Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-01-26

And then the launching is az present
such commonplace affair, whereas
formerly II was an event 20 be cele.
brated by all the country round
In this unitarian age when people
are nothing II not practical, II may
seem Ike a depression 20 recall one Of
those ancient launchings that has been
preserved 20 as In verse / aliudo TO
Longfellows beautiful lines In THE
Launch" from 1.-THE Building Of the
Ship"
Then the muster.
With a gesture Of command,
Waved bis hand,
And az the word,
Loud and sudden there was heard,
al around them and bqlow,
The sound Of hammers, blow on blow,
knocking away the shores and spurs
And, zee! She stH'
She starts! She mogoil She seems 10 feel
The tbdll q lite along her heel,
And. spumIng With her foot The ground
With one cvulung, Joyous bound,
She leaps into tht oceans afmsl
4g--ss
And. TO- from the assembled crowd
There rose a shout prolonged and loud
That 20 thf ocean seemed 20 say
"fake her,, o bridegroom, old and gray
Take her 20 thy protecting arms
With oil her youth and an her cnarm'"
How beautiful sm Isl How lair
She lies within uote arms that press
Her form vita many soft tares
OF tenderness and waichiul cael
Sail forth into tho sea, O shipl
Through wind and wave right onward sIetIl
The moIstened eye the trembling lip,
Are not the signs Of doubt or fear.
u Is q tradition here that Longfellow
drew inspiration for his poem from
launching in one Of the old Bath ship
yards, and there seems much 10 bear II
out in tho biography Of our celebrated
poet, for he was born and passed his
youth in Portland. only 80 miles from
Bath, and was educated at Bowdoin col
ege, In Brunswick only nine miles dis
tant where he also spent several years
afterWard as instructor, We recently
received a sad reminder Of those youth
ful days OF Malnes great poet in the
death, al the age Of IS years Of Hon.
James W. Bradbury Of Augusta, the
sole survivor Of that famous Bowdoin
class Of % which included Longfelow,
Hawthorne and others who have
achieved high distinction. He was five
years the senior Of Longfellow, yet
lived 20 see the close Of the century In
which both were born.
While the people DO not attach so
much importance 10 launching as for
merly, yet the thrustIng Of a vast steel
shell into the water suddenly endowed
with the poetry OF life and motion, is a
thrilling and inspiring spectacle. Aft
en- she Is launched the vessel is towed
under an immense crane capable Of
doing the work Of a regiment Of men,
and her masts, machinery and other
heavy PARTS are placed IN position. The
rapidly with which the work Is per-
iormsj IS marvellous. And then, again,
Easing ON 20 the working Of the yes
SD after 10 Is fitted for sea, the old
days when the sails we're hoisted, furl-
ID and otherwise manipulated entirely
by men have also passed away the
anne functions on the modern vessels
being performed by steam.
There are two factors which have In
luencod the Bath builders in turning
their attention 90 sch0oners instead Of
square rireers, one being their adapta-
binty for the cogst.ng trade, as they
are so easily and economically handled
and the other their superior carrying
capacity. one Of The great items Of eN-
pense IN sailing vessels has been the
large crews necessary Tor their sailing
Under the old system a four or five
masted vessel would have required
fully $50 men, al am expense which
would quickly consume all the prohts
AS things are now, despite the great ex-
tent OF canvas she carries, about 30
men constitute the full crew OF a mon
yter schooner. and half the time there
Is very little for them 10 do
Like the modern ships most Of the
gchooncls are constructed with metal
bulls and have masts which are merely
hollow cylinders Their frames are
built as strongly as those Of large
steamships, and their sails are made
OF the heaviest duck 1t has been
proved that the steel masts are suG1-