Capt. Drennan Drops Dead in Midst of Song
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Title Capt. Drennan Drops Dead in Midst of Song Date 20 Jan 1928 Periodical San Franisco Chronicle Place San Francisco Source Type Newspaper Source ID S508 Text Capt. Drennan Drops Dead in Midst of Song
Famous Mariner Started Career Here With Line 24 Years Ago
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Captain Ryland Drennan, port superintendent of the Panama Mail Steamship Company and one of the best known mariners on the Pacific, dropped dead yesterday as he finished a round of golf with two friends at the Olympic Club. He was 51 years old.
Drennan, whose wit and irrepressible high spirits had made him one of the best liked men in maritime service, had played a match with John O’Connor, manager of the Donovan Lumber Company, and E. A. MacMahon another shipping man.
He seemed in even better spirits than usual as he walked to the clubhouse with them. He left them with a joke to go to his locker room. He was singing to himself as he walked along the corridor.
Heard Him Fall
Then O’Connor heard him fall, and rushing to his side, found him strangely still. O’Connor called Dr. L. O. Kimberlin, who was standing nearby, and the physician pronounced Drennan dead from heart failure.
Captain Drennan entered the service of the Pacific Steamship Company, forerunner of the Panama Mail Company, twenty-four years ago, when he sailed as the fourth officer on the liner Manchuria, then sailing between San Francisco and the Orient.
His rise was rapid. Five years later he was made commander of the liner Pennsylvania and had the distinction of being one of the youngest skippers in transpacific service. In 1917 he was transferred to the Columbia, then running to China.
Entered World War
A year later, when the United States entered the World war, John H. Rosseter, director of operations for the United States Shipping Board and vice-president of the Pacific Mail, took Drennan to Washington, D. C. as his assistant.
Drennan was there for a year. Then he returned to San Francisco to take command of the navy training ship Iris.
After the war he served as his company’s agent in Shanghai and as master of the steamer Hoosier State, now the President Lincoln, until 1924, when he was installed in San Francisco as port captain of the Pacific Mail.
June 1, 1925, when the firm was succeeded by the Panama Mail, Drennan retained the corresponding position of port superintendent.
Drennan was born in Santa Cruz in 1877. His only survivor is his widow. Since making his home in San Francisco he had lived at 2983 Pacific avenue.Linked to (1) DRENNAN, Ryland
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