamer Cuts Barge in Twain (cont). |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31919448/pensacola_news_journal/|via=[[Newspapers.com]] |accessdate=25 May 2019}}</ref>

In October 1910 ''Oklahoma'' became a center of a wireless hoax, when multiple vessels and shore stations picked up a wireless call for help pretending to be coming from her. Several ships searched for presumably stricken tanker including revenue cutter {{USS|Acushnet|AT-63|2}} but found no trace of the ship. The cutter finally was able to contact ''Oklahoma'' next day who was way down south on her way to Port Arthur and reported that everything was normal and they never sent a distress call.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The New York Times |page=1 |date=24 October 1910 |title=Steamer Oklahoma in Peril. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31918971/the_new_york_times/ |accessdate=25 May 2019 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}{{free access}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The Daily Record |date=25 October 1910 |page=3 |title=Cruel Wireless Hoax. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31919063/the_daily_record/ |accessdate=25 May 2019 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] }}{{free access}}</ref>

===Sinking===
''Oklahoma'' departed for her last voyage from New York in ballast on 3 January 1914 bound for Port Arthur. The tanker was under command of captain Alfred Gunther, had a crew of thirty eight men and also had on board one passenger, captain Loring A. Cates, who was on his way to Port Arthur to assume command of another Gulf Refining vessel. The ship was heading first to the [[Delaware Breakwater]] to pick up a barge and resume her trip down south. In the evening of January 3 the tanker ran into a very strong [[nor'easter]] of the New Jersey coast, with winds averaging {{convert|50 to 60|mph|km/h}} and gusts up to {{convert|120|mph|km/h}}. The same storm devastated a seashore community of [[Seabright, New Jersey|Seabright]] causing over {{usd}}1,000,000 in damages. As the storm raged, ''Oklahoma'' maintained her engines running so she would not be driven towards the shore. At around 07:30 on January 4, as captain Gunther was giving the ship's position to the wireless operator (believed to be approximately {{coord|39|30|N|74|0|W}}), a huge wave swept over the side of the vessel breaking her in two with the stern being swung around and laying alongside the bow. Thirty two men were trapped on the stern as it started to fill quickly. Two lifeboats were quickly lowered, one containing approximately 20 men commandeered by captain Cates, and another with eleven men in it. Captain Gunther and seven other crewmen were left on the bow section of the tanker, which continued to float and showed no signs of sinking. Both lifeboats drifted away from the wreck leaving captain Gunther and seven crewmen alone on the ship bow.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The Evening World |date=5 January 1914 |page=1 |title= Ship Breaks Back; Stern Sinks; Other Half Stays Afloat. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31943358/the_evening_world/ |accessdate=26 May 2019 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}{{free access}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The Evening World |date=5 January 1914 |page=2 |title= Ship Breaks Back; Stern Sinks; Other Half Stays Afloat (cont). |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31943343/the_evening_world/ |accessdate=26 May 2019 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}{{free access}}</ref>

At about 15:00 on January 4 Spanish steamer SS ''Manuel Calvo'' noticed a floating derelict and closed in to investigate. An attempt was made to lower a lifeboat but as soon as it was lowered, a high wave came in and smashed the lifeboat against the ship's side injuring three men in the process. Due to continuing strong winds and rough seas still present in the area nothing could be accomplished and the vessel left after about an hour of trying. At approximately 05:00 on January 5 German steamer SS ''Bavaria'' noticed distress signals and by about 08:00 approached the wreck. By then, the weather had subsided significantly allowing ''Bavaria'' to lower a lifeboat and take off all eight men from the fore section of the tanker. British steamer SS ''Tenadores'' also arrived at the scene as ''Bavaria'' was finishing up the rescue operation and stood by until all survivors were safely on board the German vessel.

One lifeboat with eleven men in it was spotted at around 13:20 on January 4 by a lookout from Booth Line steamer SS ''Gregory''. The lifeboat had a sail hoisted which helped to keep it from being overwhelmed by the waves. However, as soon as survivors noticed ''Gregory'' they dropped the sail and their boat almost immediately capsized. Three officers from the Booth liner jumped in the water and managed to bring back six survivors,  with one of them dying from exposure on the deck of the steamer.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=Norwich Bulletin |date=7 January 1914 |page=1 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31946193/norwich_bulletin/ |title=Brave Sailors Save Lives of Five. |accessdate=26 May 2019 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] }}{{free access}}</ref>

In response to a radiogram sent by the steamer ''Manuel Calvo'' in the late afternoon of January 4, the US Coast Guard cutter {{USCGC|Seneca|1908|2}} was dispatched from [[Newport, Rhode Island|Newport]] to help the sinking vessel. The cutter had to fight through the same gale as ''Oklahoma'' which slowed her down considerably. At around 16:00 on January 5 a lifeboat was spotted with a man sitting upright in it. A surfboat was launched by ''Seneca'' and a man and two dead bodies were recovered from the waterlogged lifeboat. An attempt was made to resuscitate a man for two hours on board the cutter but he never regained consciousness.

In the afternoon of January 6  ''Seneca'' located the upside-down floating fore section wreck of ''Oklahoma'' about {{convert|12|nmi|km}} southeast from the Fenwick Island Lightship. After examining it and determining that it could not be safely towed, mines were attached to the body of the wreck, but they failed to explode. As it was getting dark, the cutter decided to stand by waiting for daybreak. In the morning of January 7 it was decided not to use mines and instead the cutter fired sixteen shots from her rapid-fire six-pounder guns causing the wreck to rapidly sink in approximately {{convert|18|fathom|ft m}} of water.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=Tampa Bay Times |date=8 January 1914 |title=Cutter Finds Tank Steamer. |page=1 
|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31946614/tampa_bay_times/ |accessdate=26 May 2019 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}{{free access}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The New York Times |date=11 January 1914 |page=10 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31947038/the_new_york_times/ |title=Rescue Ship's Siren Lone Sailor's Dirge. |accessdate=26 May 2019 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] }}{{free access}}</ref>

Subsequent investigation into the wrecking of ''Oklahoma'' established that her loss was unavoidable when her bow and stern were both buoyed up by high seas causing the ship to break in two. In addition, a lack of law controlling and standardizing vessel construction was blamed for the wreck.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The Baltimore Sun |date=27 February 1914 |page=5 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31947431/the_baltimore_sun/ |title=Oklahoma's Loss Unavoidable. |accessdate=26 May 2019 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] }}{{free access}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The Evening World |date=3 March 1914 |page=1 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31947468/the_evening_world/ |title=Law Is Blamed for Loss of Steamer. |accessdate=26 May 2019 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] }}{{free access}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{January–July 1914 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oklahoma (1908)}}
[[Category:Tankers of the United States]]
[[Category:Oil tankers]]
[[Category:1908 ships]]
[[Category:Ships built by New York Shipbuilding Corporation]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in January 1914]]