View source for SS Roosevelt (1905)

{{short description|American steamship}}
{{For|ships with a similar name|SS President Roosevelt|USS Roosevelt}}
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|+SS ''Roosevelt''
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|Ship image=[[File:Peary's steamer Roosevelt, Hudson-Fulton Parade.jpg|300px|SS ''Roosevelt'']]
|Ship caption=SS ''Roosevelt'' participating in a naval parade on the [[Hudson River]] as part of the Hudson-Fulton Anniversary Celebration in 1909.
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{{Infobox ship career
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|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|USA|1896}} 
|Ship name= ''Roosevelt''
|Ship namesake=[[Theodore Roosevelt]]
|Ship owner=[[Peary Arctic Club]]
|Ship operator=[[Peary Arctic Club]]
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|Ship builder=[[McKay and Dix Shipyard]], [[Verona Island, Maine
]],&nbsp;[[Maine]]
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|Ship laid down=19 October 1904
|Ship launched=23 March 1905
|Ship sponsor=Mrs. Josephine Peary
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|Ship completed=July 1905
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|Ship fate=Sold August 1910
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{{Infobox ship career
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|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|USA|1907}}
|Ship name=SS ''Roosevelt''
|Ship namesake=Previous name retained
|Ship owner=
|Ship operator=[[John Arbuckle (merchant)|John Arbuckle]]
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|Ship acquired=August 1910
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|Ship fate=Sold 1915
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|Ship country=U.S. Bureau of Fisheries
|Ship flag=[[File:Flag of the United States Bureau of Fisheries.svg|55px]]
|Ship name=SS ''Roosevelt''
|Ship namesake=Previous name retained
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|Ship acquired=1915
|Ship commissioned=1917
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|Ship fate=Transferred to [[United States Navy]] 18 March 1918
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{{Infobox ship career
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|Ship acquired=Transferred from U.S. Navy 11 June 1919
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|Ship fate=*Sold into commercial service 15&nbsp;July&nbsp;1919
*Beached and abandoned 21 January 1937
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{{Infobox ship career
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|Ship country=United States Navy
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|USA|1912}} 
|Ship name=USS ''Roosevelt''
|Ship namesake=Previous name retained
|Ship owner=
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|Ship registry=
|Ship sponsor=
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|Ship acquired=Transferred from U.S. Bureau of Fisheries 18&nbsp;March&nbsp;1918
|Ship commissioned=18&nbsp;March&nbsp;1918
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|Ship decommissioned=1919
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|Ship identification= SP-2397
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|Ship fate=Transferred to U.S. Bureau of Fisheries 11&nbsp;June&nbsp;1919
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{{Infobox ship characteristics
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|Header caption=<br/>as Bureau of Fisheries vessel
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|Ship type=[[Cargo liner]]
|Ship tonnage={{GRT|654}}
|Ship displacement=1,600 [[Displacement ton|tons]]
|Ship length={{convert|182|ft|m|abbr=on}} 
|Ship beam={{convert|35|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}} 
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|Ship propulsion=[[Compound steam engine]], 1,000 [[Horsepower|hp]] (845.7 [[Kilowatt|KW]]), one [[Propeller|screw]]
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{{Infobox ship characteristics
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|Header caption=<br/>as U.S. Navy vessel
|Ship type=[[Patrol vessel]]
|Ship tonnage=
|Ship displacement=1,600 tons
|Ship length={{convert|182|ft|m|abbr=on}} 
|Ship beam={{convert|35|ft|7|in|m|abbr=on}} 
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'''SS ''Roosevelt''''' was an American [[steamship]] of the early 20th century. She was designed and constructed specifically for [[Robert Peary]]′s [[polar exploration]] expeditions, and she supported the 1908 expedition in which he claimed to have discovered the [[North Pole]].

After her career with Peary, ''Roosevelt'' saw commercial use as a [[Tugboat|tug]]. She also operated as a [[United States Bureau of Fisheries]] supply ship and served as a [[United States Navy]] [[patrol vessel]] during [[World War I]].

