"yorktown", an iron-hulled passenger ship, was launched on 10 february 1894 by delaware river shipbuilding and engine works at chester, pennsylvania for the old dominion steamship company. "yorktown" was the last ship on order and when completed the company warned it would be forced to close for the first time in its history unless new orders were placed putting the 100 men, down from 1,500 a few years before, out of work with depressive impact on the town of chester.