The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-01-29

And then the launching Is at present
such commonplace affair whereas
formerly IL was an event 20 be cole
brated by all the country round.
In this utilitafian age, when people
are nothing n not practical. II may
seem like a digresslSn 20 recall one OF
those ancient launchings that has been
preserved 20 us IN verse ] ailude 10
Longfeuows beautiful lines in The
Launch" from The Building OF the
Ship"
Then me master.
Wiih gesture oi command,
Waved his hand
Ana ar Iho word
loud and sudden there was hearo,
All around them and below.
Tie sound ~ hammers, blow on blow,
hnoching away the shores and spurs
And sect She stirsl
She starts She movesi She seems 20 feel
The thrill Of life along her keel,
And spurnnQ viii her foot the ground.
With one sNutiag ioyous bound.
She leaps into the oceans arms
p =
And, h., from the assembled crowd
Thefe rose q shout prolonged ana load
That 10 the ocean seemed O. say.
Take her bridegroom, old and gray,
Take her TO Thy protecting arms,
l'itl all her youth and all her oharns."
How beautiful she Isl How fair
She lies within those arms that press
Her form with many soft carcss
! OF tenderness and watchiul care.
Sail forth into the sea, ship.
! Through wind aud wave right onward steer
The moistened eye, the trembling lip
Are not the signs Of doubt or fear
| II Is a tradition here that Longfelov
drew inspiration for his poem from
! launching in one OF the old Bath ship
/ yards. and there seems much 10 bear !
out In the biography OF our celebrated
poet, for he was born and passed his
youth i'm Portland. only SO miles from
Bath. and was educated at Bowdoin col
lege. I'm Brunswick. only nine miles dis
tant. where he also spent several years
afterward as instructor. We recently
received sad reminder of those youth
ful days OF Names great poet in the
death, at the ago OF SS years. OF Hon
James w Bradbury of Augusta, tho
sole survivor of that famous Bowdoir
class OF '25 which included Longfellow
Hawthorne and others who have
achieved high distinction. He was flv'
years the senior of Longfellow, ye
lived to see the close OF the century IN
which both we're born.
While the people ID not attach ~
much Importance TO n launching as for
| merly. yet the thrusting OF A vast stee
shell into the water. suddenly endowed
with the poetry OF life and motion, In {
/ thrilling and inspiring spectacle. Aft
er she is launched the vessel Is towe'
under an immense crane capable o
doing the work of a regiment OF men
and her masts machinery and othe
heavy parts are placed in position. Th'
rapidity with which the work is per
4 formed is marvellous. And then. again
/ passing on TO the working of the yes
I sci after IL is fitted for sea, the old
days when the sails were hoisted. furl
I'd and otherwise manipulated entirely
| by men have also passed away, th'
same functions on the modern vessels
being performed by steam.
There are two factors which have In.
fuenced the Bath builders in turning
their attention to schooners instead o
square riggers. one being their adapta
bility for the coasting trade, as the.
are so easily and economically handled
and the other their superior carrying
capacity. One of the great items Of ex
pense I'm sailing vessels has been tn
large crews necessary for their sailing
Under the old system a four or fiv
masted vessel would have require'
fully $50 men, at an expense which
would quickly consume all the profits
AS things are now, despite the great ex
tent OF canvas she carries, about 3
men constitute the full crew OF mon
ster schooner. and half the time ther'
is very little for them 10 do,
Like the modern ships, most OF thu
schooners are constructed with meta
hulls and have masts which are merel,
hollow cylinders. Their frames ar
built as strongly as those OF larg'
steamships and their sails are mad
of the heaviest duck. IL has beer
proved that the steel masts are suffi
--------------------------