S.S. SEATTLE Former Name: H.B. Kennedy  Length (as Kennedy) 179' 2" Beam:28'  Draft:11' 3" Propulsion: one  four-cylinder triple-expansion engine with cylinders Horsepower: 2,000

The ferries that sailed before the Kalakala and the other arrivals are these days long forgotten by most.  The bulk of them were converted steamers, and most often are remembered in the early part of their careers and not the latter.  This is understandable.  As passenger steamers of the famed Mosquito Fleet, they are fondly recollected for their throaty steam whistles, their trim lines and their often plush interiors.  As converted auto ferries they more often than not became boxy, ungainly looking vessels.       Their importance should not be forgotten though.  They bridged a critical gap in the development of modern ferry transportation on Puget Sound.       A fine example is the H.B. Kennedy, built in 1909.  A fast, smart looking steamer, she joined the  "Navy Yard Route"  as one of the runs premiere vessels.   She was a comfortable, somewhat posh vessel fitted out with carved wood paneling and overstuffed seats.      For the next decade she hauled passengers to and from Bremerton, but as mentioned the need for auto carriers arose by the 20's.  Already having been renamed Seattle, she was removed from service and taken to the yard to be sponsed out to carry  cars.   She retained her steam propulsion and emerged as the steam ferry Seattle.      Paired with Chippewa, she remained on her familiar Seattle-Bremerton route.  By the 1930's, her steam plant was becoming costly to operate and her small capacity made her unlikely to turn a profit.  When the Kalakala appeared in 1935, the nearly 30 year old Seattle was withdrawn from service.  The arrival of the more efficient  Wood Diesels spelled her end, and the Seattle was sold for scrap in 1939

The H.B. Kennedy only held the title as "fastest steamer on the Pacific Coast" until the S.S. Tacoma appeared in 1913.  Author's collection.  At right, the Kennedy's interior.

A rare postcard of the Seattle showing her after her name change but before her coversion to an author ferry.  At right, on the Seattle's boat deck in the 1920's.  Author's collection.

At left, a postcard of the Seattle during her heyday.  At left, the end of the line.  By 1939 Captain Peabody had enough ferries in his fleet to let most of the old coverted ferries go.  Here the Seattle paints a sad picture in 1939 as she is broken apart.  Author's collection.

Forgotten Fleet To the City Of Bremerton