Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-07-21
the rush Of people from every part q The Northerr


| nous the world round. Clipper after clipper was
| built for the Cape Horn trade. All of our yards
| were alive with vessels. Many a fine ship was
built in three months time, and the moment one
| was launched, the keel of another was stretched
| in its place.
Everybody remembers the streets of Halowell
being filed with ship timber and the number Of big
| ships built there and at Augusta In the fall Of
| 1854 the business eliminated in the launching OF
| the clipper ship "Dashaway," at III. She was
| about 100 tons, commanded by Capt. McClntock.
| The old IIaowe Brass Band was launched on
board and amidst general rejoicing she sailed
soon after direct for Calcutta" The building
of the ship "Cybele," at Augusta about the same
time finished the big ship building at that city
and it slowly died away all along the banks OF the
river in a short space of time.
Following the Trinity" at Farmingdae, in
rapid succession was the construction Of the clip
pers "Miss Mag" and "Eison." About this time
Capt. Grant died, his brother i'll, and William
Grant son of the former took the reins. Under
his vigorous efforts Fsrmingdale rapidly arose in
commercial Importance. The barks San Jacinto'
and "Nueces" were soon finished, and then the
magnificent ship IS. G.. Grant, 1900 tons. Mean
time Master E. c. Pierce had started himself in an
adjoining yard and built some nice vessels, his
fame pread abroad and orders came in from va
rous parts of the country. Several fine whale ships
were built for New Bedford parties, and then he
built the celebrated yacht George Steers" from
| the model of the famous "America" She too
went to New Bedford. Some stern wheel steam
crs were built for Capt Kimbal, then in the height
| of his power, at the same place. Geo. Pierce, son
| of +. s., went on building in the yard for VIM.
Grant, ESQ., and about the last vessels built there
| were the ship "LooChoo, and schooner
"Cherub." Then followed a seas IN of great com
mercial DEF ression and the Old yard went
into new hands. Master Pierce, the elder, went
to Portsmouth, and built some nice ships there;
then became connected with the navy yard where
he no Ids position Of honor, and is nearly as Wig
orous and smart in his old age ever. His son,
| during the engaged in the construction
of iron cads &C., and is now one of the first ship
builders in Massachusetts,, being located at Chel-
sea. He also built the great Colosseum in which
| Gilmores Peace Jubilee was he Id, and is consid-
| cred one Of the best architects either marine or
otherwise, in the country.
| Peter Bradstreet, Esq. with his brother William
and venerable father now occupied the old ship
yard, where they built several vessels amongiwhich
were the fine ship ella Norton" and last the
| biggest of all, the "Two Brothers," 400 tons.
| About this time the old gentleman died, having
been for his whole long life actively engaged in
| building and sailing ships. II was his wish that
| this ship should be called for his two sons and
| hence her name. She com nanded BY Capt.
| Norton, not long since killed the Eastern Rail
| road. The shin was wrecked four days out OF
Bath on Cape Hattcras, and abandoned, but sub
| sequently got off and ever since has been consid-
| cred an unfortunate vessel. This was in the fall
Of 1865 and closes the record of the old ship yard
| for the present. We hope however, when times
get better for navigation Mr.. Bradstrect others
may be induced to improve its great natural adj
| vantages. and revive "long lost industry"
During the rage for clipper ships, among some OF
the finest not mentioned, was the "White Falcon"
built by Messfs. Stevens, at Pittston. Then the
VALLEY Forge" Washington" and "Molucca'
| by the Messrs. Bradstreets, at Pittston, before
| they located at Farmingdale.
The old gentleman who has given statistics
for the first part of this paper, says that in 1888,
while the Coopers were building the bark Mary
| and Jane, she was knocked off the stocks by an
ice freshet and nearly demolished. We remem-
Der of seeing her discharging load of salt from
Liverpool at Gardiner. Mr.. Cooper, the owner,
drove yoke of cattle that day to hoist the tubs of
salt from the ships hold,
| To prove the strength and durability of the
| sells built in these parts, We would mention a few
instances of shipwreck. The brig Choctaw, be-
fore alluded to- built for Capt Grant, by Master
| Pierce, was stranded on Cape Cod When other
vessels were beaten to pieces it seemed imposs-
Bile almost to tear this vessel assunder. The clip
per ship "Miss Mag" built by the same parties,
was wrecked on the Philippine Isles, in tyyhoon,
| and the writer Of this being in China, and meet
| ing the captain shortly atterward asked him how
his vessel held together; he replied that it seemed
almost impossible to break her up.
In the "Two Brothers" built by Messrs. Brad
street, no one thought she could stand the thump-
| ing she got at Hatteras, and get off. Yet her
| great strength enabled her to do so. The men
that built these ships about all dead, have
left these parts. One alone Of the old ones, Mas
ter Eben Kinds, lives at an advanced age in Pitts
ton. He is strong and well, and declares he can
build ship as well as he could. He built
the "White Falcon" and most of the vessels con-
structed at Pittston, and many ships at Damaris-
Gotta, and looks like piece Of one of his noble
ships himself The schooner "Only Son" built by
him for Stephen Young Esq, is now over thirty
| years old, and is about as good as new. She
named for the Professor of that name, he being q
sen of the gentleman who owned her.
| 1t may be that we have now done with ship
building. The building of house boat is about
as high as we can get now; but the record left
can never be wiped away, and we hope out of the
| old time industry, new one will rise some time
that will make us as we used to be, commercial
| people in every sense of the word.
| THE NORTHERN PICIFIC RAILROAD.
| This Road, with all its property and franchises
| is to be sold at auction under decree of Court
August I'd, in New York City, for the benefit of
the first mortgage bondholders.
The general body of bondholders have united in
plan for protecting their interests by causing the
Road and property to be bid in for them by Bond
| holders Committee, selected for the purpose
| This Committee consists ofJohnstone Livingstone
| of New York, Friedrich Billings, of Vermont Geo.