A. H. Bull Steamship Company
American passengers and shipping company From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
American passengers and shipping company From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A. H. Bull Steamship Company was a shipping company and passenger liner service founded in New York City in 1902 by Archibald H. Bull (1848-1920). Service started with shipping between New York and Florida. His fleet of ships then added service to other Eastcoast ports. The company is also often called the Bull Lines and the Bull Steamship Line or A. H. Bull & Company. While founded in New York, Bull soon move its headquarter to Peir 5 in Baltimore, Maryland. Bull Lines main Eastcoast ports were: Baltimore, Charleston, Philadelphia, Tampa and Norfolk, Virginia. Oversea ports: Porto Rico, Antwerp, Bordeaux, Hamburg, Bremen, Copenhagen, and West Africa. Bull Steamship Line supported the US war effort for both World War I and World War II, including the loss of ships.[1]
 | |
| Company type | Privately held company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Shipping, transportation, passenger liners |
| Founded | 1902 in New York, United States |
| Defunct | 1964 |
Area served | Atlantic Ocean shores |
Key people | Archibald Hilton Bull Ernest Miller Bull Edward Mryon Bull |
Archibald Hilton Bull (1847–1920) started in the shipping business at a very young age, he worked his way from an errand boy to be on the board of directors and presider of companies.[2][3][4] In 1885 Archibald H. Bull founded the British-flagged New York and Porto Rico Steamship Company, which operated the Porto Rico Line. He ran the firm as a British-flagged ship, as he found the operating cost much lower than US-flagged shipping.[5] In 1895 Bull entered into a partnership with Juan Ceballos. The Porto Rico Line lines ran from New York to Red Hook's Atlantic Basin's Pier 35 to Puerto Rico. The Porto Rico Line was a cargo and tourists line, also Puerto Ricans migrated to New York's Red Hook, Brooklyn on the line. The Porto Rico Line was Bull's second company serving Porto Rico, his first company was started in 1873, using a small fleet of sailing packets boats. In 1900, his share in the company was purchased by his partners in a hostile takeover. Has part of the agreement Bull had to agree not to run steamers to Puerto Rico for 10 years, till 1910. In 1902 Archibald H. Bull founded the A. H. Bull Steamship Company. Bull Steamship's next family President was Bull's son Ernest Miller Bull (1875-1943) in 1920. The next family President was Edward Mryon Bull (1904-1953) in 1942, third generation. He took the reins of the company after practicing as a maritime lawyer. In 1956 the company was sold to the American Coal Shipping Company. In 1961 American Coal sold the Bull Line to a Greek company that went into bankruptcy in 1964. Heir apparent, Edward M. Bull, Jr., left the East Coast, and practiced as a maritime lawyer for a time in San Francisco. His son, Edward M. Bull III, continued in the maritime industry, also a practicing maritime lawyer. [6][7][8]
In 1885 Bull acquired his first ship, the SS Eva, a 4,750 dwt, cargo ship, with a British crew of 24. Starting in 1902 Bull chartered foreign ships for foreign shipping to remain profitable. In 1909 he added to his fleet, the SS Jean, a 4,800 dwt, coal cargo ship, with a German crew of 31. SS Jean was taken over by the US Navy in 1917 for World War I support and returned in 1919. Bull sold the Jean in 1926 and the new owner renamed her SS Margarita Calafati.[9] When the United States entered the World War I in 1917, the US had Bull Lines operate fifteen ships. Some of the ships were built by the United States Shipping Board and others acquired. The SS Evelyn (1), a 1912 Bull passenger and freight was taken over by the US Navy in 1917 and returned to Bull in 1919. At the end of World War I were surplus cargo ships, some of these ships were assigned to Bull. At the end of World War I Bull started service to the eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea and to the Azores, Canary Islands, and West Africa till 1924. In 1924 new service was added to South Africa and East Africa till 1927. In 1927 service moved to the US Atlantic coastal ports and the West Indies. In 1923, Bull's first passenger ship was a converted 2,286-ton lake freighter cargo ship the SS Catherine. The Catherine offered overnight service between San Juan and Saint Thomas in the Virgin Islands. For World War II the Catherine was taken over by the UN Navy as the USS Stratford. In 