New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-09-24
THE SHIPYARDS OF BATH.
THEIR PLACE IN THE HISTORY OF AMERI.
CAN COMMERCE,

lFRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRTDUSgl
BATH, Me-, Sept 1S.-Nowhere is the Ken
nebec River broader aud deeper than here From the
Reach to the Chops" ube entrance to Merrymeeing
Bay the naves Of the world might ride at anchor and
the largest ships approach within stones throw Of tho
hospable Old mansions OF this famous shipbuilding
city No wonder then that these natural advantages OF
the harbor together with another advantage which the
locality longer possesses, VIZ, an abundance Of tim
along the river bank, early made this place ship
building and shipOwnng centre. And though thess
shores completely stripped OF the ordly oaks that
lowered close to the waters edge and though
every stick Of timber put into ship built here has to DO
brought from affair." yet so powerful Is the prestige OF
Bath and great tho efficiency Of her ships that she
stands to-day the largest shpbui ding city OF the UDtd
States and the largest wooden shipbuildrg city
world She owns too In the ships she builds, and 1t
believed that NewYork alone leads her in the amount
of tonnage owned. shpbuiding and the commerce That
has followed ship owning have made this city, aGd
have made 1t OF the woaltnoSr rOpor0ately to It's
SIZE in the country and the weahiest proportion aciy,
IN the State With population OF about 1000 Bath has
an assessed valuation of T5,0l3,l92 Por land and
Bangor are the only cities ahead Of 1t IN vaa on for
Lewiston, though assessed far Inore now, Is la sey
owned by corr OraOns outside the State Bangor with
a population OF and OGe-half times many, Las
a valuation OF only $5,73sG05. Bath Lns Ave National
banks, and two savings banks Portland with over
80, 900 population, has only one bank moro.
The history of little city is the History OF American
shipl ing She reached her greatest prosperity IN the
earlier fftie5-the palniest years OF The American
merchant narinc-and day, with tho outlook for sap
ping dscouagng than over before, business here
ia state Of stagnaton. Strangely enough but IN The
ight Of history fttingy, the first vessel Dut III
America built only few miles below where Bath
now stands, AID built or the river whose broad bosoa
has been first receive to its embrace more shir5
than any river the Continent. Ia 1907 the ILL
fated Popnan colony landed at the mouth Of The Ken
ucbec In tue ships Gift Cod aud Mary and John.
ia the that followed they launched little vessel
Of thirty tons buTthen, the Virginia OF Sagalahoc
pioneer OF great fleet that has since sailed out % tE
river maiden voyage " take part In the commerce
of the world.
In l745 ycsscl.b building began at Bath; small
for the Indian trade taking out goldfish and lumber
and bringing back and mDlasses. The year l1t2
saw ship built here the Earl OF Butte, built Tor
-cotchman During the Revolution a Prvatecr was
lut Aere but fOm the close Of the Revolution TO Ito
War of 1872 complications with England ana France
tarded shipDuildng and not much was done After tic
close OF the War; ana especially after 1915, when Con-
gress passed tho law fUrOIdag any foreign vessel 10
bring goods to America except from that country to
which the vessel belonged sAipbuildng revived From
this time to tie decline Of the American merchant
marine, Bath sailed the flood tide OF prosperity.
Foreign traders followed the carly coasters and Bath
ships often the first to carry tho American nag into
distant seas Then came the cotton shils, ana IL was
during tho cotton ship that there was butt at Bath
tho LARGEST lnercuantnan alOat, the RappaaaILOck.
built by Clark IL rcwa 1893 feet long 81 feet beam,
and OF 1913 tons register People locked from all over
the country 10 see the launch Tie report speaks
TINS Of her: great astOnsned every body and
Il WAS a general prediction that she would DO failure.