== Design and construction ==
{{multiple image
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| image1 = SS Roosevelt (1905) hull under construction.JPG
 | alt1 = The hull of SS ''Roosevelt'' under construction
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 | image2 = SS Roosevelt (1905) hull trusses.JPG
| alt2 = Hull trusses of SS ''Roosevelt'' 
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 | footer = '''LEFT:''' The hull of SS ''Roosevelt'' under construction. '''RIGHT:'''&nbsp;The system of trusses that braced the hull against ice pressure.
}}
[[United States Navy]] [[Commander (United States)|Commander]] [[Robert Peary]] designed ''Roosevelt'' specifically for operations in support of his [[Arctic exploration]] expeditions.<ref name=danfs>{{cite web |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/r/roosevelt-steamer.html |publisher=Naval History and Heritage Command |work=Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships |title=Roosevelt (steamer) |access-date=September 15, 2018}}</ref><ref name=ssroosevelt>{{cite web |url=https://www.afsc.noaa.gov/History/vessels/boats/roosevelt.htm |publisher=AFSC Historical Corner |title=Roosevelt, Bureau's First Pribilof Tender |access-date=September 15, 2018}}</ref> His design attempted to incorporate the best features of previous [[polar exploration]] ships with innovations that would give her first-of-their-kind capabilities.<ref name=grigorep14>Grigore, p. 14.</ref>

Peary designed the ship along the same lines as the [[Norway|Norwegian]] explorer [[Fridtjof Nansen]]'s [[schooner]] ''[[Fram (ship)|Fram]]'',<ref name=danfs/> with the capability both to push through large floating [[Pack ice|ice packs]] and squeeze through and between ice fields.<ref name=grigorep14/> ''Roosevelt'' was a schooner with an ice-strengthened flexible wooden [[Hull (ship)|hull]] sheathed in [[steel]] and braced by a unique system of [[truss]]es.<ref name=ssroosevelt/> The wooden construction of her hull gave it both strength and the flexibility to bend rather than break when ice struck it or pressed against it,<ref name=grigorep14/> and her hull planking was assembled through a [[lamination]] process that gave her hull greater strength than a single piece of wood could provide.<ref name=grigorep14/> Her hull was {{convert|30|in|cm}} thick in places and was egg-shaped, a design that would allow her to rise and ride above [[sea ice]] that pushed against her below the [[waterline]] – almost popping up out of the ice – rather than be crushed by it.<ref name=danfs/><ref name=ssroosevelt/><ref>Grigore, pp. 14, 15</ref> Her bow and [[stern]] both had {{convert|1|in|cm|adj=on}} steel plating;<ref name=grigorep15/> the bow plating extended from her [[keel]] to {{convert|3|ft|m}} above the waterline and {{convert|10|ft|m}} aft,<ref name=grigorep15/> while the stern plating also extended from the keel to above the waterline and extended {{convert|14|ft|m}} forward.<ref name=grigorep15/> Between the bow and stern plating, a layer of steel {{frac|3|8}} of an inch (0.95&nbsp;cm) thick and {{convert|6|ft|m}} tall extended along the waterline.<ref name=grigorep15/>

Previous Arctic exploration ships had relied on [[sail]]s for their primary propulsion, with engine power secondary, but ''Roosevelt'' became the first such ship to reverse that principle.<ref name=grigorep15/> She had three [[Mast (ship)|masts]],<ref name=danfs/><ref name=ssroosevelt/> all of which could carry [[sail]]s for auxiliary propulsion,<ref name=ssroosevelt/><ref name=grigorep14/> but relied for propulsion primarily on a powerful {{convert|1,000|hp|lk=on|0|adj=on}} [[compound steam engine]] – equipped with a special system that allowed it to generate {{convert|1,500|hp|0}} for brief periods if she encountered particularly massive ice concentrations<ref name=grigorep14/> – that drove a single, large [[propeller]] {{convert|11|ft|m}} in diameter<ref name=grigorep15/> on a {{convert|1|ft|m|adj=on}}-diameter shaft<ref name=ssroosevelt/><ref name=grigorep15/> designed to generate powerful thrust that could push her through [[drift ice]].<ref name=danfs/><ref name=ssroosevelt/><ref name=grigorep14/> She had a sharply raked [[Stem (ship)|stem]] intended to increase her ramming and cutting power against sea ice,<ref name=grigorep14/> and a short length at the waterline and narrow [[Beam (nautical)|beam]] to give her increased maneuverability when steering between ice packs.<ref name=grigorep14/> Her rudder was of a special design that gave her the maximum possible steering capacity while exposing the rudder as little as possible to ice damage.<ref name=grigorep14/> Her design minimized auxiliary structures, both to allow the stowage of sufficient fuel, supplies, and provisions for lengthy stays in the Arctic<ref name=grigorep14/> and to give her a relatively shallow [[Draft (hull)|draft]] so that she could operate in shallow waters and close to shore.<ref name=grigorep15/>

