The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1892-01-14
Ships and Shipping.

1Of, w lScOnSln, III the yards OF the Amer
lean Steel Barge Company for two of a
fleet of six mammoth whalebacks under
contract for the Canadian Pacific Railroad
The vessels will be of improved model
32O feet long, AZ feet beam, 25 feet depth,
and will be of greater capacity and much
SWifter than other whalebackS so far con-
| structed.
| AN INTERN TIONAL RACE. The big
four masted American ship Shenandoah,
owned by Sewall & Co., Bath, Me-, re-
Gently beat one French and two British
| ships in a race from San Francisco to
| Havre. Now she is on her way from
Havre to New York, and she is pitted
against the new British barque Swanhil-
da. While the Shenandoah was lying in
Havre the British vessel came in and load
ed for New York. Capt. Meekle of the
Swanhilda boosted of the speed of his yes
sci. and Capt. Murphy of the Shenandoah,
fresh from his recent victory, naturally
Boosted of the speed of his. SO, as they
We're both to sail for New York, they
agreed to test the relative merits OF the
two vessels. 1t is said that the two cap
tains bet 81, 600 each on the result As
the Swanhilda is the smaller vessel she
received days start of the Shenandoah.
and the Shenandoah on Dec 25
AN ENCOURAGING VIEW OF THE SHIPPING
INTEREST.
For several years past the fashion has
been to talk often and write much con
corning the ''decline of American ship
ping 1t is true that full-rigged ships
have in some instances been converted
into barges; the old style barques have
given way in some localities to barkentines
(Which have yards on the foremost only,)
and the full rugged briggs have entirely
passed out of the American fleet. Ship
building, however, has not yet become one
of the lost arts. Two of the noblest Maine
specimens may be particularly mentioned
The ship Shenandoah, of Bath, recently
took the largest cargo of grain from Cali
fornia to Europe ever carried by sailing
vessel and the rates were rather remuner-
ative. The Rappahannock (sister ship
did we'll until she got caught with a com
bustible cargo (soft coal a few weeks ago
and was destroyed by fire at Juan Fer
nandez. The Roanoke, now building for
the same owners, is to be the largest four
masted sailing ship in the world Three
| masted and four masted schooners contin-
lie to be built in fair numbers in MaSSa-
chusetts and Maine. The big one on the
stocks at Mr.. Brooks yard, East Boston,
is twice as large as many of the ships of
fifty years ago.
Taking a superficial view of the matter,
it is no wonder that some persons forget
that five of the New England States still
have many thousands of men and women
ID large percentage of her population
and many millions of dollars interested in
navigation. And possibly the sixth State
ought not to be counted out entirely. for
| in the more prosperous days of whaling.
| many hardy sons of Vermont learned to
''hand, reef and steer, and pull an oar
as well in chasing the leviathan. Possibly
| some OF them are tirst-class navigators
now. Certain it is that Massachusetts and
| Maine furnish many OF the officers and
seamen, and much of the capital. for
steamers and sailing vessels moving up
and ii solomon should return in all his
glory he could not fix the time when the
nautical interests of New England will be
materially reduced. All things consider
ed, perhaps a gain may be regarded as
| probable.
| Tonnage nowadays may not earn such
| fine dividends as folmerly-say 20 80 to
30 per cent per annlm occasionally years
| ago-and yet many fore-and- alters have
paid something right along through the
| dizziness OF the last summer, and the bus
mess of the ship Nancy Pendleton, of
Searsport, Me. foreign.) is reported to
have been profitable each year since 1871.
Many New England investors who have
for quarter Of a century placed their
money in Western railroads would doubt
| less be glad to-day to exchange some of
their stock in that section at par for YES
sci property at full cost nearer home
| Freights ruled very low in June. July and
August, but the quotations are much bet
ter now. and the feeling seems to be in
creaSing that 1892 Will do better for this
section Boston Journal.
The First Iron Vessel Built i'll Maine.
While it cannot lie said that the Ma
cllias, launched ut Bath last month was
the first iron vessel ever built in Maine, it
can he claimed for her that she was the
| first Maine built vessel in the construct
| ion of which steel was used. The Wassuc
built in this city in 1851. was vastly differ
cnt from the vessels of the new navy now
building at Bath. All her frame work
was of heavy timber and even some of her
armor was of oak. Yet her outside plat
ing was iron and this gives her a place in
the class of metal ships. Portland Adj
vertser.
That is where the writer is mistaken
A glance at the United States record of
war vessels in 1872 shows that the Wassuc
is ranked with the iron clads; and where
ever in this list a craft with a metal hull
appears it is marked with an asterisk and
that asterisk gives the information that
those crafts-the metal ones-are iron
ressels. The Wassuc is not marked with
an asterisk and therefore it is clear that
the United States authorities lid not con-
slider that her ''plating Of iron gave her a
place in the class of iron vessels The
Advertiser deserves credit for the excel
lent cut and description of this little known
vessel which, Ii might have added was of
4S3 tons and last recorded as being laid up
ut Boston.
But there is not the slightest tenable
grounds upon which to base a claim that
this craft was an iron vessel and as such
takes precedence of the Machias Bath
built war vessels during the rebellion, but
she built no iron clatls. Portland can
claim the distinction OF constructing the
first armored vessel built in Aaine-that
is wooden vessel protected above the
water line with layers of metal upon
wooden backng-but she never built an
iron ol Steel vessel. That is lust what
Bath has done the M 1chiaS is that vessel