Il WAS not believed that there foreign coiamerco
enough 10 occupy such vessel and 1t was declared that
even the ROthscGilds could not Afford 10 own her. ana
that she would DO destruction TO tho fortunes Of
whoever undertook to employ her. The RappihaDn0ck
Was a Llun. bowed, fun and ngbottOmed ship mar
rover on deck than below. and ;u rigged Her sont-
ling WAS no larger than that 3OOton schooner OF tho
present day. aud fastening throughout would now bs
considered light. She packet to Liverpool IN
the summertime ana cotton ship from New-Oreans
t the WINTER" It Is said that froigh Drop 81 III New
Orleans wien sno reported below. But still tho
famous old ship, Ia spite OF many dire Predictions wac
.rr,t success she plot ghcd tie for tEenty-oae
years ana finally foundcred carrying Goals in tAe
Mediterranean. Along with The cotton shir came tio
ciupers which ran between New-lOrK and Liverpool.
steam did not easily dsplace thes" graceful uiiod'
sailing ships. for they made nearly as good uo
Viii the discovery Of gold In California clipper SHIP
building reached its highest point OF doIeppmeht,,
Great the low Of money no" into the p0tAets Ht
te strongest lived through, and this year began tho
decline OF The merchant marGalhat reaction Ia shipping
which England made her opportunity IN tuS year ~ ~
.tIuatod there were in the California IT ie over 100
large SHIPS that not needed for California bad NOS
then become solt wheat state. 3ut heVetA1 81 prT
,luced nearly enough agricultural products 10 sulPy
the needs OF It's people and to render them Ldeyedte
of the East The rapid nroad OF steam, and finally tAo
n. bigL rates Of Insurance and the destruction
MI nv The confederate cruisers gave the last
Tne shipyaris Of the large cities closed ana never re-
orcneI Inc year 1868 saw tue emu OF the reaction.
Many ships had transferred foreign tags. insry
more had been wrecked, destroyed by ConieIerae
cruisers Above AL the California wheat ncns ha co-
, 20 ,rod,ce their golden crops which brought down
10 valleys Of the Sacramento. san Joaquin OF IaurVe
we're carried from san Francisco or Portland ~ sdhs
ships around the Horn to English or Continental POI
Fr,gAts rose a nigh figure. Bath yards which oven
during tue War had never e9gy e"sY now T ss
California trade, and were medium clippers OF alEe 80
For dozen years THIS trade nus been very proaia9Ie
bur two dangers threaten IT, The hrst and most M
portant is the English iron sailing sup. what Ihglsu
steamers have done drive tine American snip from To
Atlantic trade this the English iron sailing snip Is cong
IL the Pacific. This ship doesn't cost Ler EbDSh o"cr
much more than tina wooden ship costs tie American
owner expenses tor repairs are less, her carry w
condition than tho American sup 81 any &C. 80
reasons she gets much higher freight An EnHlbL Lh
snip twenty years old will command as high rr'I"t AS
the finest American wooden shlp Iresl Ho' 'I'
The other danger that threatens the American snip t'
rapid development th wheat fields OF Southern" Russia
and India aLd the udlulhK OF !'1t"'ts -, 80, 10.
tries IL should Bered also that EusH Ler-
self raises lao inconsideraOle amount OF wheat ahAy
These causes have depressed te rates OF II'fr - r
Francisco fro $50 ton In 1872 To 70 20 to-day IAp
outlook Is sioomy T Il .I' Inl" trade H. If no
account now ana besides recent yolcan' Disturbances II
Iniau waters have made navigation dangerous anu IA,
companies have IN consequence raiSo 'Ae i''
To an cNOrbltant ngI:e
All already had its natural depressing eject Of
Batn. In the hacyon days OF lhc etS n'S,es 49,
wnrycs were crowded with new ships. In $50 inrV-
live vessels. eleven OF them from lOsO 70 i,o-D i9l
register launched here AZ one tiIe u tbs letig
twenty. five square-IigSed vessels lay AZ te N"n.''
receiving sails aud outdts; To-day In al tae !rs
only three large vessels are being DUH w ~.
these are being built on contract ana j II A,t ''
carries SAD story W tn Il that hlt one Oh te %! s'
can shipping by building nj the present tmr HrherAb
throughout this little city those who nave nal sue"
famous STARE in the construction ana 0Wl"isAlF .,
vessels when asked about the prospect dublO>y Hn'tn
their neads. rhcy forcsee harier tires yet Tor tAcf
city and themselves.