''Roosevelt'' was the first ship ever built in the [[Western Hemisphere]] for Arctic exploration.<ref name=grigorep15/> Her construction cost was US$150,000<ref name=danfs/><ref name=ssroosevelt/> and was funded in part by a US$50,000 gift by George Crocker,<ref>{{cite news|title=Peary Gets $50,000; M.K. Jesup Gives $25,000|newspaper=New York Times|date=July 13, 1905|page=7}}</ref> the youngest son of banker [[Charles Crocker]]. The [[McKay and Dix Shipyard]] [[Keel-laying|laid her keel]] at [[Bucksport, Maine|Bucksport]], [[Maine]], on 19 October 1904.<ref name=danfs/><ref name=ssroosevelt/><ref name=navsource>{{cite web |url=http://www.navsource.org/archives/12/172397.htm |website=NavSource Online |title=Section Patrol Craft Photo Archive Roosevelt (SP 2397) |access-date=September 15, 2018}}</ref> Sponsored by Peary's wife,<ref name=danfs/> Josephine Peary,<ref name=ssroosevelt/><ref name=grigorep15>Grigore, p. 15.</ref> who broke a bottle of [[champagne]] encased in ice across ''Roosevelt''{{'}}s [[Bow (ship)|bow]],<ref name=grigorep15/> the ship was [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] on 23 March 1905<ref name=danfs/><ref name=ssroosevelt/> and christened SS&nbsp;''Roosevelt'' in honor of [[President of the United States|President]] [[Theodore Roosevelt]],<ref name=danfs/><ref name=ssroosevelt/> who had openly supported Peary<ref name=ssroosevelt/> and played an instrumental role in arranging for the U.S. Navy to grant Peary a leave of absence so that he could continue his Arctic explorations.<ref name=danfs/><ref name=ssroosevelt/> After [[Fitting-out|fitting out]], she was delivered to her owner, the Peary Arctic Club, in July 1905.<ref name=danfs/> She drew considerable attention because of her innovative design<ref name=grigorep15/> and at the time of her construction she was considered the strongest wooden vessel ever built.<ref name=grigorep14/>

==Operational history==
===Peary expeditions===
[[File:SS Roosevelt crew, Captain Robert Peary's North Pole Expedition, 1905-1906 (22231901506).jpg|left|thumb|[[First Mate]] Thomas Gushue, [[Chief Engineer]] George A. Wardwell, and the crew of ''Roosevelt'' during the 1905–1906 polar expedition.]]
On 16 July 1905, ''Roosevelt'', [[Sea captain|captained]] by [[Robert Bartlett (explorer)|Robert Bartlett]], set out from [[New York City]] on what was called the Roosevelt Expedition, sponsored by the Peary Arctic Club, with Peary and his party aboard.<ref name=danfs/> ''Roosevelt'' withstood a fire, [[rudder]] damage, and encounters with [[fog]] and [[iceberg]]s and proceeded northward to [[Cape Sheridan]] in the north of [[Ellesmere Island]].<ref name=danfs/> Made fast to the ice on 5 September 1905, she remained there through the winter of 1905–1906,<ref name=danfs/> becoming the second-largest ship ever to spend a winter in the Arctic.<ref name=grigorep15/> Peary and his party disembarked in January 1906 to head northward across the ice, and set a record for [[Farthest North]], reaching a [[latitude]] of 87 degrees 6 minutes North before turning back.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bowdoin.edu/arctic-museum/biographies/roosevelt.shtml |website=bowdoin.edu |title=Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum: The Roosevelt |access-date=September 16, 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171220063208/https://www.bowdoin.edu/arctic-museum/biographies/roosevelt.shtml |archive-date=December 20, 2017}}</ref> ''Roosevelt'' broke out of the ice on 4 July 1906, prior to the return of the expedition.<ref name=danfs/> Carried {{convert|20|nmi|km|lk=in}} south, she crashed against an ice foot a few days later, losing propeller blades, her rudder, and her [[sternpost]].<ref name=danfs/> On 30 July 1906, Peary and his party returned to her after a six-month absence, and on 24 August 1906 ''Roosevelt'' broke free and turned southward.<ref name=danfs/> By mid-September 1906 she was far enough south to assure her escape from the ice before the winter freeze and in December 1906 she arrived at New York City.<ref name=danfs/>

