Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-08-27
The whaieback wetmore.

~ 10 dliIuCliub ItOlc puUilC dttolltlOu
than all the pretty boats that have been
built for long time past. Its cheap
ness of construction, its carrying ca
pacity, its economy Of fuel and light |
running expenses and its seaworthiness
are revelation to shipbuilders. The
successful crossing of the Atlantic at |
this season is, however, no very salts
flying test of the latter quality, since
almost any kind Of craft could have
done the same thing, as witness the re-
cent voyage of the little dory Sea Ser
pent, mere mill-pond boat only
10 feet long and handled by one
solitary navigator who combined in
himself the whole complement
of captain and crew. The voyage
around the Horn will be much better
test, although even that may prove in
conclusive, since in the early days of
the California gold fever that generally
hazardous passage was made in safety
by several Anticipated craft that under
cooler-headed management would not
have been taken out of port at all. I'M
der the unparalleled excitement of the
rush to get to California and "dig gold"
everything obtainable in the way Of a
boat was pressed into service to transport
the thousands of Adventures who hesi-
tated at no ordinary risk to get there
and singularly enough these old time
battered and worm-eaten hulks did get
there-and stayed there, for they We're
at once abandoned by captains and
,rews as soon as they struck the golden
shore. A recent magazine article
tells the story of the best equipped ex-
petition of that stirring time, which set
out from Boston under superb manage
ment, in an A No. l ship, splendidly
equipped and manned. In a calm off
the coast of Brazil members of this OK
petition paid visit in small boats to a
disreputable looking old whaler be-
calmed close by. They found this
whaler such ramshackle craft, almost
going to pieces under the hot tropical
sun, that to the visitors it was matter of
surprise she should have held together
long enough to have gotten that far on
the voyage, while the idea of her living
to round Cape Horn seemed preposter-
GUS. To the discontinue of the Bos-
tonlans, when they finally reached San
Francisco, they found this old blubber
hunter high and dry, and of course de-
serted, on the beach, and learned that
she had been there for two weeks
Still, ordinarily, voyage round the
Horn is regarded as a pretty good test
of a vessels seaworthiness, and if the
Wetmore performs it successfully the
deduction will be that she can go any
where. The American ShipbuiLder is a
little apprehensive that she may "turn
turtle" before she reaches the long rolls
of the Pacific, but looks upon the type
notwithstanding, as one of enormous
possibilities and ventures the following
prediction:
The whaleback steamer is certainly des
tined to work almost complete revolution
in the American carrying trade, and We
predict that the building of square rugged
vessels (ships and barks) will entirely
cease in the ship-yards of New England
Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delawar,
after this year as direct outcome of thu
advent of Capt. Alex. McDougall's pigs
as his whalehacks were first called but foI
the sake of humanity we would earnestly
request the owners Of this wonderful typ
of ocean steamer to light and ventilat,
the forecastle and tire-rooms of thes,
vessels so that those who are compelled Il
go to sea IN the pig may not have to liz,
like pigs and wallow in darkness, hea
and foul air.
Obviously the problem Of improved
ventilation and habitableness is a mere
matter Of detail to be worked out in thu
first whaleback boat to be built as
permanency rather than an experiment
and which will doubtless receive prope
attention in the construction of the pas
songer steamers of this type which ar,
already being talked of But we ar,
not prepared to accept in earncst III
ShiDbuilder'S prediction that the outpu
of our Wilmington shipyards is to un
dergo revolution so radical and com
plete within the short space Of
single year. If the whalebae
is destined TO become the distinctly
American boat Of the future, our ship
builders may have two or three Of ther
on the stocks by that time-and if VII
mington builds them they will be bull
right-but our shipbuilders will continu
to furnish their customers in this cour
try and in South America with steam
boats and steamships not of the whalc
back pattern, with palatlal yachts lik
the Alya and with fleet-wingcd cruiser
like the Priscilla and the Voluntee
They have the plant and the men an
the enterprise to fill all the orders f
whalebacks that may come this wa
without seriously interfering With the
capacity to continue turning out tie
full share of these other boats that hi,
made good name for Wilmingto
workmanship wherever they have gon
-
One would think from the way son
the protection organs are now talkiI
hat the intent and purpose Of the We
schedule in the Mckinley bill wore
bring down the price of that stapl
The fact is that the price Of wool h
fallen about three cents a pound, n
only in this country but eycrywhe
else, in spite Of the Mckinley bill, bcii
and we say it notlrreverently--simp
another illustration Of the truth Of Il
old proverb; Man proposes but G.
disposes."
at looks as Il the four-days ship
the future might be built Of aluminu
and propelled by eleetricily'' remarks