Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1901-11-14
SAD FATE OF FAMOUS CLIPPERS
Fine Ships Converted Into Fsossne
CoaI-Bins.

The old clipper bark Oracle, ousef a,
famous mistress of the seas, passed
out of port yesterday, In tow. FOR
Providence, r. l., transformed into az
ugly floating coal-bin. There Was q
day when her towering masts spread
a cloud of canvas to the winds Of al
the seas, and her decks and h0nses
were spotlessly clean. She was built
in Thomaston, Me-, in 1852. She PAID
for herself twice over in the Arss
three years she was afloat. A Oo1-
tinual fall in freight rates is respsAss
BILE for the decrease in sailing ships
The barge Sovereign of the Seas, nov
trading here, was also famous In her
day. On her first voyage, In 1858
she earned $4,000 She also sailed
6,245 miles in % days. Now see can't
move without the aid of a tug. She
is now owned by New Workers, and
has gone back to her original name.
1ne Sovereign of the Seas was built
in East Boston, in 1858, and is 1.4zs
tons register. Despite her hard years
of service on the ocean, her tinberH
are today in an unusual state Of pres
ervation. She will last for Years In
her present occupation of carrying
coal tod New England ports. m her
early days she made some record
breaking passages around Cape Horn
and he money she earned has been the
foundation for millions now possessed
by some of the New England capital
lists.
Recently the Mary Whitridge, once
a proud Baltimore clipper, went ox
of port, a touching nautical picture,
as she reluctantly held on to tow
boats hawser She is now unsigAtly
in shape and grimy in color, her decks
are covered with coal dust, ard she
is battered old hulk, which has Al
most outlived her usefulness, ezsepS
as coal barge. That same old hulk
was the most famous Of Baltimore
clippers, and was built in this city IN
1856. She was the crack ship OF the
world-famous feet of Thomas Whit
ridges China clippers and 9oatA
American traders. In the tea trade
the gallant ship made a wonderfully
quick voyage from the land Of the
Orient, and beat all competitors.
Every week or two the barge Des-
soug comes into port to load ssal
She was once palatial steamer, anc
was built>for the khedive of Egypt In
1864, and named the Denton. At tAas
time she was considered one OF TIM
fastest and most beautifully appointed
vessels afioat, and the khedive en-
joyed her Immensely for while. But
he got tired of her, and in 1879 VIII
lam H. Vanderbilt bought her to trans
port the obelisk from Egypt to Cen
trail park, New York The obeaiss
which weighs 1876 tons, was far from
the shore line and buried, besides
deep in the sand. 1t was altogether
too heavy for ordinary machinery to
be used, and it was carried down on
immense platforms, with cannon halls
under them for rollers. Then 1t was
placed in a crib fixed on a ponAsoA
The pontoon and ship were lifted In
q craving dock head on to each Csher
and when this had been accompsissea
a hole 20 feet long and II feet nigh
was cut in the starboard bow of the
boat below the water line. Through
this the great stone was rolled iato
the hold of the ship on a groove hav,
ing an improved ball-bearing attach
ment, also made of canno balls. In
side, the obelisk was braced along
the keels and stout shoreing Sxea
about it to make it immovable. Be
fore the stone could be taken from
the vessels hold she had to be cxt
open again. The vessel is now owned
by the American towing company of
this city, and was overhauled at the
shipyard of R. NJ. Stedden. She Is
one of the largest barges on the coast
being 23S feet long, 80 feet wide, and
registers 1882 tons.-New York Sun