On 8 July 1908, ''Roosevelt'', again captained by Robert Bartlett, cleared [[New York Harbor]] and began a voyage north via [[Baffin Bay]], [[Smith Sound]], [[Kane Basin]], [[Kennedy Channel]], [[Hall Basin]], and [[Robeson Channel]] into the [[Arctic Ocean]].<ref name=danfs/> In early September 1908 she again made fast to the ice at Cape Sheridan to wait out the winter of 1908–1909 as Peary and his party tried for the [[North Pole]].<ref name=danfs/> Departing Cape Sheridan in February 1909,<ref name=danfs/> Peary determined that he had reached the North Pole on 6 April 1909,<ref name=grigorep14/> and he and his party returned to ''Roosevelt''.<ref name=danfs/> In July 1909, ''Roosevelt'' began the return voyage.<ref name=danfs/> In mid-August 1909 she left Smith Sound, and in September 1909 she rounded [[Cape Breton]] and [[Newfoundland]] and steamed to New York City.<ref name=danfs/> She arrived in New York flying the "North Pole flag" — a then-standard 46-star [[United States flag]] with a diagonal white band sewed to it from upper left to lower right and the words "NORTH POLE" in black capital letters in the white band<ref>[https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us_peary.html "Peary Polar Expedition Flags (U.S.)", CRW Flags, April 4, 2015 Accessed May 19, 2022]</ref> — the first ship ever to enter a harbor flying the flag.<ref name=grigorep15/> Not long afterward, she participated in a naval parade on the [[Hudson River]] as part of the 1909 Hudson-Fulton Anniversary Celebration.<ref name=grigorep15/>

After his return to New York, Peary proposed that the Peary Arctic Club and the [[National Geographic Society]] jointly undertake an expedition to the [[Antarctic]], with the Peary Arctic Club contributing ''Roosevelt'' to the expedition.<ref name=grigorep15/> However, ''Roosevelt'' required expensive repairs because of ice damage she had suffered, and the Antarctic expedition never took place.<ref>Grigore, pp. 15–16.</ref>

===John Arbuckle===
In August<ref name=navsource/> or November<ref name=grigorep15/> 1910, the Peary Arctic Club sold ''Roosevelt'' to [[Brooklyn]], [[New York (state)|New York]], [[tea]], [[coffee]], and [[sugar]] merchant [[John Arbuckle (merchant)|John Arbuckle]],<ref name=danfs/><ref name=ssroosevelt/> for US$37,500.<ref name=grigorep15/> Arbuckle operated a fleet of vessels for [[Marine salvage|salvaging]] wrecked ships and [[towing]].<ref name=ssroosevelt/> Arbuckle had ''Roosevelt'' modified significantly, removing her [[foremast]]<ref name=ssroosevelt/> and transforming her into an oceangoing wrecking [[Tugboat|tug]] that successfully recovered several large steamships, including {{SS|Yankee}}, as well as other wrecked ships.<ref name=ssroosevelt/> After Arbuckle died  in 1912, ''Roosevelt'' was sold to H. E. J. McDermott and appeared as a "[[fishing vessel]]" in shipping lists of 1912, 1913, and 1914,<ref name=grigorep16>Grigore, p. 16.</ref> but apparently she remained inactive with the rest of Arbuckle's salvage fleet near the [[Brooklyn Bridge]] in New York City for three years.<ref name=pribiloftenders/>

On 3 March 1915, the ''[[New York Times]]'' reported that John W. Sullivan and Company had purchased ''Roosevelt''.<ref name=grigorep16/> That company made improvements to the ship which may have included replacing her [[coal]]-burning machinery with [[Fuel oil|oil-fired]] propulsion,<ref name=grigorep16/> although sources differ on whether this conversion took place before or after the company sold her.<ref name=ssroosevelt/>

