The Portland daily press., 1897-03-19
THE PALMER AFLOAT.
Big Bath Schooner Successfully
Launched Yesterday.

Big Bath Schooner Successfully
Launched Yesterday.
Christened by Miss Grace Palmer She slid
Gracefully From Her Ways Into water
Description of the Vessel.
Bath, March 18.--The largest crowd
that has witnessed launching in this
city for years, saw the big four master
Frank A. Palmer, slide gracefully from
her ways to-day. 1t was 1910 p. m.
when this sea queen began to move and
Miss Grace B. Palmer, the youngest
daughter of Mr.. Frank Palmer. for
whom the schooner is named, christened
her with flowers. Those who were fort
innate enough to launch aboard felt we'll
repaid for their trouble, for it was one of
the smoothest of launches. II was a
splendid sight and one not often seen,
when this craft started slowly for the
old river that has received so many fl ne
structures of our shipbuilders in years
gone by.
AS the big vessellay in the river for
few moments before coming into the
wharf, she presented the appearance
more of yacht than merchant vessel.
She was brought into Houghton's wharf
by the Knickerbocker, where she will
lay until ready for sea.
This gigantic craft has been built at
tbs yard of Houghton Brothers by the
youngest builder of the Shipping City,
Nathaniel T. Palmer.
| He commenced his career as a con-
structor of big achooners three years ago
and during that period has built and
launched four of the largest schooners
adoat, while this, the fifth. is the most
gigantic of them all.
| These vessels have all been built dur
ing period of business depression when
nearly all the other yards we're idle and
have-cost their builder about $4oo, 600 and
have total coal carrying capacity of
about 10, 600 tons.
| The proportions of this big craft are
about as follows: Length of keel 26l
feet. from the end OF jibboom to end of
spanker boom is 415 feet, breadth of beam
43 feet, depth of hold q feet, with deck 8
feet and 10 inches, gross tonnage about
1850 tons. In her construction were
used over Ats tons of white oak timber,
| /, $50, 900 feet Of hare pine and 100 tons
of iron. Her coal carrying capacity is
about 8, 500 tons.
The lower masts are lis feet long and
81 inches in diameter; the foretopmast
is 81 feet long and q inches in the cap,
while the other topnasts are Of the same
| length but are II inches in the cap. The
bowsprlt projects SO feet outboard and is
80 TO 80 inches in diameter The Jibboom
is 81 inches in the cap and rs feet long.
The spanker boom is 81 feet long and 90
inches in the sings while the other
booms are Sc and the gaffs So feet in
length and 10 1-2 inches in diameter. The
sails are of the best quality Woodbury.
duck and will spread over 5000 yards.
Many people have had the idea that the
| five masted schooner Governor Ames is
the largest afloat because she has five
masts, but this is not SO as the Palmer
schooner is nearly so feet longer.
The vessel is equipped with all the
latest labor saving devices and In spite
Of her en- ormous size will carry only
eleven men including the officers. She
has the heaviest engine and windlass
ever put into schooner and has besid es
| fov %ur so+
fresh for long voyages, this being some
thing that no other schooner carries. Her
chain ca bles are 2l0 fathoms long and of
9 Ia inch iron.
| But not only have the best OF material
and labor been put into this vessel to
make her as Fstaunoh and seaworthy as
posi- BILE; in addition her cabins have been
finished as finely as those of any yacht.
The cabin is 81 fest long and Is q
spacious and well lighted home for the
officers. The floors are Of hard wood, the
finish in sycamore, ash, white oak and
cherry, while gold leaf has been used to
good effect by the decorators.
The captains room is as cosy nest
as one would care to occupy. Like all of
the staterooms, 1t is sheathed with hard
pine and contains for furniture bed,
roll top desk, couch, chairs and lockers
Connecting with it is model bath room
with marble tub and bowls, open plumb
ing of nickel. piped for hot and cold
water.
The lucky man who is to occupy this
cosy apartment is Capt. K. z. Gardner
of West Pembroke, Maine. His last
vessel was the schooner Lewis j. Robel
All of Mr.. Palmer's schooners have
been built for the foreign as well as the
coastinR trade and he says they are as
we'll adapted and far more economical
for long voyages than are square rugged
| crafts.
One of Mr.. Palmer's feet, the Angus
tus Palmer, is loading 10000 bushels Of
salt at Turk s Island for the Houghton
firm of this city, this being the largest
cargo Of salt ever brought to this coun-
try