The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-07-10

ties. whose agents and visitors are in
close touch with the poor and The occu-
pants of the sweltering tenements. For
5 cents a passenger can be carried In any
direction to the boundary line Of the Dis
trict of Columbia, and for an additional
fare for several miles into The rural dis
tricts Of Maryland, where he can wander
In the cool woods. pick Wild flowers and
get glimpse OF the country which is so
much appreciated by sickly ana nervous
children and overworIed mothers. The
plan has already proved a great success.
and thousands of poor people will be able
10 enjoy this simple pleasure during the
present summer because of the generosity
Of few more fortunate people. A sim
liar movement might be undertaken with
equal results in other places. Nobody
can get more good out of nickel than
by taking five-mile trolley ride into the
country.
These are the days of big things. AL
most every day we hear of records being
broken on different lines. The tallest
building, the largest hotel, the fastest au-
tomobile, the 81 eatest steamship run and
other things of that sort, and now l hear
/
that the largest sailing vessel ever con-
structed will be launched at the Fore
River shipyard on the south shore OF
Boston harbor on the 10th day of July.
It is TO be seven-masted schooner. with
a disple cement Of 10000 tons and carry
ing capacity OF 5000 tons of coal or wheat.
She is TO be built Of steel, sheathed in
wood, divided into ten water-tight COM
partments, lighted by electricity and the
rudder and the sails will be handled by
steam. She is TO cost $3.50 600 and is being
but.t by Thomas w. Lawson, the Boston
copper king. and associates. by Capt.
John g. Crowley, who is great believer
In sailing freighters. He built the John
B. Prescott, the first five-master, and the
Georgs w. Wells, the first six-mastcr
ever constructed. The Lawson was de-
signed by B. B. Crowinshield, who de-
signed the racing ship Independence for
Mr.. Lawson a year ago.
The Lawson is 400 feet long, so feet
beam and IS feet deep. with four decks of
steel covered with wood. She has seven
masts los feet high, constructed of Ore
gon pine IS feet long set into steel cylin-
ders rising AZ feet above the deck and ex-
tending to the keel These cylinders are
80 inches in diameter. When under full
sail she will spread $1,000 square feet Of
canvas, which will be handled by a crew
of only sixteen men-a. smaller number
than Is usually found aboard ordinary
long-distance ihree-masters; but she has
the advantage of all the modern contriv-
ances and twenty-fve-horse power en-
CINE to handle the sails, anchors matches
and cargo. Everything but scrubbing the
decks and cooking the grub is done by
machinery, and there is a telephone con-
Meeting the pilot house with every part
Of the ship. The lights are all electric
and full system of signals is provided
The Lawson will not only be the largest
but the most completely equipped sailing
vessel afloat. and is almost counterpart
of steamer of similar tonnage except
that she will be propelled by wind in
ste ad of steam.
Until now the largest sailing vessel was
owned in France and has been engaged in
the nitrate trade with Chilli making
three voyages year between Havre
and Valparaiso. She has six masts and
can carry about 1000 long tons of freight.