===U.S. Bureau of Fisheries===
On 21 April 1910, the [[United States Congress]] assigned the responsibility for the management and harvest of [[northern fur seal]]s, [[fox]]es, and other [[fur]]-bearing animals in the [[Pribilof Islands]] in the [[Bering Sea]], as well as for the care, education, and welfare of the [[Aleut people|Aleut]] communities in the islands, to the [[United States Bureau of Fisheries]] (BOF).<ref name=pribiloftenders>{{cite web |url=https://www.afsc.noaa.gov/History/vessels/pribilof_tenders.htm |publisher=AFSC Historical Corner |title=The Pribilof Islands Tender Vessels |access-date=September 4, 2018}}</ref> Since then, the BOF had chartered commercial vessels to transport passengers and cargo to and from the Pribilof Islands.<ref name=pribiloftenders/> By 1915, the BOF had decided that a more cost-effective means of serving the islands would be to own and operate its own "[[Pribilof tender]],"<ref name=pribiloftenders/> a dedicated [[cargo liner]] responsible for transportation to and from the Pribilofs.<ref name=pribiloftenders/> The BOF estimated that constructing a new ship capable of meeting its needs would cost at least US$100,000.<ref name=ssroosevelt/> Exploring cheaper alternatives, the BOF decided the idle ''Roosevelt'' would fulfill its requirements and purchased her from John W. Sullivan and Company in 1915 for US$40,000 to serve as its first "Pribilof tender."<ref name=ssroosevelt/><ref name=navsource/><ref name=grigorep16/><ref name=pribiloftenders/>

On 19 July 1915,<ref name=grigorep22>Grigore, p. 22.</ref> ''Roosevelt'' departed New York City bound for [[Norfolk, Virginia|Norfolk]], [[Virginia]], to pick up [[coal]] for the Pribilofs, but during the voyage to Norfolk she suffered significant mechanical failures that required repairs at the [[Norfolk Navy Yard]] in [[Portsmouth, Virginia|Portsmouth]], Virginia.<ref name=ssroosevelt/> A thorough inspection of her at the [[shipyard]] revealed that she needed additional repairs and a general overhaul, replacement of the foremast Arbuckle had removed, and the installation of a more efficient three-bladed propeller;<ref name=ssroosevelt/> this may also have been when the need to convert her from burning coal to burning fuel oil was identified.<ref name=ssroosevelt/> At the end of the summer of 1916, the demand for steel for use in [[World War I]] created a delay in forging ''Roosevelt''{{'}}s new tail shaft, delaying her departure from Norfolk for several more months.<ref name=ssroosevelt/> While she was lying idle, the eighth annual Convention of the [[Southern Commercial Congress]] took place in Norfolk in December 1916, and she and the BOF steamer {{ship|USFC|Fish Hawk||2}} participated in it, exhibiting several [[fishery]]-related items and devices.<ref name=ssroosevelt/>

Ultimately, the total cost of the ship and her repairs came to US$72,000, but it was still a significant saving compared to the estimated cost of constructing a new vessel.<ref name=ssroosevelt/> With her repairs finally complete, ''Roosevelt'' departed Norfolk on 23 January 1917, bound for [[Seattle]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]], but endured further delays en route, first impeded by an international incident which detained her for over a month at [[Guantánamo Bay]], [[Cuba]], followed by yet another delay of three weeks for repairs at [[Balboa, Panama|Balboa]] in the [[Panama Canal Zone]].<ref name=ssroosevelt/> She finally arrived at Seattle on 23 April 1917, carrying supplies for the [[United States Navy]] and the [[United States Lighthouse Service]].<ref name=ssroosevelt/> On 4 July 1917, a dedication ceremony took place in Seattle to mark the opening of the [[Government Locks]], which connected [[Puget Sound]] with the [[Lake Washington Ship Canal]] and [[Lake Washington]], and ''Roosevelt'' – leading a flotilla of hundreds of boats that included the newly built BOF boat [[USFS Auklet|USFS ''Auklet'']]<ref name=ssroosevelt/> – became the first large ocean-going vessel to enter the canal and the first such ship to enter Lake Washington.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.afsc.noaa.gov/History/timeline/default.htm |website=afsc.noaa.gov |publisher=AFSC Historical Corner |title=Timeline of Significant Events}}</ref>

