The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1883-07-12
The Tillie E. Starbuck.

lI1E fihSl lkoN SAlllNG SHlf BtlIl IN
AMERICA. A PORTLAND CAPTAINS BIG
CRAFT AND HER CARGO.
The Tillic +. Starbuck, the first iron
sailing ship ever built in America, weigh
ed anchor at $50 this morning from her
position off Roach's shipyard, and sailed
down the Delaware towards the capes.
For the past few days the work has been
pushed forward with even greater rapid
ity than before, and every effort made to
get the vessel ready for sea at the earli
est possible date. Joners, carpenters,
painters and other artisans have been
engaged late at night putting the finish
ing touches here and there, while the
| Windasscs Of the stcvedores have been
revolving constantly. AS the time drew
near for the departure of the Starbuck,
articles were drawn up for the crew to
sign and their advance money paid, and
since then the officers have had a watch
ful eve on the men to see that none of
them jumped overheard, while greater
care has been taken in admitting persons
on the vessel
Through the courtesy Of the Ncssrs.
Roach, Times reporter was accorded
the privilege Of visiting the bIg iron ship,
and stepping aboard the tug George H.
Weed was soon carried out in the middle
of the stream, and clambering up the
shroudS was soon on the deck Of the sail
ing ship. All was hustle and activity
Sailors were clambcring about the yards,
making fast the sails, or splicing rope and
attending to other duties on the deck.
The crew is a sort Of an international en-
position, as men of a dozen different
90 t1In nl-n Ia Il
Captain Rodgers was standing on the
after deck when the scribe clambered
over the bulwarks, and it was not neces-
sary to ask if he commanded the vessel.
Every notion gesture or word bespeaks
bis authority, and when his clarion voice
rung out every man stepped around live
ler His imperative tones seemed to
even enter the cook and make him peel
his potatoes with greater alacrity. The
captain then cast his eagle eve over the
| deck and retired to his quarters, which
are simply sumptuous.
All day and far into the night the shrll
whistle and sOnOrous ''veO" of the steve
d0res resounded on the breeze as one
ponderous piece Of cargo after another
was hoisted from the lighters and lower
ed III the hold: On the after deck of the
yacht 1'illie, which lay moored alongside
the battle scared hull of the Roanoke,
William H. Starbuck, the owner Of the
ship, sat beneath a canvas covering read
ing his paper and smoking his fragrant
Havana while he occasionally glanced
across the water to his vessel
As the Times readers will remember.
the steycdorcs began putting in the cargo
NC,
and while the work of completing the
ship has been in progress, she has been
steadily receiving her cargo. The follow
ing is Il part of the material now stored
away in her hold: - locomotives, 100
tons railroad iron, the hull, engines, boil
ers, Ne, for a side wheel steamSat: 10
bales OF waste, 3 life boats, life raft, 90
tons If car springs, 60 tons Of railroad
spikes, turn table, ! bridge girders, 3
barge loads of ear wheels and aXles, Is
tons railroad bolts 20 tons of stove coal.
80 cords Of cordWood used as dunnage,
10000 feet Of lumber boards, 1000 feet
hemlock .oist.
The commissary department Of the
ship is something colossal. The follow
ng extract from the list of goods will
give some idea Of what is necessary to
feed ships crew on long voyage %
| barrels Of salt pork, % barrels Of beef %
barrels OF potatoes, 20 barrels of flour,
l:}O cases Of canned goods, 30 barrels of
navy bread, > crates Of live chickens, ,
sacks of coffee, chest of tea, = barrels
of molasses. ) tubs Of butter, a barrel of
lard, ) barrels Of sugar, sacks Of salt.
In addition there is long list of general
| ,,t,r IA. Il itN. Il.
meal, vinegar, cheese, pickles, cider,
syrup, rice, beans, etc, sufficient to run
a commission house for considerable
length If time, But the voyage is a long
one and lots of provisions are necessary.
The vessel is manned as follows: Cap
tain, William \. Rodgers; First Mate,
NJ. H. sullivan; Second Mate, j. H.
Foley ; Third Mate John Lindsay
Steward, Philip Nichols; Cook, Joseph
Plasket; Cabin boy, ID. c. Carson; Car
pentcr and Engineer, David James. The
crew all told numbers "a hands Young
Carson, the cabin boy, is a Chester lad.
He IS Is years old and an orphan, both
parents being dead. He is bright boy
and will doubtless fill his position with
credit
When daylight came this morning
greater activity than ever was displayed
on the Starbuck's decks, and at $50
o'clock in tow Of the tugboat Protector
she moved majestically down the river,
and with her graceful outlines and clear
ly cut masts, yards and spars, she was
an object of beauty seldom seen in any
waters AS she moved oft she was salut-
ed with perfect chorus OF whistles from
,l, a r.,
tories along the river banks, while the
bells Of ships at the docks added in the
| glad acclaim.
William ii. Starbuck, the owner, stood
on the deck Of the monitor Roanoke, his
face bcamlng with pleasure and as his
| vessel gathered headway the stevedores
and workmen in the yard gave three
cheers for the ship and three more for
him. He raised his hat gracefully in ac-
acknowledgement of the compliment, and
! then boarded his yacht. AS the men
came ashore on the lighters they were
treated very literally by Mr. Starbuck,
who presented the captain of the Weed
| and the other men with handsome testi-
monials
The ship Starbuck as she is now load
ed, drew - feet 8 inches forward, and 20
feet 4 inches aft, but will tighten about
SIX inches when salt water is reached.
she IS probably the most richly freghted
argosy that ever left from any American
waters, as the vessel and cargo is valued
at from $s5O,000 to $900,0OO Chester,
Pa, Times.
A Novel Suggestion Concerning Prisoners.