Morning journal and courier., 1891-05-05
Our Shipbuilding Interests.

The New York Herald in an article on shipbuilding in Connecticut speaks of the prominence New Haven has attained in the state in recent years in this industry, and says:
 Henry Sutton, of New Haven, for in stance controls a fleet of 15, ,00O tons car rying capacity; H. H. Hanscom of the same place has a fleet about the same, and half dozen others in New Haven and New London control several fine vessels each.
 The Connecticut fleets, in fact, are wide ly known and employed in the coastwise trade from Maine to Louisiana in the West Indian sugar trade, and some of the big fourmasters have landed cargoes in the ports of Europe and South America in re- cent days.
 NEW HAVEN IN THE LEAD.
 New Haven is today the centre of the industry in the state, with two extensive yards, whose ways are never empty. Henry Sutton's yard on the West Haven shore is famons all along the New England coast for the size of the vessels built there. The largest vessel ever built in the state and one of the largest of fore and aft rig ever built on the Atlantic coast is now in course of construction. Her dimensions are POS feet long on the keel, Al feet beam and IS feet inches depth of hold.
 She will have the great carrying capacity of ;, 800 gross tons and will be schooner rigged with four masts, with two full decks and the third or poop deck extending for ward of the mainmast. She will be fitted with steam engine for hoisting and all other modern appliances and will be T,,1,- cost nearly 7O,000, will be added to the large fleet of three and four-masters under MT. Sutton's management and built by him at his yard, including the large four-mast- CTS George M Grant, w. Wallace Ward and Lyman M. Law, which are among the largest vessels of their kind on the coast.
 Many of New Haven's prominent busi- ness men are investors in this fleet, several of which carry the distinguishing names of Lieutenant Governor s. E. Mer- win; James D. Dewell, president of the state board of trade; Nathan Easterbrook, jr., president of the New Haven chamber of commerce; George M. Grant, builder of many of the recent structures which adorn the Yale university grounds; Lyman NJ. Law, of Booth & Law, merchants; w. Wal lace Ward, superintendent of the New Ha- ven and West Haven railroad, and Charles F. Futile, merchant.
 w. N. Gessner, the architect and de- signer of the vessel, who has the contract for the carpenter work, is probably the oldest marine architect in New England. He has designed and built several noted yachts, was employed by the government ill building naval vessels during the war and is regarded as an authority on every thing appertaining to vessel construction. He has passed by half 8 decade mans al loted three score years and ten, having re- gently celebrated his golden wedding, but is yet strong and vigorous and attends to his daily duties.
 AN OLD YARD.
 In the Fair Haven section is located the famous yard occupied for ten years or more by H. H. Hanscom, who had built and now manages large fleet of three and four masted schooners, which are noted in marine circles for their speed and sea- worthy qualities. This is one of the oldest yards on the coast of Long Island sound, and number of gunboats were built there during the war by c. s. Bushnell. During the past ten years MT. Hanscom has built total of sixteen large schooners. Three of these are four masters, the Napoleon Boughton, carrying capacity of 1 1850 tons, and James G. Beecher and William Nicely, 1,500 tons each.
 Other prominent New Haven capitalists and merchants have given their names to other vessels of Mir. Hanscom's fleet, in cluding the Charles L. Mitchell, 1000 tons; w.. W. Converse, LIDO; John H. Tingue, 900; Charles H. Valentine, HOO; Horace P. Shares, 700; Henry Sutton, 1000; Jacob Reed, $50; John M. Brown, 800, and Thomas L. James, 700. MT. Hanscom named for himself in 1887 a handsome craft carrying 1,150 tons, and honored the fair sex in naming the Bessie O. Beach, the Abbie C.. Stubbs and the Grace Seymour, the latter for New Britain lady, daughter of veteran ship builder in Haddam.
 MT. Hanscom has two large schooners under construction this season. The larg- est, four-master, for Captain Joseph Holmes of Forked River, N. J., will carry 1 1,5OO tons and will cost $50, 900. The other is three-master of 600 tons capacity, to cost $50, ,000 These two vessels will occu- py the entire yard limits and working force during the remainder of the season.