On 7 July 1917, ''Roosevelt'' began her duties as the first "Pribilof tender," departing Seattle for the Pribilof Islands and [[Unalaska, Alaska|Unalaska]] in the [[Aleutian Islands]],<ref name=grigorep22/> the beginning of the 58-year history of the [[United States Government]]-operated "Pribilof tenders." She made two voyages to the Pribilof Islands during 1917, carrying personnel, building materials, and supplies.<ref name=ssroosevelt/> On her return trip in August 1917, she hauled 4,882 [[sealskin]]s and 606 [[fox]] skins to Seattle for rail shipment to [[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]], [[Missouri]], where they were prepared for [[auction]].<ref name=ssroosevelt/> The BOF calculated that the money it saved by operating ''Roosevelt'' as its "Pribilof tender" rather than chartering commercial vessels in ''Roosevelt''′s first year alone more than made up for the cost of purchasing ''Roosevelt''.<ref name=ssroosevelt/> When ''Roosevelt'' made a voyage to the Pribilofs in January 1918, it marked the first time that it was possible to sail reliably to the Pribilof Islands in the winter.<ref name=ssroosevelt/>

===United States Navy===

Meanwhile, the [[United States]] had entered World War I on 6 April 1917, and on 18 March 1918 ''Roosevelt'' was transferred to the [[United States Navy]] for war service.<ref name=danfs/><ref name=ssroosevelt/><ref name=navsource/> The Navy [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] her the same day as the [[patrol vessel]] '''USS ''Roosevelt'' (SP-2397)'''.<ref name=danfs/> Armed with three [[QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss#United States service|3-pounder guns]] and based at Seattle, she was assigned to the [[section patrol]] in the [[Thirteenth Naval District]].<ref name=danfs/> She patrolled in the waters of the [[Pacific Northwest]] and [[Territory of Alaska]] through the end of the war on 11 November 1918.<ref name=danfs/>

While in naval service, ''Roosevelt''  continued her "Pribilof tender" duties, making voyages on behalf of the BOF between Seattle, Unalaska, and the Pribilof Islands.<ref name=ssroosevelt/><ref name=grigorep22/> On 27 April 1918, she departed Seattle bound for the Pribilofs filled with a load of cargo that included three one-ton trucks.<ref name=ssroosevelt/> The ship was unloading supplies at the Pribilofs when [[diphtheria]] broke out among her crew.<ref name=ssroosevelt/> After the [[physician]] on [[Saint Paul Island (Alaska)|Saint Paul Island]] administered an [[antitoxin]], she steamed to [[Unalaska, Alaska|Unalaska]] in the [[Aleutian Islands]] for [[quarantine]].<ref name=ssroosevelt/> The disease was confined to the ship, with no cases of diphtheria reported among people in the Pribilofs.<ref name=ssroosevelt/>

While ''Roosevelt'' was quarantined at Unalaska, several [[cannery]] vessels carrying workers became stuck in [[pack ice]] in [[Bristol Bay]].<ref name=ssroosevelt/> The ice threatened to sink the vessels and kill many of those aboard them.<ref name=ssroosevelt/> The Navy sent ''Roosevelt'' to render assistance. She was delayed by her quarantine for three days, but departed Unalaska on 27 May 1918.<ref name=ssroosevelt/> She encountered ice as thick as {{convert|16|ft|m}}, but her hull, designed for Peary's expeditions in the Arctic, allowed her to cut through it.<ref name=ssroosevelt/> She saved 21 people who had abandoned the sunken vessel ''Tacoma'' and taken refuge on an [[ice floe]].<ref name=ssroosevelt/> The other 115 passengers from ''Tacoma'' had boarded the vessel ''St. Nicholas'', but ''St. Nicholas'', with over 300 people aboard, was herself within an estimated 12 hours of sinking when ''Roosevelt'' arrived to tow her to safety.<ref name=ssroosevelt/><ref name=grigorep22/> Over the next few weeks she also towed ''Centennial'', carrying 161 persons and probably within a week of sinking,<ref name=ssroosevelt/><ref name=grigorep22/> ''Star of Chile'', with 220 people aboard,<ref name=ssroosevelt/> and two other vessels out of danger.<ref name=ssroosevelt/> As a result, the cannery associations sent letters of appreciation and commendation to ''Roosevelt''{{'}}s captain and crew. ''Roosevelt'' received only minimal damage during the rescue operation.<ref name=ssroosevelt/>

