CCSCNO Article of the Month for March 2001
United
States Salvaged-Mail Markings
By: H. J. Berthelot
First in a Series
INTRODUCTION
United States postal authorities always have strove to speed mail delivery and to account for any damage that occurred when mail services were interrupted. Evidence of their endeavors is seen in the numerous auxiliary markings used over the years to identify mail that was salvaged from those interruptions.
The more spectacular instances of interrupted mail services were those caused by a transportation mishap -- ship or train wreck, airplane crash or highway vehicle accident -- a natural disaster -- flood, storm or earthquake -- or a criminal act -- robbery or vandalism. When misfortune befell a mail shipment, postal authorities recovered as much of the mail as possible, reclaimed it when necessary and either forwarded it to the original addressee or returned it to the sender. In the majority of cases involving such misfortune, postal authorities provided an official explanation, referred to as a "salvaged-mail" marking to note briefly the cause of any damage to the particular item an/or any delay in its delivery. The salvaged-mail marking was applied in manuscript or by handstamp or cancellation machine to each item salvaged. In some cases, a separate writing was prepared and either affixed to or placed with each salvaged item. Sometimes in a single interruption, more than one marking or a combination of different markings were utilized.
If the original outside wrapping of the salvaged mail reasonably was serviceable, it was patched with tape and/or official seals. Badly-damaged wrappings or any loose contents recovered were enclosed in penalty envelopes, called "ambulances," when used in this manner, and forwarded or returned.
Mail salvaged from such interruptions is known philatelically as "crash, disaster of wreck" mail. In most instances, the events surrounding such mail were grim per se; however, many events also involved acts of heroism under appalling conditions. As a result, each cover salvaged is a postal relic that epitomized the United States Post Office Department's commitment that "the mail must go through." In 1971, that commitment was passed on to the Department's successor, the United States Postal Service.
The writer's primary philatelic interest is the study of salvaged-mail markings, especially those on maiul from interruptions that occurred in the United States or were related in some manner to the United States. In the months ahead, different interruptions will be presented and covers salvaged from interruptions will be illustrated.
MAIL
ABOARD THE SS LIBERTE DAMAGED
BY SEAWATER, 1950
The SS Liberte, 49,746 tons, was owned by the French Compagnie Generale Transatlantique. On the 6th of September 1950, the steamer departed Le Havre, France. Making a scheduled port call at Southhampton, England, the steamer continued on its voyage to New York City, New York. During the voyage, the Liberte encountered a violent storm and took in seawater.
Among the mail cargo being transported were first flight covers of F.A.M. 24. The covers, initially postmarked at Boston, Massachusetts or at New York City on 2 September 1950, made American Overseas Airlines' Foreign Mail Route 24 inaugural flight to Cologne, Germany. The covers can be found with variously worded and colored cachets. Being returned to the United States from Germany, those covers and other regular mail items were wetted when seawater entered the steamer's cargo hold.
When the Liberte arrived in New York City on the 12th of September, the water damaged mail was delivered to the New York Post Office for disposition. A postal label was printed over the name of the New York City Postmaster, Albert Goldman, to explain why the mail was damaged.
After the mail was dried, officials attached, enclosed or affixed the postal label to each item involved prior to re-mailing the items. Since the first flight covers were "collectibles," New York postal officials either inserted a postal label in the envelopes that were not sealed, or attached a postal label to the "sealed" envelopes with a paper clip. The envelopes were then forwarded to destination. For those envelopes that were not first-flight covers, officials glued a postal label to the cover.
The postal labels had two different formats, as seen below.
Reference:
American Airmail Catalogue, Volume Four, Fifth Edition.
Cinnaminson, NJ: American Airmail Society (1981)
Hoggarth, Norman W. "SS Liberte Mail Damaged in Storm During 1950
Transatlantic Crossing." La Catastrophe, Volume 4, Number 1 (Whole
No. 13), January-March 1998 edition.