The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-01-04
The Great shipbuilding city of the United



New York Tribune.l
The history of toe little city of Bath, Me-,
is the history Of American shipping. She
reached hsr greatest prosperity in the ear
lier fifties-the palmiest years of the Amari-
can merchant marine-and to-day, with the
outlook for shipping more discouraging than
ever before, busins IS here is in a state OF stag
nation. Strangely enough, but in the light
of history most fittingly, the first vessel
built in America was built only few miles
below where Bath now stands, and built on
the river whose broad bosom has been the
first to receive to its embrace mora ships
than any other river on the continent. In
1907 the Inflated Popham colony landed at
the mouth of the Kennebec in the ships Gift
of God and Mary and John In the winter
that followed they launched little vessel
OF thirty tons burden, the Virginia of Sag
adahoc. p;unasr OF that great fleet that has
since sailei out of this river on maiden
voyage to take part in the commerce of the
world.
In 1745 vessel building began at Bath
small coasters for the West Indian trade,
taking out Goldfish and lumber and bringing
back rum and moiasses. The year 1862 saw
the first ship tGis here, the Earl OF Butte,
built for Scotcaman. Daring the rsvolu-
ton n nr,v,ta.. va, tnilS bar, I'M from
tba clos, Of tn, revolut;,n 10 The var ot
1872 comnlication, with England AMI France
retarjnd shinbnildipy and net muct, WI
lone After the close of the war. and
specially after 1915, when congress passed
the law forbidding aay foreign vessel to
b,i,e paoi, to Amariea ex.ept from thai
country to which The vessel belonged, ship
building revived. From this time to the de
clns of the American merchant marine
Bath sailed on the fool tide of prosperity
Foreign traders followed the early coastel7,
and Bath ships were often the first to carry
the American flag into distant seas. Then
came the cotton ,hip,. AMI it was duriuo
the cotton ship era that there was built al
Bath the largest cotton ship ahoat, TIE Rap
paaannock, Iuilt BY Ciarls & Sewall, 1884,
feet long, 81 feet beam, and Of l, 1873 tons
register People fiocaei from ali over the
country to see the launch.
1t was MT believed that there was foreig !
commerce enough to occupy such vess j,
and It was declared that even the Roths.
chiids could not AFFORD to own her, and tina
she would be SURE de5 ruct;o1 to the for
tunes OF whoever u1iertoos 10 employ her.
The Rappaha lhoct WIS a blnf1- hoWet, iul
and long boGtomai shin, narrower on decl
than below, and full rigge5. Her scantliag
was no larger thal that of a 300-;o
schooner OF the present daJ, aud the fas Ten
ing throughout would now be coniidara
light. She ran as packet to Lverpo, in
the summer time, AM as cotton ship from
New ORLEANS in the winter. 1t is said ths,
freights dropped in New Orleans when she
was reported below Bu, still the famou
old ship, in spite of many dire prediction,
| was great success. she plowed the sea,
for twenty gone years. and finally foHndared
carving Goals in the Mediterranean.
Along with the Gotten ships CANA the
clippers which ran between New York and
Liverpool Steam did not easily dlsplact
| those graceful Incl, smooth sailinr shins
| for thiy made nearl as cool time as H.
| CARLY steamers
With the discovery of cold in C,lifo-nis
| c,in,ar ship-builiiny reached it, bqhe;
point of development Grsa. was the ~
| of none now into the pockets oil Bat,
owners. But in 1851 came the crisis bici
only the stron gest lived through. and rhi,
wear began the decline o. the m reliant mn
rina that reaction of SHINING WI; IN Eno
| land made her opportunity. In this wear 4
is estimated there were N he Califgn,,
trade over 100 large ships that war, N,
naedaI for California ha 4 not then hecnn,.