Name/Title
StereographEntry/Object ID
2023.055.3.0178Description
A black and white stereograph. Image is of a large ship floating on the water, several smaller ships have pulled alongside. Above the image "W286 (Star)" is printed, below the image "V19237 U. S. Transport Leviathan, Formerly the Vaterland, Largest Ship Afloat." is printed, to the left of the image "Keystone View Company Copyrighted, Underwood & Underwood, Inc. Manufacturers MADE IN U.S.A. Publishers" is printed, to the right of the image "Meadville, Pa., New York, N. Y., Chicago, Ill., London, England." is printed. On the reverse the following is printed:
V19237
U.S. TRANSPORT LEVIATHAN LARGEST SHIP AFLOAT
Half a dozen or more sturdy tugs are needed to nose this great steamship in and out of her berth alongside a pier because of her huge size. Those ropes running from her bow lead to other tugs besides those that you can see at her side, all necessary to keep the huge bulk of the steamer from crashing into the piers of drifting arground in shallow water.
Before the Unted States entered the war, the "Leviathan" was known as the "Vaterland." It is the largest steamship in the world and was in New York harbor at the time that war between Great Britain and German was declared in 1914. She remained there safe from the British Navy, until the United States declared war against Germany, whereupon she was sized and converted into a troop transport.
Her length is 920 feet, almost as great as the height of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Her huge stacks are large enough to accomodate railway trains, and she is capable of carrying more than 14,000 soldiers and officers. The spars which you see slung from the masts are used to raise and lower the cagoes into the holds.
On the last trip which the "Leviathan" made as a U. S. Transport she carried Genral John J. Pershing and his staff to the United States, after their absence of two and one-half years.
Copyright by The Keystone View CompanyCollection
Photograph Collection