USAT Kilpatrick


Tonnage: 3,722
Length: 370.8’
Beam: 44.2’
Builder: Harland & Wolff, Belfast
Launch date: April 19, 1890
Maiden Voyage: November 15, 1891
Destruction: Broken up in Italy, 1924

In 1891, the Kilpatrick was originally called the SS Michigan, which was built as a cargo ship with limited passenger accommodation.  She was used by various lines in Atlantic service including New York to London during the 1890s.

She was sold to the U.S. government in July  1898, for service as a military transport during the Spanish-American War.  Her capacity was 40 officers, 800 men, 800 horses, and had refrigerated capacity for shipping 1,000 pounds of meat.  During the conversion two of her four masts were permanently removed.   But the war ended before the conversion was completed.  However, she was retained as a permanent transport, with further refits completed in 1899, and was renamed USAT Kilpatrick.

For the next two decades she transported soldiers around the new US empire.  In 1914 she transported troops from __________ to Veracruz Mexico, and Jack London was on this voyage, travelling to cover the conflict for Collier’s Magazine.

In 1920 the USAT Kilpatrick was sold to private ownership, renamed Acropolis, and modified to accommodate  250 cabin-passengers and 600 third-class passengers. She sailed as an emigrant ship between New York, Greece, and Turkey.  She was sold in 1923 and renamed Washington, continuing in the same immigrant service.  Later the same year she was sold and renamed Great Canton and scrapped in Italy in 1924.  Likely a victim of the post WWI glut of commercial vessels.

09loc119091914 RPPCMichigan with 4 mastsSister Ship