Ancon I

[shipstamps]

To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Ferdinand de Lesseps at Versailles in 1805, the Republic of Panama issued a set of four stamps in 1955. The highest value of this set depicts the first ship passing through the canal, the steamer Ancon preceded by the tug Gatun. The photograph was taken on August 15, 1915, when the Ancon, under the control of canal pilots Ralph Osborne and John Constantine, left Cristobal carrying 300 distinguished guests, including President Porras of the Republic of Panama and his cabinet. At Culebra Cut, where a disastrous slide had occurred a few months before, the Gatun assisted the Ancon past dredgers and drill boats in the narrowed channel. On August 15, 1939, the Ancon repeated her historic passage, in observance of the 25th anniversary of the opening. She was built at Sparrows Point, Maryland, by the Maryland Steel Company for the Boston Steamship Company as the Shawmut, with dimensions 488ft. x 58ft. x 40 7ft. for a gross tonnage of 9,606. Later acquired by the Panama Railroad Steamship Line in 1908, she remained in their service until 1939, with a break for war duties. She was sold in 1940—for $150,000 to the Permanente Company, of Oakland, California. The vessel has also been shown on a '/2 cent stamp issued by Panama in 1939.
SG574 Sea Breezes 1/58

[aukepalmhof]

Built as a cargo vessel under yard No 35 by Maryland Steel Company at Sparrow Point, Maryland for the Boston Steamship Company at Boston.
15 December 1901 launched as the SHAWMUT.
Tonnage 9,606 gross 7,060 net, dim. 149.2 x 18 x 8.8m.
Powered by two triple expansion steam engines manufactured by shipbuilder, 533 nhp. twin shafts, speed 13 knots.
April 1902 completed.

Maiden voyage under command of Capt. Smith and after loading at Philadelphia she sailed for San Francisco where she arrived on 24 July 1902 after a passage of 57 days.
At that time was she the biggest steam freighter that ever entered the port of San Francisco.
Thereafter she was placed in a new line from Puget Sound to China and Japan and the Siberian coast.
1909 Bought by the Panama Railroad Steamship Line, New York and renamed ANCON.
Thereafter used in the service from New York to Panama, bringing workers and supplies and huge amounts of cement.
At that time she had accommodation for 78 passengers, when fitted in I could not find.
22 July 1909 she made her first sailing for her new owners.
15 August 1914 she made the first official transit of the Panama Canal (see above)
During World War I used as a US Army supply ship and carried nitrate from Chile to Baltimore, Maryland.
16 November 1918 required by the American Navy and fitted out as a troop transport USS ANCON (ID-1467) Armed with 3 – 6pdr. guns. Crew 261.
28 March 1919 commissioned under command of Lt. Comdr. Milan L. Pittman.
Assigned to the Atlantic Fleet’s Cruiser and Transport Force.
She was only used for four months by the navy, making two roundtrips from the USA to France to bring American servicemen home.
25 July 1919 decommissioned at New York City and returned to the War Department.
1919/20 Refitted from coal to oil firing and accommodation increased for 150 passengers, thereafter again in the fortnightly, eight day sailings between New York and Cristobal.
April 1923 temporarily withdrawn from service and laid up in Gatun Lake, during that time her hull was repainted.
In August 1924 sailed again to New York, where her reconditioning was finished and accommodation increased to 250 passengers.
When she was replaced by a larger ANCON (II) she was renamed EX-ANCON in 1940.
October 1940 Sold for USA$150.000 to Permanente Steamship Co., Oakland, renamed PERMANENTE.
First used to carry cement, thereafter served as a supply ship in the Pacific.
1946 Made one voyage with war brides from Australia to the USA.
The same year sold to Tidewater Commercial Co Inc., Panama and renamed in TIDEWATER.
Under that name she underwent an extensive conversion in Genoa, Italy. Her accommodation increased to350 persons.
09 September 1947 she sailed from Marseille with emigrants and a full cargo of phosphate to Australia, after disembarking her emigrants in Australia she headed for Auckland to discharge her cargo of phosphate, then sailed again for Australia for loading.
After her return in northern waters was she chartered by Arnold Bernstein a USA citizen and renamed in CONTINENTAL.
03 June 1948 sailed from New York to Plymouth and Antwerp, made four round voyages in this service, her last voyage was on 13 September 1948 thereafter handed back to owners.
1949 She made three more round voyages from Genoa for Australia, her owners kept the name CONTINENTAL.
1950 Sold to the Bernstein Line, Panama and renamed ANCON.
26 October 1950 she arrived in Savona where she was broken up by Trosidea Ricuper Metallici.

Panama 1939 sg574, scott322. 1955 1b sg574, scottC156. 1989 35c sg1495, scottC448.
USA 1998 32c sg3397, scott3183f.
Guyana 2014 $400 sgMS?, scott?
Barbados 2014 10c sg?, scott 1229 (deckscene)

North Atlantic Seaway by N.R.P. Bonsor. Australia Migrant Ships 1946-1971 by Peter Plowman.
http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz Wikipedia and various other web-sites.

[D. v. Nieuwenhuijzen]

Marshall Islands 2014, $5,60, StG.?