No. 2 Cargo Hold & Museum

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Number 2 Hold is the ship’s largest cargo space.  Each hold on a Liberty ship has two levels, the ‘tween deck where you are currently located and the lower hold which can be viewed through this window.  The cargo holds were originally accessed from the main deck using vertical ladders- the stairs as well as the doors between holds are modern additions to allow visitors to enter these spaces. The O’Brien could carry just about any cargo that could be fit into this space, and fully loaded could transport approximately 10,000 tons of material.  This included bulk materials such as grain or iron ore, which would be poured in through the hatch to fill the hold.  Other cargos had to positioned and stacked by gangs of longshoremen, which could be backbreaking work.  If there were any gaps in the cargo it had to be shored using wooden timbers to prevent it from shifting.  Not all of the O’Brien’s cargo reached its intended destination.  Remnants of a cargo of grain have been recovered from No. 2 Hold, and empty army issue beer cans have been found hidden away in No. 1 Hold.  It is not known whether the beer was stolen by longshoremen or by the ship’s crew.  With number 3 hold, this space is available for rentals for parties or our overnight programs.

alt from brian

#2 Cargo hatch contains the #2 tween deck museum which is where you will enter to visit the museum.  This space is also available as a venue for meetings and events.  Opposite the ladder from which you will enter is a small pedestal or table with a clear lucite cover.  This will allow you to look into the empty cargo space below.

Look up at the ceiling and note the wooden hatch covers which, like the steel beams that span the opening, can be removed in order to load and unload cargo. On the far wall to the left of the large flat screen is the entrance to #1 museum.