The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1893-02-24
THE JOHN ENA.
A Large and Handsome Vessel and a
Credit to any Flag.

world are, for the nonce, conferred
on the little group of islands in the
Pacific, whose queen was recently
forced to abdicate her throne, and
any items of news relating to the
island kingdom are of special inter
est just now. The Royal Hawaiian
Navy consists, or did consist until
recently, of one small steamer, dub
bed by courtesy a man-of-war, but
her mercantile marine is by no
means small one and it will sur
prise many to learn that the Hawai-
ian flag floats over two of the hand
soonest and largest sailing vessels
that ever plowed blue water. They
are the Hawaiian Isles and John
Ena. Both were built in the United
Kingdom and are now ON their
maiden voyages. The former is now
on the Sound, whittier she went
from this port, and the latter, which
arrived here on January 31st after a
long and eventful passage of 1855
days from Cardiff, is discharging
her cargo of coal at Howard street
wharf, No. 8.
A handsomer vessel than the John
Ena, either as regards her model or
her internal fittings, never entered
the Golden Gate. She was built by
Robert Duncan e. Co. of Port elias
gov, Scotland, and is owned by the
San Francisco Shipping Company.
Her commander, Captain Schnauer,
the principal stakeholder in the
company, is well-known in this port,
out Of which he has been sailing for
many years. He is very proud of
his ship and truly asserts that she
is the strongest and best found YES
sci that ever came here. She was
built under his personal supervision.
The dimensions of the John Eua
are: length, 312 feet; beam, 4S feet;
depth of hold, % feet; tonnage, 1858.
She has four masts; six topsail and
six topgallant and three royal yards.
Her spike bowsprit and all her yards
and masts, excepting the topgallant
and royal, are of steel. The three
forward masts measure little over
200 feet from the water line to the
trucks, while the steel jigger mast,
all one piece, is 1874 feet in height.
The lower yards measure 1O2 feet
each and the royal yards are Sc feet
in length. All the standing rigging
(both stays and shrouds) is set up by
screws. She has steel decks, over
which is laid an ordinary calked pine
deck. She carries two tank life
boats aft and gig and jolly boat
forward. During the bad weather
the vessel encountered on the trip
the port life boat was lifted by a
heavy sea out of the chocks and con-
siderably damaged. A bridge ex-
tends the whole length of the YES
sci from the poop to the forecastle
head. Her waterways are very wide
and her bulwarks very strongly stay
ed. All the ironwork about her is
galvanized. One novel feature about
her is the way the blocks are arrang-
ed through which are rove the low
er and topsail braces. They are
fixed on iron standards on the
rail, one little behind the other, so
that the braces do not interfere with
each other, and when they are let go
the blocks are stationary. Looking
over the ship, commencing forward,
visitor will notice that the figure
head is representation of John
Ena, a prominent Hawaiian, after
whom the vessel is named. On the
forecastle head is a crane for getting
the anchors inboard and double
action capstan that can be worked
either by steam or hand power. I'm
derneath is the forecastle, fitted with
hunks for the crew, but Got occupied
by them. Here is patent windlass
the machinery of which is run by
steam direct from the boiler, and a
steam pump for washing decks
There are double hawse holes, one
set for the chain cable and one for
mooring lines. AS the anchors are
hove up the chain passes directly
into the lockers underneath the
windlass. In different parts of the
ship are four reels carrying strong
wire ropes for mooring purposes.
Her hatchways are very large and
have high combings. On the ma n
deck are three large steel houses. In
the forward house is the hospital
which is used as quarters for the crew
(Which consists of twenty men before
the mast), also the boiler, steam
winch, etc. 1t is noticeable that the
engine and everything connected
with it were made in this city by
hurry Bros. and shipped to Scot
land to.be placed in the vessel. The
midship house is occupied by the
galley and carpenters shop and
quarters of the cook and carpenter.
The after house is occupied by the
boys. Next aft comes the cabin.
Most of the big four-masters that
come here have as small cabin ac-
commodations as 500 ton Ameri-
can wooden ship, but the John Ena
is built on different plan. Her
cabin extends away forward of the
jigger mast. The front is solid
bulk-head of steel without door
ways, SO that no water can enter,
though the heaviest seas are break
ing on board. Access is obtained
through the chart house on the poop.
On the poop is another steel house.
In the forward part of it are the
rooms of the first and second mates.
This is quite an innovation and
good one, too, for, as the mate says,
"when we go below we are still on
deck, ready for call" In the after
ter part of the house is the chart
room, flag lockers, meteorological
in al rIIOanfc otto 1pnhln nn,n,Na