The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-01
GIVEN TO THE WAVES.
Schooner Transit Launched in
Salmon Bay.
STEAMER MONTE cRIsTo OUT.
She VIII Run Up TO Head of Saviga-
tion on the skagit-water
Front Notes.

TIE schooner Transit wss successfully
launched AZ Captain Thomas r. Peterson's ship
yard on Salmon bay 81 las O'Clock yesterday
afternoon Many people from seattle and nearly
the whole population Of Ballard witnessed the
launching The hsy was alive with small boats
containing those who were not content with
view from across the bay. while the whaTves at
Ballard and the windows OF the houses con-
tanned many an eager spectator. At least 400
persons witnessed the launching.
TIE vessel was complete in every respect with
the exception Of the rudder and sails and some
finishing touches on the rigging. The mssts
aud toprnSsts, the booms and the flying lib boom
were in place, and the bright new halysrds and
other rigging and the spotless paint on the hull
ehoue respleadent against the dark green OF the
conilerous trees upon the bank.
At3:45 O'Clock the wedges that held the vessel
in place were Knocked out, aud she glided down
the WAYS sternwise sc gracefully as a duck
moving about ia pond. Just as she left the
wGys Miss Christina Peterson, the daughter OF
the builder, broke the usual bottle OF wine over
the bow and christened the vessel the Transit
The bay is very narrow at this point, and 20
keep her from striking the opposite shore two
snub-lines were run out from the bow and
made fast to two large fir stumps on the bank,
but when she struck the water and the lines
were frightened up 10 stop her, the two stumps
were je!ked out like cornsts.ks, pulling large
section OF the bank on which they stood along
with them. The Jerk broke the force OF the YES
sci, however, and, though the stern ran up on
the beach opposite, she was not moving rapidly
enough to cause any damage. 1t was feared she
could not be drawn off without great deal
OF trouble, as the tide rapidly running out
and her stern was stuck fast in the mud.
line was run out from the bow and made fast to
another stump on the beach. and two dozen or
more ready hands tusged away at the capstan
and she soon began to move, amid the widest
af no m he han 10 wa
pulled out in the middle OF the bay and anchored
The Transit is a four-masted four-and-aft
schooner with bowsprit, flying iibboom and
four t1pmasts. ncr dimensions are: Keel, l56
feet; breadth OF beam, 81 ieet; depth OF hold, Is
feet. Her registered tonnage is sos tons, and
she is capable OF carrying 100000 feet Of lumber
The masts are O. feet high and the topmasts
30 feet Her cabin and forward house are
fitted up in the very best style, aud the vessel
throughout Is a. staunch and seaworthy as the
best one ever built on the sound. Her timbers
are al. of Douglas FIR.
The main keel is "A inches deep and sided Is
inches with a l0inch shoe and finch spike
shoe. The keelson is l5x2S inches and the
sister keelsons Isx20. Al the keel the frame is
10xI6 inches, and at the deck ii is inches The
frame is sided 10-inch double, moulded 16 at
the cardboard and 3 inches at the deck. The
ceiling is inches in the floor and 10 inches in
the bilge, and the bilge ceiling and clamp are
one and the other II inches thick. The deck
beams are ISxl5 and in the matches l3x17 inches.
The hanging knees from 10 to Il inches
thick and the cupboard plsnking is inches
thick. The vale strcaks are a. inches and the
cardboard is sx20. The outboard is square fast
ened 10 the light water line with composition
spikes, butt bolts and locust trenails Abalt
the light water line she is square fastened with
composition spikes and locust trenails. The
ceiling is square fastened with seven-eighths
bolts and edge bolted.
The vessel is owned by a syndicate of about
twenty san Francisco men, including Z. P.
Nilsson ana Captain P. JoTgensOn, formerly of
the schooner Glenn. Captain Jorgenson will
have command Of the vessel and will load Ium-
her a. stimsOns mill Immediately. The first
voyage will probably be to Australia.
her crew will consist OF nine homeopathic
steward, two mates and five sailors She has
been six months IN course of construction and
is the largest vessel ever built on Salmon bay.