Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1901-05-01
OLD MAINE SHIPS.
REMINDERS OF THE DAYS OF
THE FULL-RIGGER.
WHAT HAS BECOME OF THEM-soME
THAT ARE STILL AFLoAT AND
WHERE THEY ARE.

In the year 1871, the epoch OF the old
time big wooden sailing ship was at its
height, and no less than twenty five were
launched from Maine yards. Until the
recent revival OF shipping, full-rigged
American ship was something OF nov
city, and here the question arises as, to
where they all have gone. To be sure
there are few left, such as have not been
burned, wrecked or converted into barges,
which latter fate seems bound to overtake
the last of tne old feet.
The list of 1871 is an interesting one and
in that year craft we're set ailoat whose
history would make big books and inter-
esting ones. In that year the chips were
flying in yards all along the Maine coast,
many long since grass grown and effaced.
In addition to the ships there were also
many briggs, barks, schooners, etc., on the
stocks. But as this particular sketch has
reference to ship, look at the list of the
famous craft born in 1877.
At Bath went over the ships &C. c.
Chapman, Belle of Bath" palestine"
"Challenger," "Daniel Barnes" "Hecla,"
"St. Mark . David" "Florence" and
lt2aAAesA az lhobdsApIt luS
"Baring Brothers,, "Levi e. Burgess" and
"Alex. Gibson; at Freeport, the "Sin-
tram; at Seafsport, the civilian II. Con-
ners"; at Waldoboro, the "Willie Reed";
at Kiitesy, the "Granite State"; at Cam
den, The Wandering jew; at Damaris-
Gotta. the Normandy; at Kennebunk,
the v giant; at East Deering, civilian
n NavfuS and r,apv nj hpra frhaaa china
have carried the stars and stripes to many
chimes, and their days were the glorious
days of the old-time square-rigged, deep
water skipper.
In the year 1877, was launched at Brewer
a big ship. the "Llewellyn j. Morse",
named for Capt. l.. J. Morse, of Bangor,
and 1t might be mentioned that in the
same year the schooners Empress, LES
ter A. Lewis" and the brig "Havilah"
we're also launched on the river, the latter
from a Bangor yard.
The name OF the "Lleweilyn j. Morse"
does not appear in the shipping reports
these days. One might haunt the docks
of the Atlantic coast from Passama-
quoddy to Corpus Christie and speak every
incoming craft, but none could give any
tidings OF ship called the "LlewelIyn j.
Morse" built at Brewer, Maine, in 1877,
1,325 net tonnage, and which would show
the signal letters j. S. l.. V. The famous
old ship has dropped out OF society. Many
who noted her comings and goings have
lost all track of her. Her old chums are
nearly all outi of It, wrecked, or worse
coal barges.
The fact is that the "Morse" and dozen
other fine Yankee built craft that were
once in the aristocratic trades of Hong
Kong, Manila, Singapore, Melbourne and
and The River, form little feet of old
timers that, to escape from the poor house,
as it were, have hidden themselves away
in trade where they are seldom heard
from or reported. Many an old-time skip
per will tell you that he thinks the "Geo.
Skolfieldn, the ''St Nicholas, the "Ster-
ling", ''Eclipse" and others that might be
named-and the "Llewellyn j. Morse"
were "deadn long ago. But they are still
afioat.
Scattered along almost the entire coast
OF Alaska are long, low, rough buildings
on shaky piles-salmon canneries. In
most cases the wild and barren wilder
ness grudgingiy allows but strip OF
beach barely wide enough for the build
ings and the rougher shacks in which the
operatives live for time.
The Alaska coast is something like that
Of Maine, with many islands, inlets and
bays. These are alive with salmon and
redish-big coarse fish when compared
with the Penobscot article, but red OF flesh
and nice to look at and eat by those who
know nothing better.
A score or more of syndicates operate
these canneries in the season, but the ext
gencies of the business require that they
bring their employees with them, for where
the salmon are most plentiful there are no
inhabitants except Anew lazy, half civilized
Indians. The canning companies Tor the
most'part have headquarters at San Fran
cisco. Here, in the early spring, they bit
out their Transports for the canneries.
Some own and some charter good-sized
craft, for they must larry from 200 to 4oo
people, including tbs Chinese who make
the cans and pack tbs fish, as well as the
fishermen, engineers for the seine steamers,
and supplies of alIkinds.
And this is Wat the solid old Maine
ship the "Llewslyn ]. Morse" has come
to. For a few months she is tied up at
San Francisco, then with miscellaneous
cargo she 1eads far to the northward Tor
ChiknK bay, where all summer, high ana
ligbt, she swings at her moorings In the
Neltered bay which receives the waters OF
the Chilkoot river. In the fall, when the
season is over, she is docked, and case