The Wilmingtonian., 1886-06-26
Our Ship Building.


industry Of our borough is her shipbuildnl
business.
1t is nothing new for the metropolis o.
Delaware to calm, as her successful aspira
tions indica G, pre-emineDce in marine archi
lecture and construction of all the infinite
vari, ties of sca-going and river craft.
Upon all the great estuaries of this hemis.
phere, in both Moth and Sou h America, along
the thousands of miles of navigation of the
broad Amazon, the Father of Waters" on
the 0linoco on the La Plata, the RIO del
Norto-From Terra del Fuego on the bord-
err Of the Ant cite to Pugets Sound, the
near neighbor of the Arctic circle, noble
craft from Wilmington ship yards are pIow-
ing the salt sea or diving along inland
waters towing heavily laden barges from Sc
cludcd newly settled trading posts, hundreds
of miles from the sea-coast to the empor-
iums where further distribution of raw pro-
ducts can be made for the needs of the
world.
In the commercial economy of the United
States the city of Wilmington holds no mean
position. In South America also along the
ntermindble ramifications of the Amazon,
through primeval forests whose almost i'm
penetrabe depths now for the first time in
the record Ct civilization are made accessi-
ble to commercial demands, the snort and
whistle of the steam barge is heard. The
The sccusiou of the aborigines, the nude ig-
norant Inhabitants Of those dark river banks
whose gigantic flora shut out the sun is
awakened now by the stcrtei Gus puff and
blow of the steam tug dragging its extend.
ed length of heavy barges laden with pelts
or m ,niOc or ca DutchOuc or tapioca, or per-
naps lead heavy logs Of mahogany or lig-
mum vitae. Another procession of barges
pass NJ stream. Their load is probably
some hundred of tons of ironrails What
tale that tells. OF gigantic engineering
feats of bridges spanning the cloud-oapt
Andes. or the carriage Of the engineers
railway construction needs thousands of
miles from the sea-coast, across the conti-
neut to the foothills of the Andes The
product Of Wilmington ship. yards is one of
the main conditions for the opening up of
our Southern continent.
That is what our ship-builders are doing.
And not that alone though some of the finest
ocean steam models afloat are built here.
And now comes the latest. Not alone iu
the weighty, ponderops machinery Of the
leviathaus of the ocean, but in the more del
icate though not whit more critical struc-
ture of fast acing yacht models our builders
have become famous.
The Priscilla, the Iecent champion of New
York waters, built at the Harlan & IIollings-
worth yards, is thus spoken of by the New
York Herald, and well may Wilmingtonians
feel proud Of the distinction.
For the first time since she has was
launched the Priscilla yesterday showed her
real sailing capacity. She beat the Puritan
fairly and sqnartly on her merits, defeating
the Boston boat in every point of sailing.
go to windward be ter and faster than the
Puritan, and alsn that she could distance
that fine yacht easily while sailing with a
fresh quarterly brcezH, No yacht was even
handled better than the Priscilla in yester.
days race, and her captain and crew deserve
much praise for their smart and sailorlike
performance. Boston not only suffered de-
Feat by the Priscilla, but also by tho other
New York boat-the Atlantic. The May
flower came in last of all aftera by no means
ignomiuous struggle for victory.
The lesson to be learned from the race Of
yesterday is short and simple, Tie Priscilla
has proved herself the best of the fouI
sloops. What she did yesterday she can dc
again tomorrow. Let us hear no more idle
Boston chatter about her being failure
Her former defeats were perhaps rather ow.
ing to her not being handled properly thar
to defects in rig and construction. 1t will
no doubt be the aim Of the cnterprising own
er of the Priscilla to see that his boat has
justice done her in the future. Iu the race
tomorrow of the Seawanhakd club we hOpC
to see New York again victorious. And
| Furthermore, we have no hesitation in ad
mitting that we would ra her see the Galate;
defeated by New York boat than tina
Boston should have that honor. Let us con
tinue to demonstrate that our boats are fas
ter than can be built in the East, and OF
this city will devolve the proud duty of de
Tending the Americas Cup against all con-
ers.n
We notice, with pleasure, the words Ssh
(the Pli.ci,la) beat the Puritan fairly aut
squarely on her merits defeating the Bostol
boat IN every pnint of sailing, The Priscilla
/ 1nn,nrsr IN tal that shp rnnld on tn u ind