Trans-Atlantic Steamships
The history of the D'Elia family is interestingly associated with at least nine trans-Atlantic ships covering a period of time which approximates nearly one hundred years; 1876-1968. My paternal grandfather, Pasquale D'Elia, sailed to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil four times within the period 1876 to 1893. After returning in 1896, he never left Italy again.
It is not possible to ascertain the names of all the ships on which my grandfather was a passenger, but luckily my father recalled, and enjoyed telling the story of how his father, along with other migrant workers, had gotten into row boats, at the Fuscaldo Marina, and were taken out to an anchored ship called La Francia. Confusion arises from the fact that more than one ship bears this name. Therefore, it is necessary to describe two ships with respect to my grandfather. Both La Francia, and France I sailed the Europe-South America route within the correct time frame, and he could have sailed on the one or the other.
The following is a compilation of trans-Atlantic ships upon which D'Elia family members have voyaged. Vessel statistics, a brief historical narrative, and the names of the D'Elia people who were passengers on the ship are offered for each vessel.
French paquebot such as the type my grandfather may have traveled on in about 1876
La Francia: This paquebot was launched in 1869 by la Societe Generale de Transports Maritimes a Vapeur. It was constructed specifically to provide economic travel to South America. Steam powered; with two masts, and two funnels. It was 130 meters long; 30 m. wide; and 11 m. deep. It entered service in 1871, and is likely one of the ships on which my grandfather sailed.
Five-Masted Barque similar to France I
France I: The First Five-Master: (Steel 5-masted barque, 3,784 g; 3,624 n. France I was launched on September 2, 1890, by D. & W. Henderson & Son, Glasgow, for A. D. Bordes.
She was the largest sailing vessel in the world when launched with a sail area of 49,000 feet, and a crew of 46 hands. France I possessed grace and beauty in spite of her great size. Her best passages to Chile ranged from 63-78 days. This suggests that the length of my grandfather's journey from Italy to Brazil must have been about more than two months.
On January 25, 1897, H.M.S. Blenheim ran into her at night in Dungeness Roads. Though seriously damaged, she was repaired and returned to service.
Pasquale D'Elia made his last trip to Brazil in 1893, and might have boarded this ship. Apparently, it anchored in deep waters just off Fuscaldo (Calabria) Italy. Passengers were rowed out to the ship for embarkation.
Pincio Passenger List
Pinzio: Launched in 1912, by National Greek Line as the Macedonia. Built by Sir James Laing & Sons Ltd., Sunderland, England. Tonnage: 6,333. Dimensions: 422 feet by 51 feet. Twin-screw, 17 knots. Quadruple expansion engines. Two masts and two funnels. Maiden voyage: Greece-New York, April 5, 1912. Sunk as an armed Greek merchant cruiser in Syra harbor during war against Turkey. In 1916, it was refloated and sold to Dutch owners. Repaired at Wilton's yard in Rotterdam. Retained the name of Macedonia when put back in service under the Dutch flag. Sold to Lloyd Latino in October 1921, and renamed Pinzio. Broken up by Italian shipbreakers in 1932.
My father, Battista D'Elia, and his brother-in-law, Antonio Trotta sailed on the Pinzio from Naples to Rio de Janeiro, departing Naples October 25, 1923, and arriving Rio on November 17. The Pinzio made stops at St. Vincenzo, and Dad said that he had disembarked at Dagara in Africa. While in Dagara, Dad told me that he ate bananas, saw black people, and bear-breasted woman all for the first time.
Munson Lines (Western World)
Western World: Built by Bethlehem at Sparrows Point as Nutmeg State and launched on September 17, 1921; 13,712 tons; official #222063. Assigned to Munson Steamship Line and renamed Western World in 1922. Its maiden voyage was from New York to Buenos Aires on May 17, 1922. My father, Battista D'Elia, and my uncle, Antonio Trotta, boarded at Santos, Brazil on June 12, 1924, and arrived New York on June 24, 1924. Ran aground on Panella Bank on May 16, 1927. Grounded on San Sebastian Island, Brazil, on August 8, 1931; refloated one month later and sailed to New York for repairs. Laid up at Bayonne, New Jersey in November of 1938, and taken over by Army as a transport in February of 1939; renamed the Leonard Wood. Transferred to Navy in June of 1941 until March of 1946 as U.S.S. Leonard Wood (APA-12). Laid up at Astoria in May of 1947; broken up at Vancouver, Washington in January of 1948. The Western World was one of four sister ships: American Legion, Pan America, and Southern Cross. One of these four ships sailed every two weeks for Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo, and Buenos Aires and boasted travel times of less than twelve days to Rio. I have in my possession a certified copy of the Western World passenger list with Dad and Uncle's names listed.
