Originally built on the Clyde by J&G Thompson for the Inman Line of steamers in 1888, the City of New York and the City of Paris were the first twin screw transatlantic express liners and each sported three funnels. Largest ships afloat when launched, they also proved faster and each took the Blue Ribbon. Inman wanted his ships to look like ships. Hence the bowsprit was retained as well as three masts with spars for sails. These two were considered the most beautifully designed vessels of their day. When the Inman Line collapsed from the British Parliament cancelling the lines Royal Mail subsidy, the International Navigation Company (Red Star Line) (Pennsylvania Steamship Company) purchased the failing line and their remaining vessels. Placed under the US flag for the newly created American Line with the stipulation that two equivalent liners be built by American shipyards their names were shortened to SS New York and SS Paris. After the Paris had one engine explode, she was rebuilt with two funnels and her name chamged to Philadelphia. Sister New York was soon to follow suit. Both vessels would participate in the Spanish American War. Newly created roles for fast ships, armed merchant cruisers, as USS Yale (Paris) and USS Harvard (New York) they proved their worth as the eyes of the fleet. Their wartime exploits led them to Caribbean waters as cruise ships on winter off season months. During WWI as fast transports named USS Plattsburg and USS Louisville these two ships would have close to three thousand troops loaded aboard in close quarters.
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