The Portland daily press., 1882-09-07
Bath.
Something About the Ship unding City
OF Maine.

A correspondent of the Boston journal has
the following to say about Bath: Just now one
of the busiest towns in New England b the
city of Bath. There was season when it was
otherwise, but the industry for which it has
been famous for more than half century, and
which is the basis of its wealth and soldity,
has revived here at least Strange as it may
seem to those who have heard 80 much about
the desolate shipyards of Maine, there is more
tonnagg now on the stocks in Bath shipyards
than there ever was before at any one time.
These yards occupy nearly the whole river
front for full three miles The natural loca-
ton could not be improved for shipbuilding.
The Kennebec at Bath is both broad and deep,
the banks while not abrupt, have an inclira-
tion toward the water the most favorable for
the business, and the land approaches are easy
The industry is nov in the hands of several of
the most enterprisiug and skilful business
men of the State, such as Hon. William Rog-
ers. Hon. G. 9. Goss, the Morses, the Sewalls
the Sawyers, etc. The following is list of
the vessels now building: In Mr.. Rogers's yards
ship of 1000 tons to be named the Abner Co.
burn in honor of one OF Names most enter
prising and useful business men; vessel OF
400 tons, to be named the Harriet Prescott. for
New Haven parties: in the yard OF Chapman
& Blair, ship of 1000 tons; In the yards of
Goss, Sawyer & Packard, barque with steam
auxiliary apparatus of HOO tons, for Captain
Bessy, OF New Bedford; a steam barque OF 800
TONS for Capt. Tucker ct al. OF Bath and New
York; two schooners in Goss q SawyerS yard
one ship of 2000 tons fer Capt. Otis and others
of Bath three large schooners in the yard Of
Sewall & Co.. ship of 1000 tons and schoon-
ar of 400 tons: in the yard of Goss, Sawyer &
Packard steam barque of 800 tons, for the
Mes RS. Bird OF Rockland: in the yard of D.
w. & Ii. F. Morse, four-masted schooner OF
1900 tOns in the yard of Th0u4aS Hogan, a
schooner for Portland parties: in the Hathern
yard, by Goss, Sawyer & Co., two large sclioon-
ers in frame: ia the yard of Dope ell q Deer
ing, schooner of 400 tons for themselves aud
other Bath parties: in the yard OF John Nc
DonnelL ship of 2100 tons for himself and
Mr.. Flint of New York: in the yard OF Q "
Minot, Phippsburg, a ship of 100 tons. This
shows total OF twenty one vessels building, OF
which five are of 2O00 tons and upWard-a fleet
of themselves. In addition 10 these, twenty
two vessels have been launched since January
1, 1882, having an aggregate tonnage OF 27,63S
tons The total tonnage for the year 1857 will
be about 40 600 tons Last wear 80 334 tons
were built at Bath. and in 1874, "a, 100 The
largest tonnage was built Ia lS54-abOut 5000O
tons From that date until 1860 the bu lding
fell eff rapidly, being only 18.400 tons IN 1860
Indeed, all the statistics show that wooden Ship
building began to decline live or six years prl-
or to the war, and seven or eight years prior TO
the adoption of protective tariff Its greatest
decline in Bath was during the free traf o
years Just before the war of 1861 The total
tonnage bull at Bath from 1860 10 1851, both
inclusive, was AGA, 217 tons No labor in the
world is better paia than that employed at
Bath in shipbuiding. Every week this season
$4,000 has been paid as wages by the Bai h
builders A builder employing about lou men
informed me that his weekly payments we're
$2500 for wages--an average Of ZIG 90 per
week to each man. This amount, IN connec-
tion with the cheapness OF rents in Bath COM
pared with those i'll larger towns, may be Con-
Sidered very large wages. The ship mechanics
live in good sty le, in scores of instances owning
houses that may be called elegant and horses
and carriages that would be the envy OF those
who delight in stylish turnoutS. Ihey are
well-to-do, substantial aud intelligent cluzens
as Baths 400 TO 500 Republican majority at
tests Maine still furnishes much OF the hard
wood and hackmatack used in ship building,
but by far the larger part OF the timber USED 10
the construction of Baths vessels IS brought
from the South. Why not build in the South?
Because the skill is attached to Bath. Its me
chanics have houses and families there, and
they can live cheaper, more comfortably, and
educate their children better in Ba his excel
lent schools than they could in Virginia or IN
any other State where the timber grows The
DIant Of the shiDbnilding industry at Bath and
firmly fixed to the locality as is the oak and
pine which is used to the South 1t is said
that the enterprising shipbuilders of Bath are
discussing the feasibility of forming stock
company to engage in the building OF iron
ships.
PRACTICAL INFERENCE.
Bath is prosperous; there is to-day more work
to do than workers; wages are high; the city is
growing. 1t is largely due to the sense OF se-
curity and confidence which the Republican
financial policy, fully carried out ia spite of
Democratic opposition, has given the country.
The ship owners of Bath viii get $780, 600 of
the 80, ,0O0,00o of the Geneva award coming to
Maine. 1t is an act of very tardy justice, but
nevertheless an act of justice which would
never have been done but for Maine's Republic
cans in Congress-Messrs. Frye, Hale and Reed.
To their influence, persistence and capael-
ty the last Geneva Award bill was enacted.
Furthermore, it would never have been enact
ed but for a Republi san Congress- Under these
circumstances with unparalleled prosperity on
eyery hand, with the certainty OF further leg1s-