Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-07-05

Inc Lawson has D6UtHtttu
the lessons taught by experience
her big predecessors. The keelson
been made unnecessary by construct. .ng
her hull of steel. Thus her earning ca
pacity has been increased very consid-
erably.
The crew expense has been cut prac-
tically in half by the introduction of
engines to manage all the sails. to han
die the enormous anchors and to do
stevedore work In general construc-
tion she combines many of the advan-
ages of a steamship with all those of
the schooner
She gains the additional stanchness
and lightness which steel hull of her
size-something more than 4O3 feet long
over all and 80 feet wide-has over a
wooden one; she is provided with a
double bottom, which is divided into
watertight compartmentsas as protection
against accidents and which can be
filed with water ballast if she sails
light laden. She is lighted by electric
ity and steered by steam.
The deck of the Lawson is an inter
esting place. Away forward. almost at
the bows, is a deckhouse-of steel. as is
practically everything else about her
which covers a steam boiler and 40
horse power engine, which will turn
the capstan to which the two stockless
anchors. weighing 10000 pounds apiece.
are attached On the after deck are
two more houses. one the gally, the
other second boiler room. in which is
% horse power to an electric dynamo
and to the steam steering gear.
The other four members of this steam
crew. each with - horse power. stand
in the open air near the masts. SO that
they can be used i'll hoisting sail and
also so near the six big matches that
when they are relieved of sea duty they
can be used for transferring the cargo.
The heads of the seven masts are l05
feet above the wood covered steel deck,
the topmasts being Oregon pine spars
IS feet long, and the lower masts steel
cylinders 32 inches in diameter at the
bottom, which is 80 feet below the wood
en- decking Each mast weighs II tons
bare and will weigh nearly 20 when
fully rugged.
At either side are lighthouses like those
on the biggest ships for showing the
schooner's regular signals, which are
great Improvement over the old fash
ioned light boxes with their oil lanterns.
A new name must be invented for the
seventh mast. of course. and Captain
Crowley has suggested pusher as most
descriptive and generally satisfactory.
Fore, main and mizzen were the designa-
tions given the three sticks of the old
timers; then came the spanker and the
jigger; the Wells introduced the driver
as the sixth mast. and now the Lawson
has added still another word to a list
which has, perhaps, not even yet reached
its limit
The seven master has two decks of
steel covered with wood Altogether
her carrying capacity is 500 tons. as of
coal, for example. in her 35 feet of
depth-fully double that of the ordinary
stream freighters. Her displacement is
10, 900 tons. and she spreads 43. 900 square
feet of sail: yet. by the use of the en-
gines, she need have but l6 men in her
crew. including her master and her
engineers.
She will cost an even quarter of a
million dollars. which is not much
more than a wooden vessel of the same
proportions would cost, and Captain
Crowley expects that the difference in
initial expense will soon be saved on
her repair account.
Every device for convenience and
safety will be on board. including. be-
sides electric lights. telephone connec-
ton between the deckhouses and a
steam siren whistle One of her small
boats will be 80 foot gasoline launch.
Altogether, few steamships are better
equipped than the schooner Thomas w.
Lawson will be.