West Niger was a steam cargo ship built in 1919–1920 by Southwestern Shipbuilding Company of San Pedro for the United States Shipping Board (USSB) as part of the wartime shipbuilding program of the Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFC) to restore the nation's Merchant Marine. The freighter spent her entire career in the Pacific connecting the West Coast of the United States with the Chinese and Japanese ports in the Far East. Early in 1928, the ship, together with ten other vessels, was sold by the Shipping Board to the States Steamship Co. and subsequently renamed Nevada. In September 1932, the vessel, while on her regular trip to Japan, ran aground in foggy weather on Amatignak Island and subsequently broke into three parts and sank with the loss of thirty four out of thirty seven men.
Design and construction
After the United States entry into World War I, a large shipbuilding program was undertaken to restore and enhance shipping capabilities both of the United States and their Allies. As part of this program, EFC placed orders with nation's shipyards for a large number of vessels of standard designs. Most of these new vessels were known as the West ships as they were built by several shipyards on the West Coast of the United States and all were given names that began with the word West. Design 1019 cargo ship was among the designs adopted by USSB, and was a standard cargo freighter of approximately 8,800 deadweight tonnage designed by Theodore E. Ferris.
West Niger was the second ship of the second batch order placed by USSB with Southwestern Shipbuilding on 10 July 1918 and was laid down at the shipbuilder's yard on 17 April 1919 and launched on 28 September 1919 (yard number 12), with Mrs. H.C. Bedwell of Los Angeles being the sponsor. The ship had two main decks, four main holds and had also all the modern machinery fitted for quick loading and unloading of the cargo from five main hatches, including ten winches and a large number of derricks. The vessel had electric lights installed along the decks and was also equipped with wireless.
As built, the ship was long (between perpendiculars) and abeam, and had a depth of . West Niger was originally assessed at and and had deadweight of approximately 8,542. The vessel had a steel hull, and a single 359 nhp triple-expansion steam engine, with cylinders of , and diameter with a stroke, that drove a single screw propeller, and moved the ship at up to . The steam for the engine was supplied by three Scotch marine boilers fitted for both coal and oil fuel.
After successfully completing her trial trip on January 26, West Niger left five days later for San Francisco.
Operational history
In December 1919 as the vessel was nearing the end of construction West Niger was allocated to Pacific Mail Steamship Company to operate on California to the Far East route. Upon delivery West Niger departed Los Angeles on 31 January 1920 for San Francisco where after inspection the ship was officially accepted by USSB. After loading her cargo, the ship departed for her maiden voyage on 18 February 1920 bound for Chinese and Japanese ports via Honolulu. On March 16 while leaving Yokohama West Niger ran aground in the Yokohama Bay but was able to refloat herself at next high tide and continue on her journey. After visiting ports of China and Manila, the freighter returned to San Francisco on May 28 bringing back nearly 6,700 tons of cargo consisting of 2,024 tons of sugar, large quantities of tea, jute bags and other oriental merchandise. West Niger made two more trips to East Asia under Pacific Mail Steamship Co. management. During her third voyage she carried among other things 500,000 gallons of gasoline for the Philippines to help alleviate an ongoing fuel shortage crisis there. Upon return to San Francisco on 30 December 1920, West Niger together with many other vessels was laid up in Benicia due to overabundance of tonnage and lack of cargo.