The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-04-25
NEW STEEL SHIP
The ETSkine NJ. Phelps, an
American Product.
NOW TO BE SEEN HERE
a Beautiful Vessel Interesting to
AIl-Buiit at Bath, BY Arthur
SewaIi,

At Sorenson's wharf the big four
masted Sewall ship locked at 6 O'Clock
last evening and for some weeks to
come will remain at that wharf dis
charging ballast, painting and over
hauling and taking on a cargo Of
sugar for New York.
Capt Graham, master of the Phelps,
cordially invites the public TO inspect
his vessel and will be glad to show
them this finest specimen of sailing
merchantmen in the world.
The Erskine NJ. Phelps was launched
at Bath. Maine, July 25th, 1898, and is
the first American built steel ship.
Among those persent at the launch
ing and guests of Mr.. Sewall were,
Hon. Erskine NJ. Phelps of Chicago. for
whom the ship was named, his friend,
Chief Justice Fuller, d. 3. Dearborn,
the New York agent for the Sewalls,
and George S. Dearborn. The Dear
borns were in Honolulu some months
Iago.
The formality of christening was
omitted.
Arthur Sewall then announced that
this was the first of a fleet OF twenty
steel ships that would be launched
from his yards and that he hoped to
live to see every one of them.
The handsome, four masted steel
ship Erskine M. Phelps is one Of the
finest vessels afloat, and has won the
admiration of all, including several
veteran sea captains, who have had an
|opportunity to view her immense hull
and lofty masts of steel. The ships
dimensions are as follows:
Length over all, $50 feet; measuring
length, 312 feet; breadth, A feet 2
inches; depth, % feet inches. Her
gross tonnage is 5000 tons and she has
a carrying capacity of 1900 tons
weight. The maSts, far superior in
strength to those OF other sailing yes
'sels, average about 200 feet in height
from keelson. They are 30 inches in
diameter at deck and 26 inches at heel.
The lower yards are 81 feet, lower top
sail, 50 feet, inches, upper topsail, Is
feet top gallant 60 feet, royal SO feet
any .skysail yards 10 feet. The bow
spirit, also of steel lis 6S feet in length.
The ship has three decks and four
matches, two of the latter being 12x16
feet and the remaining two Sx6 feet.
The forward deck house is 46X18
feet In the forward section is the
forecastle, the sailors home, with
twenty hunks. Skylights above give
good light and ventilation. The rest
of the forward house is devoted to the
galley, donkey engine room and coal
bunker of seven tons capacity.
In the midships house, 26x1S feet, is
| the carpenters shop, extending
across the house and six rooms for the
| petty officers.
Aft is the commodious cabin, the
home of Capt Graham and his Of
lficers, forty-eight feet long and thirty
eight feet wide, extending the entire
width of the ship. The place is excel
lently lighted by skylights. In the for
ward cabin is the dining saloon and
aft the main saloon, tastefully finished
in white. The captains apartment,
officers staterooms, stewards pantry.
bath rooms and lavatories are adjOin-
and solid silver, presented by Erskine
NJ. Phelps, decorates the antique oak
sideboard in the dining saloon.
\ spiral stairway leads to chart
/ house, 14X16 feet on the quarter deck
with numerous ports affording plenty
of light and ventilation. Here are two
hunks for passengers. Aft of the chart
house is the wheel house 10x14 feet.
The various houses of the ship are
ship is supplied with all modern i'm
provements, including steam pumps
| and hose for washing decks. A steam
winch, two portable cranes to weigh
anchors and steam capstan are for
wards and two hand capStanS aft. The
| bulwarkS of the ship are "Stiffened"
every four feet with round iron two
and one-half inches in diameter. For
ward are Two imported lighthouses for
| the side lights.
Hon. Erskine NJ. Phelps of Chicago,
for whom the magnificent ship was
named, is a worthy descendant of
good old New England stock, a man
of great wealth and enterprise, prom
inent throughout the West in business
and political circles. Mr.. Phelps went
| West in his early days and settled in
Chicago, where he has been eminently
successful and is one of the most prom
inent citizens. He has promoted sew
eral important enterprises that have
been productive of great good to the
Western metropolis and today no man
is more popular in the City of Chicago
than ErSkine NJ. Phelps.
Mr. Phelps is a Democrat and has
ably served for several terms on the
National Democratic Committee He
is an intimate friend of Hon. Arthur
Sewall and during the campaign was
lone of Mr.. Sewall's strong support
lers.
Capt. Robert ]. Graham of Philadel-
Iphia, commander of the Erskine NJ.
Phelps, was formerly commander of
the ship William I. Babcock When a
boy of fifteen he began his successful
Iseafaring life in the Bath ship Idle
Lilly, of which Capt. c. j. Carter was
then mate.
Previous to commanding the Bah