The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1900-11-15

to the lumber dealers That which is
too cracked or disfgured is purchased
readily by the kindling wood manufac-
turers. In the old days the iron bolts
gave much trouble to the workingmen
who broke up the craft, but an ingen-
ious Italian showed that by wetting
them with crude petroleum or kero-
sene they could be removed without
difficulty, no matter how t hick the rust
OF the years. These go to the dealers
in old iron, and at the present time,
when the steel prices are SO high, give
a very fair return to the seller An
chors and chains retain some market
value to the very last They rarely 60
to the dealer in old metal, but are
cleaned, painted and stored away for
future use.
The dunnage and inner planking are
taken by house builders for scaffolding,
by lumber yards, and last of all. by the
kindling wood men. With iron vessels.
especially steamers. there is less specu-
lation and less variety. The hulls are
utilized for GOLFERS, and to-day at least
so can be seen in the bay or the adj ia
cent waters. The engines are not very
salable. They are usually antiquated,
and are sold to dealers in steel or to
HldSHllc olOpS. W here l1l6 ultll Is
broken up. it becomes old iron, and
brings seldom more than half a cent a
pound. Modern trade is frugal and
even avarcious. Just as a miser pre-
serves his rags, although they have little
or no value, so dame commerce tries to
keep her ships and steamships at work
until they fall to pieces OF founder
through sheer weakness.
sometimes queer discoveries are made
i'll breaking up an ancient craft. Be
tween the inner and outer planking is a
wide space, which runs from the main
deck down sometimes to the keelson.
Into this drunkarls often drop their be
longlngS, thieves their booty, criminals
the evidence of their guilt and mis-
| chievous men the spoil of their victims
a bark broken up near Staten island
yielded treasure trove of this sort in
the shape of a bag of gold and silver
of which the latest date on the coin was
1870.
y brig which was dismembered at
Red Hook, in South Brooklyn. yielded
ghastlier find. 1t consisted of mama
| cles and Shackles, almost eaten away by
| the bilge water, and yet retaining enough
OF their pristine appearance to show
that they had been engaged in the Afri-
| can slave trade. In bTgantlne over
at WeehaWken there were the bones of
a human arm and leg far down near the
ships well. Whether they represented
some forgotten crime OF the prank of
some playful sailor will never be known.
Knives and pistols, swords and dag
gers are often found in this ancient hid
ing place, as are pieces OF dress goods
and other materials which seamen tried
to smuggle, but hid forever in order to
avoid detection. The day of the specu-
lator is declining. Ships are growing
stronger and more durable: steel is re
placing iron and wood, and the 10000
tonner is driving the small fry from the
race. 1t is only question Of time be-
fore there will be no more old ships tC
break up, and when the skimmers of the
sea will live and toll until the sea swal
lows them, or some rocky coast brushes
them as though they We're gigantic egg
shells. M. A. II. in New York Evening
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