The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1898-10-06
OLD LINES NEW BOAT.
of the Baltimore Steam Packet Com
pany Arrives From Wilmington.

of the Baltimore Steam Packet Com
pany Arrives From Wilmington.
In it's issue of September 21st, the
GOLD LEAF published description of
the new steamer Tennessee which has
just been built for the. Baltimore
Steam Packet Company. With flags
flying, crowds cheering, paint and
brass work glistening and everything
about her brand new, she left the
ship yard of the Harlan & Hollings-
worth Company. at Wilmington.
Delaware, last Thursday for Balti-
more where she will enter the service
of the '.Old Bay Line" between that
port and Norfolk. The Chesapeake
has been the course of many Of the
finest vessels ever built in this coun-
try, but we are assured that none
better has ever sailed over it than
the Tennessee. The Baltimore Sun of
Saturday says this of the new boat,
and although it contains much of
what has already been published in
this paper we print the article in
full:
About half-past o'clock last night
the new steel twin-screw steamer Tennes-
see built at Wilmington, Del, by Harlan
4 Hollingsworth, for the Baltimore
Steam Packet Company, made fast to
the cOmpany's wharves, foot of Union
Dock. Captain Bahannon. the flag
officer of the line, brought the ship
around.
The Tennessee a popularity of mode,
which has interested shipbuilders gen
orally. In building her hull a flare was
given to the sides, which extended out
ward from below the water line to the
deck, making her about six feet wider at
the deck than at the water line. This
gives her much more buoyancy and in
case OF heavy weather she will be much
steadier than the average steamer OF her
class. Mr.. John r. Sherwood, manager
OF the Baltimore Steam Packet Company,
supervised the designing and construc-
ton of the boat, as he has several Others.
She is built of steel throughout, and the
frame work is fully 20 per cent stronger
than in vessels of her tonnage. The idea
was to give her an Al rating, and she
will be classed as such for the next 20
years at least, owing to the manner in
which she was built.
This boat is twin-screw steamer OF
2,OOO-horse power and 400 tons dis
placement. She is operated by a triple
expansion engine, while steam is fur
nished by four Scotch boilers. The two
propelers, which enable her to turn
around in a very small compass, will be
of great value in going around the
docks, as she will be obliged to do in the
harbors of Norfolk, Portsmouth and Bal
timore. About twenty-five different
engines are installed, which are used in
hosting, pumping and running electric
light plants. The interior of the boat is
finished in oak, ash and maple, the fur
niture and appointments being the very
finest. 1t is doubtful if the vessel can be
sunk in the ordinary manner as she has
a longitudinal water-tight bulkhead, as
well as several extending across the hull.
The furniture and appointments are
strictly up-to-date and luxurious. The
carpets of the saloons are of Administer,
and those of the staterooms of velvet
and Moquette. The smoking-room floor
will be covered with a patent rubber
thing, which is the first of this kind to be
used on steamers in this part of the coun
try.
Since the "Old Bay Line established
the route between Baltimore, Old Point
Comfort and Norfolk, over fifty years
ago, it has operated fully fifty boats.
In it's early history it's sde-wheelers were
carrying cotton, tobacco and other pro-
duets OF the South to the great ware
houses OF Baltimore, there to be manu-
featured or shipped to Europe. The
business required that the very best
service should be maintained, and as
fast as improvements were designed the
company adopted them. Each new yes
sci has contained some features in its
machinery or hull which is an innovation
over those preceding it. The sister ships
of the Tennessee, the Georgia and Alabama,
are known to travellers over the Seaboard
Air Line between Portsmouth, Raleigh,
Charlotte and Atlanta. The Baltimore
Steam Packet Company has always
named its passenger steamers after
Southern States, and has built SO many
in it's existence that several have been re-
named.
The Tennessee will in few days be
placed on the route between Baltimore,
Old Point Comfort and Norfolk. She
will be the only boat operated on the
Chesapeake having twin screws.