Conte Grande
Conte Grande: Constructed by Stabilmento Tecnico, Trieste, Italy, for the the Lloyd Sabaudo in 1928, and transferred to the Italian Line in 1932. Its gross tonnage was 23,842, and dimensions were 667 ft. long by 78 ft. wide at 48 f t. deep. It carried 1,500 passengers with 532 officers and crew on its five decks. The powerhouse consisted of four steam turbines; double-reduction geared; twin screws; with a normal speed of 20 knots. After engaging in Genoa-South American trade for three years, she was used for troop work to East Africa in October 1935, and later resumed regular sailings. Seized by Brazil on August 22, 1941, and sold to the United States who converted her into a troopship under the name of Monticello in 1942. The ship was returned to the Italian government in 1947, and after being re-conditioned, resumed sailings in 1949, until it's last voyage in 1960. It was scrapped at Spezia, Italy in 1962.
After taking the train from Detroit to New York, Dad departed on board the Conte Grande on October 17, 1931, and arrived in Naples on the 27th. In 1945, in the closing days of World War II, Frank M. Trotta, son of Nicola Trotta, boarded the U.S. Troopship Monticello and sailed to Europe. Frank did not know that he was sailing on the converted Conte Grande.
Conte Biancamano and Deck Plans
Conte Biancamano: Built by William Beardmore & Co. Ltd., Glasgow, Scotland in 1925, with specifications virtually identical to her younger sister ship, Conte Grande. At first, she was employed in the Genoa-Mediterranean ports-South American trade, but in 1935, did some troop service to Ethiopia during the Italian invasion of East Africa. In 1937, she was sold to the Lloyd Triestino. In March 1941, she was seized by the United States at Colon, Panama; renamed Hermitage, and used as a transport. The U.S. returned her to Italy in 1947, where she was repaired and ownership assumed by the Societa Marittima Nazionale. In 1949, she was chartered by the Italian Line (under her original name) and put to work in the Genoa-Buenos Aires, and the Genoa-New York run until she was sold for scrap in Italy in October of 1960.
My father returned from Italy on this ship in 1932, departing Naples on February 12, and arriving New York on the 22nd.
Rex
Rex: Completed in 1932, by Societa Anonima Ansaldo, Sestri Ponente, Genoa, Italy , for the Navigazione Generale Italiana and was going to be named the Guglielmo Marconi. When NGI and the Lloyd Sabaudo merged to form the Italian Line, ownership passed to the II, and the name became the Rex. The ship was 51,062 tons; 880 ft. long by 97 ft. wide by 61 ft. deep; with 12 steam turbines, single-reduction geared; quadruple screws; carried nearly 2,900 passengers and crew. She had trouble with her turbo dynamos and required three days of repairs at Gibraltar on her Genoa-New York maiden voyage in late September of 1932. On a more positive note, she made up for this embarrassment in August of 1933, when she won the Atlantic crossing Blue Riband award held by Germany's Bremen with a time of 4 days: 13 hours: and 58 minutes: at a speed of 28.92 knots.
When Allied forces were in Italy, in September of 1944, the Rex had long been placed in a relatively safe area in the Adriatic near Trieste. Though Italy had already surrendered, the German military still dominated parts of the Italian peninsula, and as the Allies closed in, German engineers believed they could deny the Allies the use of Trieste as a port by sinking the Rex across the mouth of the harbor. The British decided to prevent this from happening, and dispatched two waves of Bristol Beaufighters armed with rockets and 20mm cannon, who scored 59, and then another 64 rocket hits that succeeding in sinking her in the low waters of Capo d'Istria Bay. She was refloated by Yugoslavia in 1947, sold for scrap, and broken up at Trieste.