1925, Bull purchased the SS Brazos. The Brazos was built by Newport News Shipbuilding Co., Newport News, Virginia, in 1907, she displaced 6,576 gross tons, and was 401 feet long. In 1930 the Bull Line had the passenger ship, SS Barbara offer service between Baltimore and San Juan. The Catherine and Barbara were the only passenger ships in the fleet at that time. The Barbara was purchased from the Grace Line, formally called SS Santa Cruz. In 1934 two new cargo ships joined the Bull fleet. The two ships were a new type, built with resembled components, which greatly reduce the building time. The ships would be classified later for World War II construction as type C4-class ships. The new ships were the SS SS Angelina and the SS Manuela (both were sunk by Uboat in 1942).[1][10][11]
World War II ended all Bull passenger services. Bull ships were put into action to support the war effort. Three of Bull Lines ships were taken over by the US government. Bull Lines was active with charter shipping with the Maritime Commission and War Shipping Administration. During wartime, the Bull Lines operated Victory ships and Liberty ships. The ship was run by its Bull Line crew and the US Navy supplied United States Navy Armed Guards to man the deck guns and radio. The most common armament mounted on these merchant ships were the MK II 20mm Oerlikon autocannon and the 3"/50, 4"/50, and 5"/38 deck guns. Of the ships operated by the Bull Lines 19 ships were lost to German U-Boats, beginning with the loss of the SS Major Wheeler with all hands (35) on February 6, 1942. Bull Lines had lost 14 ships to U-boats by the end of the summer of 1942, and lost its last ship, the SS Delisle in October 1943. Over 275 crew were lost during the war aboard Bull Line ships. .[12][13]
At the war's end in 1945, Bull Line had 19 ships in her fleet. By 1947 there were many surplus cargo ships up for sale at low cost. Bull line purchased three Liberty ships operating as colliers the: SS Powellton Seam, SS Chilton Seam and the SS Freeport Seam. Bull renamed the ships: SS Evelyn (2), SS Mae and SS Edith. Bull line purchased five Liberty dry cargo ships in 1948 and five cargo-reefer ship of the type C2 the: SS Wheatland, SS Golden Fleece, SS Sweepstakes, SS Duplin, and SS Woodford. The ships were put into service on the Puerto Rico routes. In 1949 Bull purchased the passenger ship, SS Borinquen from the Porto Rico Line. Bull had her refurbished and renamed the SS Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rico was put on the New York City to San Juan - Dominica Republic route. The route turned out not to be profitable, due to airline competition, and in 1953 the Puerto Rico was removed from service and to the Arosa Line (Compañia Internacional Transportadora) as SS Arosa Star in 1954. This ended the Bull Lines passenger services. In 1949 other surplus cargo ships were purchased: type C2 SS Agwicomet(was Carrier Dove) and the ss Cinch Knot a C1-M-AV1 ship. In 1951 bull purchased two additional dry cargo Liberty ships. In Bull Line purchased two more type C2 ship from the New York & Cuba Mail SS Co. in 1954.
In late 1950s came the more cost-effective loading and unloading system, container shipping. The vast Bull Line fleet, now aged and on an obsolete system, put the company in decline. So, in 1956 Archibald H. Bull's heirs sold the Bull fleet of ships to the American Coal & Shipping Inc. In 1961 most of the fleet was sold to Kulukundis Maritime Industries Inc. of New York, owned by Greek Manuel K. Kulukundis. Kulukundis purchased other ships, but by 1965 Kulukundis was bankrupt and the fleet was sold off one ship at a time.[1]
Over the 54 years of operations, the A. H. Bull Steamship Company acquired a number of other shipping companies:
D. Adams & Co, also called Adams & Company was a subsidiary of the Bull Lines, when Captain Duke Adams became the manager of the Bull's Baltimore office, Adams renamed the company in the early 1920s. In 1925 Adams also became the leader of the Baltimore Insular Line in Baltimore. The name changed back when Adams stepped down.[14][15]
Puerto Rico-American steamship Company was purchased in June 1925 by Bull Lines. Puerto Rico-American steamship Company was run by John Light. After purchase Light moved to the Baltimore Insular Line New York office. The Puerto Rico-American steamship Company was founded by J. B. Wright. Some accused Bull Lines of unfair competition, for buying up all the completion to Puerto Rico. Bull ran lines from Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Norfolk, Virginia to Puerto Rico. Later the ports of Charleston, Jacksonville, Florida, and Savannah, Georgia were added. The line serviced the growing sugar industry there. By 1930 Bull was operating most of the sugar cargo out of Puerto Rico [16][17]
