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Socony 27 - (1929- ?? )
"Socony 27, pictured as: the Catherine McAllister (McAllister).
SOCONY 27
Built in 1929, at Mariners Harbor, New York as the Socony 27 for the Socony Vacum Company of New York, New York.
Vacuum Oil was founded in 1866, by Matthew Ewing and Hiram Bond Everest, of Rochester, New York.
Lubrication oil was an accidental discovery while attempting to distill kerosene.
Hiram Everest noted that the residue from the extraction was suitable as a lubricant.
The product became popular for use in steam engines and the internal combustion engines.
Ewing later sold his interest in the company to Everest. Everest carried on the company.
Vacuum was acquired by Standard Oil in 1879. It originated the Mobil trademark in 1899 as "Mobilgas" and later "Mobiloil."
Vacuum Oil and Standard Oil of New York (Socony) merged in 1931. After the government gave up attempts to prevent it.
The union, as the Socony Vacuum Corporation, made them the company the third largest (at the time) world oil company.
Everest was given a salary job as President and remained with the company.
When Standard Oil was broken up in 1911, due to the Sherman Antitrust Act, Vacuum became an independent company again.
The tug was later acquired by McAllister Towing, of New York, New York where she was renamed as the Catherine McAllister.
She was beached along the Inter Coastal Waterway. Her hull remained intact into the 1970's, and eventually she was cut apart.
In the 1990's, only her lower hull remained. She remained an intact hull but only the name was visible.
She was gradually cut away until finally just a lower hull remained by late 1990's.
Originally she was steam powered. However she was rebuilt in the 1940's with a 1,200 horsepower diesel engine.
( Info Jeff Schurr )
Vessel Name: SOCONY 27
Vessel Service: TOWING VESSEL
Ship Builder: MARINER'S HARBOR
Year Built: 1929
Length: 97
Hull Depth: 10.9
Hull Breadth: 22
Previous Vessel Names:
Socony 27
Previous Vessel Owners:
Socony Vacum Oil Company