On 17 January 1919, a little over two months after the conclusion of World War I, it was reported that ''Roosevelt'' needed extensive repairs and an overhaul, and the [[Steamboat Inspection Service]] later confirmed it.<ref name=ssroosevelt/> She arrived at [[Puget Sound Naval Shipyard]] at [[Bremerton, Washington|Bremerton]], Washington, on 21 April 1919, where she was discovered to have [[dry rot]].<ref name=ssroosevelt/> After additional inspections, the cost of repairs was estimated at US$186,000, which the BOF deemed prohibitive.<ref name=ssroosevelt/> ''Roosevelt'' was condemned on 4 June 1919,<ref name=ssroosevelt/> and the Navy transferred her to the BOF on 11 June 1919.<ref name=danfs/><ref name=ssroosevelt/><ref name=navsource/> The BOF moved her to Seattle for auction.<ref name=ssroosevelt/> Her crew remained aboard her long enough to transfer equipment from her to her replacement, {{MV|Eider}}, which the BOF had purchased in the summer of 1919 to serve as its next "Pribilof tender".<ref name=ssroosevelt/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.afsc.noaa.gov/History/vessels/boats/eider.htm |publisher=AFSC Historical Corner |title=''Eider'', Pribilof Tender and Patrol Vessel |access-date=September 7, 2018}}</ref> On 15 July 1919, ''Roosevelt'' was sold in an auction at [[Salmon Bay]] Wharf in Seattle for US$28,000 to the high bidder, [[Sea captain|Captain]] M. E. Tallakson.<ref name=danfs/><ref name=ssroosevelt/><ref name=navsource/>

===Later career===

After her sale, ''Roosevelt'' was resold several times but ultimately was rebuilt and issued a certificate of seaworthiness by the Steamboat Inspection Service.<ref name=grigorep22/> She operated in the Pacific Northwest as a 700-ton-capacity [[cargo ship]].<ref name=ssroosevelt/> In April 1923, the West Coast Tug Company acquired her and modified her into a powerful oceangoing towing tug, and she became what was considered the largest commercial tug on the [[United States West Coast]].<ref name=ssroosevelt/> Over the next 18 months, she established a reputation for successfully towing vessels in all weather and in record times and in June 1924 she set a record for the largest tow by a single tug in history when she towed the [[Ship decommissioning|decommissioned]] 16,000-[[Displacement ton|ton]] U.S. Navy [[battleship]] {{USS|Connecticut|BB-18|6}} from Seattle to [[Oakland, California|Oakland]], [[California]].<ref name=ssroosevelt/>

In November 1924 the Washington Tug and Barge Company of Seattle acquired ''Roosevelt'' and put her to work towing [[lumber]] [[barge]]s between Puget Sound and California.<ref name=ssroosevelt/> She averaged two round trips per month, considered an impressive tempo of operations.<ref name=ssroosevelt/> On a six-day trip from Puget Sound to [[San Pedro, California|San Pedro]], California, in August 1925, she averaged {{convert|8|kn|kph}} while towing the ocean-going barge ''Decula'' loaded with 2.4 million feet of lumber.<ref name=ssroosevelt/>

While operating as a tug, ''Roosevelt'' had a number of mishaps. During the winter in early 1926 she lost her rudder while towing two barges from Seattle to [[Miami, Florida|Miami]], [[Florida]], and she drifted for days in the Pacific Ocean before the [[Panama Canal]] tug ''Tavernilla'' found her and towed her to Balboa in the Panama Canal Zone.<ref name=ssroosevelt/><ref name=grigorep22/> On 24 December 1929, she was towing the ex-[[United States Mail|mail]] vessel ''Starr'' in a heavy [[gale]] off the Territory of Alaska when the tow line parted and tangled in her propeller, disabling her.<ref name=ssroosevelt/> ''Starr'' set anchor, but ''Roosevelt'' nonetheless drifted dangerously close to [[Wessels Reef]] near [[Middleton Island]].<ref name=ssroosevelt/> The [[halibut]]-fishing schooner ''Attu'' arrived on the scene and towed ''Roosevelt'' to safety.<ref name=ssroosevelt/> In late December 1931, she was towing the racing schooner ''Commodore'' in a violent gale off [[Vancouver Island]], [[British Columbia]], [[Canada]], when her towline apparently parted and her radio room flooded.<ref name=ssroosevelt/><ref name=grigorep22/> Her seven-man crew sent out a distress signal before her [[radio]] failed, but she managed to reach [[Neah Bay]] on the northwest coast of Washington, where she rode out the storm.<ref name=ssroosevelt/><ref name=grigorep22/>