Bull purchased the small Baltimore Carolina line, also called the Weems Line from the Baltimore & Carolina Steamship Company in 1929 and it became a subsidiary of Bull. Baltimore Carolina line served the ports of Baltimore, Philadelphia and Miami with two ships the: SS Esther Weems and SS Mary Weems. Weems Line other shipers were the: William F Romer (1890-1916), Lancaster (1924–1928). Captain George Weems (?-n 1874)started the line (also called the Weems Steamboat Company) in 1817 with the steamboat Surprise, then the steamboat Eagle (had boiler explosion in 1824), and then Patuxent. Weems son's became Captains: George Weems, Jr. Mason L. Weems; and Theodore Weems. More ships were added George Weems 1858 (fire 1871), Theodore Weems 1872, L. Weems 1881, Matilda, Wenonah, Essex, Potomac, Ann Arundel, Calvert, Westmoreland, Caroline and St. Mary's (fire 1907). Weems Line was sold to M.D. & V. in 1905.[18][19][20]
Clyde-Mallory Line was purchased in 1934 by the Bull Lines. The Clyde-Mallory Line was formed when the Mallory Line merged with Clyde Line. The Clyde-Mallory Line was closed and the fleet became part of the Bull fleet.[21][22][23][24] Clyde-Mallory Lines main ports were: Jacksonville, New York, Miami, Boston, Wilmington, Charleston, Key West, Galveston, Tampa, New Orleans and Mobile.[25]
Baltimore Insular Line and Bull Insular were subsidiary of A. H. Bull & Company. A. H. Bull purchased the Insular Line in 1914 and renamed it the Baltimore Insular Line. The Insular Line was founded in 1904 with both freight and passenger service. Insular Line was operating with the ship, SS Elizabeth, from A. H. Bull old company. The line was also called the Bull Insular Line with service between Baltimore, New York City and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Baltimore Insular Line was Bull Lines passenger operation, with homeport at Baltimore Pier 5 with service to St. Thomas and San Juan. Bull Insular Line operated the ships: Carolyn, Delfina, Delisle, Governor John Lind, Major Wheeler and Marina (1). Only the Marina (1), Carolyn and Governor John Lind survived World War II, the three others were sunk by U-Boats. During World War II Pier 5 was damaged by German torpedoes. 39.284397°N 76.606028°W[26]
Ericsson Line was subsidiary of A. H. Bull & Company starting in 1931. The line was started by the Baltimore and Philadelphia Steamboat Company, founded on February 23, 1844. The ships on the line had narrow propeller ships, rather than the wider steam paddle ships of the time. Erricson Line had passenger and freight daily service between Philadelphia and Baltimore, via the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal from 1926 to 1936. The line had stops in Cecil County: Reybold's Wharf, Town Point and Chesapeake City. The company had run cargo ship starting in 1829 and added passenger boats in 1838, then incorporated in 1844. The line was named after John Ericsson (1803-1889), the Swedish-American inventor of the screw propeller.[27]
Blue Lines ships:[10]
Baltimore Insular Line Inc. ships:[10][43]
Ships operated by Bull Lines for World War II under the United States Merchant Marine. The ships were owned by the War Shipping Administration and operated by Bull Lines.
The American Coal Shipping Company was a joint enterprise formed in 1955, made up of three railroad companies, seven coal companies, and the United Mine Workers. The American Coal Shipping Company purchased the Bull Lines in 1956. In 1957 the American Coal Shipping Company added to its fleet of ships by leasing 30 Liberty ships from the US Government. Headquarters was at 17 State Street, New York City and President was W.C. Brewer. The goal was to provide a worldwide coal sales and shipping network. Many saw the partnership of the union and a company as a conflicts of interest, as the union held 33% interest ($3.4 million) of the company, paid with union dues. John Sylvester Routh was the director of the company. The union membership status of the ship's seaman became a major issue for the union. American Coal Shipping Company had 45 ships at its peak but was not able to put all of them into operations due to union issues and court cases. In 1961 American Coal Shipping Company sold the Bull Lines to a Greek Company that closed in 1964.[65][66][67][68][69]
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