The Republican journal., 1888-02-09
a Queen of the Sea.

Nhopt doubt the finest >ai}i,a.->lip now iii
pott, whether regarding her graceful lines or
magnificent build is the American ship Robert
l.. Beihliap, now di>char4in@ q cargo OF ucner-
at merchandise from New \ FORK at Green->trcct
Wharf. She was built al itockport, Me. iii
1881. hy carrie tom NorWooI 4 Co.. her owners
Her frame i of OAK with yellow pine ceiling
and covering, and she is probably the sta,lnc-
est wooden ship aiiOat. Her length is 2G4 S,
beam 1873, depth 43.s, tonnage l25l, and She is
registered Al for fifteen years. She has three
decks, her upper tween decks being s 1-2 feet
high in the clear, her lower tween decks feet
clear.
As evidence Of her solid build. it NAV be stat
cd that in the upper bctween-deck> the beams
are fifteen inches square and five feet apart.
Between the beams are thick carlneS. The
siahchohs are southern pine 11Nlo inches.
The ceiling is eight inches thick and the hang
ing knees fourteen inches thick, with heavy
lodgings between each. In the second tween
decks and lower hold the ceiling. knees and
>tanchoG> are still heavier. All the woodwork
in the tween decks is oiled till it shines again.
On deck the vessel has spacious cabins aft,
and accommodations forward for the petty Of
ficers and crew. The crews quarters are
grained and far superior to those generally seen
Oh deep-watcr vessels. The forward cabin is
finished in walnut, cherry and bird's-cye maple.
The after cabin and captains state-room are
finished with mahogany and ash panels, and
upholstered in red plush. Farther aft is the
bathroom. library and medicine-chest.
The BelkEap has very lofty spars and her
royal masts are fdded she being the only ship
i'll port in which they are. Her lower masts
are 81 feet long, topmast 56 feet, topgallant-
mast 40 feet, royal mast % feet, skysail mast
ID feet. Subtracting the length occupied by
the doubings, the total length of the mast from
keel to truck is about 223 feet.
The Belknap is a large carrier. At one time
she brought 1892 tons of coal here from Seattle
and Oh one occasion she carried IS 900 cases of
coal oil from Philadelphia to Kobe, Japan.
Captain Staples. her skipper, can be called Il
pioneer, as he came here first in 1Si9 or 1850.
lie was here master of the General Cobb in
1892, and beat in and out of the harbor. He
was here later master of the bark Dirgo
Carleton. Norwood 4 Co., owners of the
Belknap, also own the w. II. Macy. Wander
ing jew, Frederick Billings and many other
vessels some of them well known here. The
Frederick Billings. the largest wooden shin
afoat and the only wooden ship having four
masts. is now twenty-nne days out from Liver
pool, bound to this port. She is 27S feet long
and her tonnage is 2491.
Mr.. Z. J. Carleton. of the firm of Carleton.
Norwood Il Co.. arrived from the East on the
18th ult.. and with his wife is domiced at the
Palace. 1t is his first visit to the Coast, and he
will travel over the State pretty extensively be-
fore returning home in February. lie says he
is delighted with what he has already seen, but
he adds. with a twinkle in his eye, Its pretty
cold out here" Then he sh,ltltlers as he thinks
of ''way back in Maine" [San Francisco
Morning Call, Jan. 18Th.