The Steamboat Inspection Service inspected ''Roosevelt'' for the final time on 22 May 1936 and did not renew her license.<ref name=ssroosevelt/><ref name=grigorep22/> Shortly afterwards, the California Towing Company of [[San Francisco]], California, purchased her.<ref name=ssroosevelt/><ref name=grigorep22/> In what turned out to be her last voyage, she left Seattle on 31 October 1936 bound for New York City, towing the decommissioned 19,250-ton U.S. Navy [[Collier (ship)|collier]] {{USS|Jason|AC-12|6}}.<ref name=ssroosevelt/><ref name=grigorep22/> She encountered heavy seas in the Pacific Ocean that strained her aging hull,<ref name=ssroosevelt/> and a leaking [[Condenser (heat transfer)|condenser]] forced her to put into San Francisco for three days for repairs.<ref name=grigorep22/> She resumed her voyage, but on 8 December 1936 her [[chief engineer]] reported to her captain that her engine needed to be stopped; the captain ordered him to keep it running, and ''Roosevelt'' limped into Balboa in the Panama Canal Zone on 12 December 1936.<ref name=grigorep22/> After undergoing repairs at Balboa, she transited the Panama Canal on 23 December 1936,<ref name=grigorep22/> and on 24 December 1936 she left [[Cristóbal, Colón|Cristóbal]] in the Panama Canal Zone and set out into the [[Caribbean Sea]]. By that evening, a leaking fuel tank and filled her [[bilge]] with fuel oil and, due to the danger of a fire breaking out, she returned to Cristóbal.<ref name=grigorep22/> After more repairs, ''Roosevelt'' again departed Cristóbal on 8 January 1937.<ref name=grigorep22/> She had steamed about {{convert|250|nmi}} into the Caribbean Sea when, on 14 January 1937, she reported herself unable to handle her tow due to heavy seas, a leaking hull, and engine and [[boiler]] problems.<ref name=ssroosevelt/><ref name=grigorep22/> The Panama Canal tug ''Tavernilla'' set out on 15 January 1937 to rendezvous with ''Roosevelt'' and relieve her of her tow of ''Jason'', but when ''Tavernilla'' met ''Roosevelt'' on 16 January 1937, she was unable to take over the tow due to heavy seas.<ref name=grigorep22/> ''Tavernilla'' returned to Cristóbal shortly before midnight on 16 January, and ''Roosevelt'' arrived there with ''Jason'' in tow early on 17 January 1937.<ref name=grigorep22/> During her ordeal, ''Roosevelt''′s forward [[topmast]] had fallen and the booms had been carried away.<ref name=grigorep22/>

With her hull still leaking, ''Roosevelt'' arrived at [[Mount Hope Shipyard]] in the Panama Canal Zone for repairs on 20 January 1937.<ref name=grigorep22/> No repairs were made, however, and to keep her from sinking alongside the [[pier]] she was beached on a mud bank in the [[Old French Canal]] on 21 January 1937.<ref name=ssroosevelt/><ref name=grigorep22/><ref name=navsource/> Her crew, whose pay was long overdue, salvaged equipment from her to compensate for unpaid wages,<ref name=ssroosevelt/> and she was abandoned on the mud bank.<ref name=ssroosevelt/> An effort to have her salvaged and preserved as a [[museum]] failed,<ref name=grigorep22/> and she subsequently rotted away where she had been beached.<ref name=ssroosevelt/><ref>Grigore, pp. 14, 22</ref>
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== References ==
===Footnotes===
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
* {{DANFS|https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/r/roosevelt-steamer.html}}
* [http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00097366/00029/18 Grigore, Julius Jr. “Peary and the Roosevelt: When Man and Ship Were One.” ''Panama Canal Review'', Vol. 16, No. 5, August 1965, pp. 14-16, 22.]
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{{Polar exploration}}
{{Pribilof tenders}}
{{1926 shipwrecks}}
{{1929 shipwrecks}}
{{1931 shipwrecks}}
{{1937 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roosevelt}}
[[Category:Arctic exploration vessels]]
[[Category:Ships of the United States Bureau of Fisheries]]
[[Category:World War I patrol vessels of the United States]]
[[Category:Cargo ships of the United States]]
[[Category:Cargo liners]]
[[Category:Tugboats of the United States]]
[[Category:Ships built in Maine]]
[[Category:1905 ships]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1926]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1929]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1931]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1937]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks in the Caribbean Sea]]