SS William Rawle was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after William Rawle, an American lawyer in Philadelphia. Rawle was appointed as United States district attorney in Pennsylvania, in 1791. He was a founder and first president of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, president of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society, and for 40 years a trustee of the University of Pennsylvania.

History
United States
NameWilliam Rawle
NamesakeWilliam Rawle
OwnerWar Shipping Administration (WSA)
OperatorA. H. Bull Steamship Company
Orderedas type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MCE hull 61
Awarded14 March 1941
BuilderBethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland[1]
Cost$1,079,098[2]
Yard number2048
Way number9
Laid down28 June 1942
Launched19 August 1942
Sponsored byMrs. Grace Tully
Completed29 August 1942
Identification
FateSold for commercial use, 31 March 1947
United States
NameArlyn
OwnerBaltimore Insular Line
OperatorA.H. Bull & Co., Inc.
FateGrounded, Silver Bank, Dominican Republic, 6 June 1958, refloated and returned to San Juan, Puerto Rico. Sold for scrapping, October 1958
General characteristics [3]
Class and type
Tonnage
Displacement
Length
  • 441 feet 6 inches (135 m) oa
  • 416 feet (127 m) pp
  • 427 feet (130 m) lwl
Beam57 feet (17 m)
Draft27 ft 9.25 in (8.4646 m)
Installed power
  • 2 × Oil fired 450 °F (232 °C) boilers, operating at 220 psi (1,500 kPa)
  • 2,500 hp (1,900 kW)
Propulsion
Speed11.5 knots (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph)
Capacity
  • 562,608 cubic feet (15,931 m3) (grain)
  • 499,573 cubic feet (14,146 m3) (bale)
Complement
Armament

Construction

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William Rawle was laid down on 28 June 1942, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MCE hull 61, by the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland; sponsored by Mrs. Grace Tully, the private Secretary to President Roosevelt, and was launched on 19 August 1942.[1][2]

History

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She was allocated to A. H. Bull Steamship Company, on 29 August 1942. On 31 March 1947, she was sold for commercial use to the Baltimore Insular Line, for $544,506. On 6 June 1958, she ran aground on the Silver Bank. She was refloated and returned to San Juan, Puerto Rico, where she was scrapped in October 1958.[4]

References

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Bibliography

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  • "Bethlehem-Fairfield, Baltimore MD". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 14 August 2008. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  • Maritime Administration. "William Rawle". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  • Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)" (PDF). p. 23. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  • "SS William Rawle". Retrieved 3 March 2020.