My mother, Pat, and Frank departed Naples aboard the Rex on April 3, 1940, and arrived New York on April 11th. A copy of the official passenger list is in the hands of Frank D'Elia. Among the items the travellers had brought with them were a near-complete slaughtered pig (packed in olive oil), loose wool (from the Trotta sheep), olive oil (from Montesani olives) and mattresses.
Growing up in Dearborn, Michigan, we (Frank, Rose, and I) slept on that same wool. I have a small amount of that lana in my possession.
Four years later, in May, my brother Pat was killed at Anzio, and in the following September,the Rex was sunk.
Cristoforo Colombo
Cristoforo Colombo: Sister ship to the ill-fated Andrea Doria, she was built by the Societa Anonima Ansaldo, Sestri Ponente, Genoa, Italy, in 1954, and her maiden voyage began on July 15, 1954, from Genoa-Mediterranean ports-New York. She had a gross tonnage of 29,429; was 701 ft. long by 90 ft. wide by 50 ft. deep; powered by six steam turbines; with twin screws that sped her 1,050 passengers (plus crew) along at 23 knots. Equipped with motion stabilizers and fully air-conditioned for comfort, there were three swimming pools and three dining rooms for her three classes. Employed the Genoa-Cannes-Naples-Gibraltar-Halifax-New York run until 1960; thereafter she served the Trieste-Venice-Piraeus-Messina-Palermo-Naples-Malaga-Lisbon-Halifax-New York routes.
Shortly after a major refit completed in January 1963, my parents, and sister Rose boarded her in New York in mid-1964 for Naples, Italy.
In 1977, she was sold to Venezuela for just under 7 million dollars to be used as a floating hotel for the employees of a steelworks near Mantanzas on the Orinoco River.
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Leonardo Da Vinci
Leonardo Da Vinci: She was built by the Ansaldo Spa. Cantiere Navale, Sestri, Genoa, Italy, in 1960 to replace the loss of the Andrea Doria. Her gross tonnage was 33,340; 767 ft. long by 92 ft. wide by 51 ft. deep; powered by four steam turbines with twin screws; room for about 1,300 passengers who were treated to a speed of 25.5 knots. She served the Naples-Mediterranean ports-New York run, and was equipped with motion stabilizers and fully air-conditioned.
My parents, and sister Rose returned from Naples to New York in late 1964, on board the Leonardo Da Vinci.
She was laid up at La Spezia in 1978; offered for sale; suffered damage from a fire caused by the burning freighter, Da Recco laid up alongside. Then, in 1980, she was swept by fire and burned for several days before being towed out to sea where she capsized; total loss.
Raffaello Raffaello Cut Away On Raffaello Deck in January 1969
Raffaello: She, and sister-ship, Michelangelo were built by Cantieri Riuniti dell' Adriatico, Monfalcone, Italy, in 1965, and her maiden voyage was to New York in that same year. Her gross tonnage was 45, 933; 905 ft. long by 102 ft, wide by 52 ft. deep. Her service consisted of Naples-Genoa-Cannes-Gibraltar-Algeciras-New York. She suffered an engine-room fire in October 1965, and a collision in Algeciras Bay with Tanker Cuyahoga in 1970. As a present, for my graduating from San Fernando Valley State College, my parents took me, my son John, and his mother to Italy on the Raffaello in June of 1968, and returned on same ship in January of 1969.
Withdrawn and laid-up in 1975, she was sold to Iran in 1977, and transferred to Bushire, Iran to be used as an accommodation ship for 500 officers, and 1,300 mariners of the Iranian Navy. Later, the Raffaello was sunk by Iraq, and is last known to be somewhere at the bottom of the Red Sea.
Bibliography : Information with respect to the D'Elia, and other family members is virtually all the result of the writer's conversations with his parents Battista, and Raffaela D'Elia.
The rest of the material was gathered from numerous visits to more than fifteen major public and private University libraries, and county, and municipal libraries. At these libraries, I thumbed through nearly one hundred volumes of magazines published 1910-1970, such as National Geographic, Sunset, Travel, Century, Post, Look, and Life in an effort to find advertisements with photos or drawings of the above mentioned ships with little success. I also visited several maritime museums in southern California.
