The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1902-03-08
WORLDS LARGEST SCHOONER.
Unique Five-Masted Vessel Being Con.
structed In Maine.

Unique Five-Masted Vessel Being Con-
atructed In Maine.
The eyes of the shipping community
of this country are at present centred
with the deepest kind of interest upon
the huge five-masted schooner now
in process of construction at Camden,
Me-, for Capt. John G. Crowley, for
service in the coal trade between Phil
adelphia and New England ports.
This craft, whose frames are now
up, is distinguished by reason of the
fact that she is the largest fore and
aft sailing vessel the world has ever
produced, and when completed she is
calculated to have cost about $4,000,
and will spread 10000 yards of can
vas, carrying a cargo of 1000 tons of
coal on % feet draught of water.
In this huge undertaking a number
of prominent Philadelphians have in
vested, among them being Henry W..
Cramp, S. P. Blackburn & Co.. and
Samuel ]. Goucher, and while the
craft, which has not yet had her name
determined upon, will hail from Taun-
ton, Mass, large percentage of her
stock will be held here.
This vessel, unlike any other sailing
craft afloat, will be lighted throughout
by electricity and heated by steam.
Her sails and gear, excepting the
steering will be worked by steam, and
despite the condition of freights, she
is looked upon to declare large divi-
dends to her owners. Capt. Crowley
and his brother Arthur, who now man
age and sail the schooners Mount
Hope, Sycamore and Henry w. Cramp,
now trading between here AMI New
England ports, are the first to show
the ability of vessels when properly
run to declare dividends in these hard
times.
The enormous craft which will, in
measure, revolutionize coastwise
business, is being built by H. M.
Bean of Camden, Me-, and will be
launched early in November. She is
2S2 feet long on keel, "A feet breadth
of beam and q IL feet deep of hold.
Her poop deck will extend 20 feet for
ward of the main rigging. The length
over all will be 31S feet. The keelson
is eight feet high and the sister keel
son four and half feet.
The new craft is to have five Ore
gon pine masts, each 112 feet long and
20 inches in diameter. The fore top
mast is to be Sc feet long and 20 inches
in diameter, and the other four top
masts are each to be Sc feet long and
Is inches in diameter. The jibboom
is to be rs feet long and 20 inches in
diameter. The bowsprit has 80 feet
cupboard and is 80 inches square. The
fore, main, mizzen and spanker booms
are to be 48 feet long and IA inches in
diameter, while the jigger boom is to
be Is feet long and IL inches in diam.
eter.
The vessel will have two 6000-pound
anchors, with 100 fathoms of two and
three-eighth inch chains. Patent
engines, windlasses and screw-steering
gear will be fitted. John J. Wariell
designed the vessel. and, in addition
to being large carrier, she Is built
with a design to great speed.
The vast changes that have taken
place in shipbuilding in the last Is
years are made very apparent by the
construction of this huge craft, when
it is known that even a schooner to
carry 1000 tons of coal was thing al
most unheard of. With the exception
of the schooner Governor Ames. this
craft will be the only five-mastei
schooner afloat.-Philadelph Press.