The Inman Line

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The Inman Line, founded in 1850, was the dominant British-owned transatlantic shipping line of its era. Unremembered today, for a time it nearly drove White Star and Cunard out of the market.

Just as Cunard named most of its ships with an -ia suffix (Lusitania) and White Star named its ships with an -ic suffix (Titanic) Inman prefixed all its names with City of . . . (City of New York).

The owners of Inman Lines were visionaries. Inman was the first carrier to create an all-steel fleet. Inman was the first carrier to have a fleet that consisted completely of composite ships (sail and steam together), and Inman was the first carrier to transition completely to steam.

Inman's owners were also romantics. They hired clipper designers to craft their ships, all of which had sleek lines. Even after Inman transitioned to all-steam, their vessels retained bowsprits and figureheads, sharply raked masts and some fore-and-aft spars (these were all aesthetic retentions, though masts gained a new purpose when wireless telegraphy came into use, and spars transmogrified into cranes, winches and derricks for cargo handling).

Inman chose not to put massive superstructures atop their hulls, retaining instead glass-domed deckhouses that provided natural light (passengers could traverse an Inman vessel via interior passageways that kept them off the weather decks in foul conditions).

Passenger accommodations were elegant, with artisan-crafted joinery and fittings, the best the Victorian Age could offer. Gourmet chefs prepared the meals in First and Second Classes. Even Third Class, spartan though it was, was clean and bright and the food was nourishing if plain.

 

City of New York underwent numerous refits and name changes during her 35 year career. Around 1890 she was converted from sail and steam to solely steam (coal). In 1893 she was renamed New York. In 1898 she became (briefly) U.S.S. Harvard. Around 1900 she was outfitted with more powerful triple-expansion engines which increased her speed and her displacement significantly. At the same time she was redesigned with only two funnels but greater passenger capacity. In 1913, her First Class accommodations were downgraded to Second and Third only. In 1916, at the behest of the U.S. Navy she was converted from coal to oil. Between 1918 and 1920 she served as the U.S.S. Plattsburg. After another year as New York she was sold to the Polish Navigation Company in 1921 (and renamed) then to the Irish-American Line in 1922 (when she became New York again), then to United Transatlantic in 1923, and then finally to the American Black Sea Line, who scrapped her at Genoa that same year

Inman's flagship was the amazing steamer called the City of New York. Built in 1888 and christened by Winston Churchill's mother Jennie, she was the first twin screw steamship ever to take to sea. She had a running mate, the City of Paris. Both ships held the Blue Riband at various times.

Inman's owners understood that an Atlantic voyage was not just a ride from Point A to Point B across the water, but an experience in and of itself, and made sure that a ticket on an Inman vessel was a premium purchase. Inman ships were easily the largest, fastest, cleanest, strongest, brightest, and (presumably) safest craft on the Atlantic.

City of New York and City of Paris were the world's largest vessels at the time they were launched. City of New York was the first steamship in regular passenger service to exceed 10,000 tons. She and City of Paris displaced 17,270 tons (after refits), were 560 feet long and 63 feet wide, could make 20 knots and carry 1,740 passengers (540 in First, 200 in Second, and 1,000 in Third) along with 362 crew. Both represented the finest wedding of Inman's love of art and commerce.

Ultimately, Cunard adopted Inman's penchant for technology, while White Star adopted Inman's passion for design. The great ships of both lines owe much to Inman's influence.

Inman Lines became a victim of its own success. In 1893, the company was bought by an American-owned Trust. In a show of extraordinarily stupid xenophobia and parochialism, the British government refused to issue the newly-Americanized Inman Lines a new Royal Mail Certificate with its R.M.S. designation, necessary for carrying British cargoes. The British put Inman out of business overnight, just at the height of the worldwide economic Panic of 1893, throwing thousands of Inman employees (all British) out of work and onto the dole, thus damaging the Great British economy even further than it already was.

 

City of New York and City of Paris were both launched in 1888 as composite ships but by 1892 had been converted fully to steam. That was the year that both ships won the Blue Riband, City of Paris for the Sunset Run and City of New York for the Sunrise Run.

This promotional image has several errors. In 1888, the ship would have been flying the British Union Jack, not Old Glory; and it was rare and dangerous for composite ships to be under sail and steam together as even the best spark arrestors were imperfect. A stray spark from the funnels could set the sails alight, leading to disaster. But it looked impressive to potential passengers

Inman's ships were sold off. City of New York was purchased by American Lines and renamed New York. In 1898 the liner was seconded to the U.S. Navy as a troopship during the Spanish-American War. She also served honorably in World War I as a convoy gunship.

Around 1900, the ship underwent a major refit. She was given far more powerful engines and had her funnels reduced from three to two. (This change sometimes leads to confusion when examining historic photographs.)
 

The refitted New York was involved in two historic maritime events:
 

In 1909, she served as a rescue vessel when the White Star Line's Republic sank in a collision with the Florida after Republic, newly outfitted with wireless, sent the world's first distress call (CQD). The loss of life was minimal thanks to quick action by New York.

In 1912, the aging liner was in Southampton Water when the Titanic came steaming by. The force of the Titanic's displacement made New York's mooring lines snap, and the New York was pulled into the Titanic's draw, nearly striking both the Titanic and the nearby Oceanic. And that is how the venerable City of New York became a footnote in the Greek Tragedy that is Titanic.

The one-time queen of the seas was broken up for scrap in 1923, having long outlasted its time. But in its time, City of New York was the ship of dreams on the Atlantic Ferry run.