A product of Harland & Wolff, Belfast, Atlantic Transport's Minnehaha
was launched in March 1901. The second of three sisters --
Minneapolis
was older, and
Minnetonka (I)
younger -- Minnehaha made her maiden voyage, Belfast-New York-London
on 11 August 1900. She then entered ATL's regular London-New York service.
Minnehaha was involved in two unfortunate incidents during her career
with ATL. In 1900, she collided with and sank the tug American in New
York Harbor, killing two of the tug's crew. Then, on 18 April 1910, she
ran aground off the Scilly Isles and remained there until 13 May, when she
was refloated.
Unlike Minneapolis and Minnetonka, both of which became troop transports,
Minnehaha remained in ATL service during World War I. Nonetheless, she
suffered the same fate as her sisters. She sank four minutes after being
torpedoed by U 48 off Fastnet on 7 September 1917, with the loss of 43 lives.
Sources: Kludas' Great Passenger Ships of the World; Bonsor's North
Atlantic Seaway; Williams' Wartime Disasters at Sea.
