The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-08-30
A CRACK STEEL
SAILING SHIP
The E. NJ. Phelps the
Best in Her Glass.
is AMERICAN THROUGHOUT
WILL RUN BETWEEN NEW YORK
AND SAN FRANCISCO.
To Load at Baltimore for This Port.
Captain Graham Will Bring
Her Out on Her Maiden
Voyage.
is AMERICAN THROUGHOUT
WILL RUN BETWEEN NEW YORK
AND SAN FRANCISCO.

The finest sailing vessel ever built In
America will shortly arrive in San Fran
cisco on her maiden voyage
The new four-masted steel ship Erskine
NJ. Phelps, built of American material
from stem to stern and from keel to
truck, is now being completed at Bath,
Me. When everything is ready she will
go to Baltimore and there load for this
port. Her dimensions are: Length over
all, $50 feet; length on deep load line, 312
feet; breadth, 40 feet 2 inches; depth, Is
feet inches. Her gross tonnage is 1900
tons and she has a dead weight carrying
capacity of 1900 tons. The masts average
about 200 feet in height above keelson.
They are SO inches in diameter in the
partners and 26 inches at heel. The lower
yards are 81 feet long; lower topsail. IS
feet 6 inches; upper topsail. rs feet; top
gallant, 60 feet; royal, 80 feet; and skysail
yards, 46 feet. The bowSprit is also OF
steel 6S feet in length.
The ship has two decks and four
matches, two of the latter being 12x16 feet
and the remaining two 6x6 feet.
The forward deck house is of steel 46
feet long by is feet wide, in the forward
portion of which is the sailors cabin,
well lighted and ventilated, with facilities
for heating in cold weather. The rest of
the forward house is devoted to the gal
ley, donkey engine room and coal bunker
of tons capacity. In the midship house,
shop and six rooms for the petty officers
Aft under the poop-deck is the commo-
dious cabin, the home Of the captain and
his officers, 48 feet long and SO feet wide,
extending the entire width OF the snip.
These quarters are excellently lighted by
skylights.
In the forward cabin is the dining sa-
loon, and aft of this is the main sa-
loon. tastefully finished in white, china
CLOSED The captains apartment, OIL
GERS Staterooms, stewards pantry, pain
I'D Low tOria are on
and Immediately adjoining the saloon
A stairway leads to spacious steel
chart house, 14x16 feet, on the upper or
quarter deck, Wa. numerous side ports
affording abundant light and ventilation
Here are ample lounging facilities for
passengers or officers when off duty. Aft
of the chart house Is the steer Wneel-
house 10x14 feet.
The ship is supplied with all modern i'm
provements, including steam pumps ana
hose for washing decks or In case OF hre.
A steam winch is supplied with two port
able cranes to weigh anchors with, and
steam capstan is forward and two hand
capstans aft. The bulwarks of the ship
are "Stiffened'' every four Feet with round
iron braces two and one-half inches in di-
ameter Forward are two imported light
houses in which are the sidelights re-
quired by law.
The Erskine M Phelps was built by
Arthur Sewall & Co., of Bath, Maine, the
well-known builders of the ships. Kappa
hammock, Shenandoah (noW on her way
oke ithe largest wooden merchant vessel
afioat) and the steel ship Dfrigo, launch
ed in March, 1894. Arthur Sewall, the
senior member of the firm was the late
Vice-Presidential candidate on the Dem
ocratic ticket.
Erskine M Phelps. for whom the ship
is named. is one of the best known of
Chicago's merchant princes. He is a
prominent member of the National
Democratic Committee, and during the
recent campaign was one of Mr.. Sewall's
strongest supporters.
Captafn Robert ]. Graham. who will
command the new vessel, is one of the
most popular masters that come to this
port. He is an old navigator, and very
clever business man. When last here
CAPTAIN Graham was in command of the
shin WIZ Babcock, and was accompanied
by his wife and little daughter, Gladys
Mrs. Graham was one of the bellies OF
Berkeley, and her many friends will be
glad to hear of Captain Graham's pro-
motion to the command of one of the
finest sailing vessels afoat.
Captafn Graham went to sea when he
was is years old in the Bath ship Idle
Lily. and gradually worked his way
up in the Sewall employ until he was
master of the ship Reuce. Two years
ago he was given command of the Bah
cock, and now he has been transferred
70 ha PhalpS.