New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-03-22

MahOney>s Twins.

At the boat yard of John Mahoney, in
Algiers, two new schooners intended for the
lighthouse establishment are now being
put upon the ways as well as a couple of
dickey boats. The eighth district of the
establishment includes the coast of
Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi
and the Florida Keys. These "Keys.'
supposed by a fiction to unlock the entrance
! to the Atlantic from the gulf through the
| doors of which one-quarter of the worlds
commerce yearly passes Aemeward, coast
wise or outward bound, are, as the world
knows, peculiarly liable to the dangers of
the deep which lighthouses are erected to
avoid. The maze of narrow channels,
devious soundings and trolicsome
islands in this city Of lands.
whose streets are water, brings into re-
QUESTION all the implements of seaman
like service AS the lights are usually far
from land and have to be supplied like a
ship at sea with stores and material. in one
instance lighthouse keeper going twenty
miles for his daily bread" the use of these
little vessels in the department is at once
apparent. As the worms of the sea are
abundant, the schooners Mahoney is build
Ing must be copper-fastened
Worms won't eat that" an old boatman
said, pointing to the felt laid on the hull.
What's the use of copper if felt will do
as well'' was the inquiry.
Copper sticks longer" was the reply. 1t
is of the best pattern, every nail being
driven as nicely as printer would stick
stype. One of these schooners is already
finished all but the rnasts, which is spruce.
and the 'standin riggin,'" which are wire
ropes, and the rudder, which is to be hung
on, the tiller being thar" all ready for the
stout grip OF some seaman, while the waves
are playing about the hull Both vessels
contain trunk cabins, three berths IN each.
A cockpit Is a new wrinkle in small craft Of
this desert ption, but one is built in each,
and straight out on each side seuppers carry
away any sea the cont bings of the waves
might be disposed to give. A dead light is
also new thing in this line Of business.
and is placed in the cabin opposite. the
tiller, SO that one can stoop III the
cabin and look clear to the fo'cas-
tie. The ordinary fitting of hatch
ways, the pumps, which are Of copper,
all are put in. But the big thing in these
twin schooners is their elegant shape, the
curve from bow to stern on deck filling the
measure of a pretty oval, the stern itself
being oval. while the post stands at the end
where the sweep of the sides meet and EN-.
brace. The twins have all the beauty OF
the clipper, while they carry as much as the
SO called tub" order Of craft. The twins
are of the following dimensions each
Forty-six feet long on deck, forty-two feet
along the keel. fifteen feet beam, four feet
six inches depth of hold in the clear, are
schooner-rigged and centre boarded. The
work has been constructed under The super
intendence of DR.. BonzanO, of the light
house department. All standing rigging is
Of wire ropes, and all parts from stem to
stern are made to unite the ornamental
with the useful.
The boat-housa. or Mahoney's stable, COR
tains dozen or so boats, from the ordinary
Hat sktf to the curved yawl. They're put
III here to keep EN- out of the weather.,
said the old salt; 'twouldnt do to keep
EN- anywhere else. You see, some come
here and want q boat, and say this Is too
narrow, that one's too wide, this aint long
enough: SO twas thought the right th;hg 70
get al assortment. on the principle Of you
pay your money and you take your choice
in Mahoney's 60at-house one sees only
carpeting CT shavings, which are the
shocks that many a pretty thing IN ne
boat way has here left behind. Spars Iay
around loose. To the outsider everything
is in disorder. bit there isn't thin. II the
whole concern that isn't u It's place.
Thinking OF Pe.gstty's house, IN David
Ccpperfeld." the stranger turns toward the
river, where worknen are busy Shocking"
the cabin from steam tug that has out
lived its usefulness in that respect. Tl:s 8
to be reconstructed as steam yacht for :.
gentleman who is a sort of king u the over
-ba- oil bnat huS;rass