The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-07-14
EVOLUTION or THE scHooNER.

!
We noted the other day the launch
| ing at Quincy, Mass, of the largest
schooner in the world, the S,000-ton
seven-master Thomas w. Lawson.
Only a few years ago there were in
shipping circles fears that the sail
ing craft would be practically driven
out of the coasting trade. There had
| been seen the practical disappearance
of the square ringers and the consider
able growth of the barge trade. But
barges, towed four, five or six in a
string by a powerful tug, have re-
Gently fallen somewhat into disfavor
Within year several tows of barges,
with crews and cargoes. have been
blown away and lost, whereas had the
! craft possessed within themselves the
power of propulsion they might have
been saved. A Philadelphia paper re-
Gently remarked upon the diminished
use of barges for freighting and pre-
dicted that they would eventually dis
appear, except for the coarsest carry
ing over relatively short distances.
Meanwhile there has been consider
able interest manifested in the evolu-
ton and growth of the schooner-the
typical American craft invented in 1713
ter, Mass, and by him given its very
pleasing and appropriate name. Five
or six years ago Capt. John G.. Crow
ley conceived the idea of making a
schooner of what was then thought
to be enormous size, putting into her
every modern convenience for labor
saving that was then available The
result was the schooner John B. Pres
colt, the first of the five-masters. Her
great carrying capacity made her
money-maker from the start. So sat
isfactory was the experiment that the
first six-master, the George w. Wells,
shortly followed and this vessel was
more satisfactory than her predeces-
sor. The Prescott and the Wells are
wooden vessels. To make then staunch
and strong under their immense load
of rigging and sails it was necessary
to consume considerable of their hold
space with keelsons, braces and beams.
When Capt. Crowley determined upon
a still bigger schooner, the one he has
just launched, he resolved to make
her as roomy for freight as possible,
without sacrificing strength, therefore
he had the hull constructed of best
steel. Thus the entire room taken by
the keelson and a greater part of the
room needed for beams and braces in
the former vessels was saved and made
available for freight storage. Another
measure of economy was in the sub
stitution of mechanical for human la
Dor. Engines and winches have been
provided for handling sails, anchors
and cargo, and also for steering, so
that the great vessel much larger than
many of the old clipper ships requir-
ing forty to fifty men, is handled by
crew of sixteen men, including Off
GERS in the number With great carry
ing capacity and relatively small op-
Grating expenses, it is predicted that
the new schooner will prove a large
dividend Garner; in which event it is
quite sure that other vessels of the
class will follow. ~
detail of the big schooner that will
be of interest to seafaring men, and
which seems to illustrate a degenera=
ton in the seaman's ability to invent
words to fit a certain want. is the
seven masts. In construction they are
steel cylinders topped with Oregon
pine, and rearing their heads 155 feet
above the load water line Their
names, from bow aft, are fore, MAN,
mizzen, spanker, jigger, driver and
Dusher. After the first three, the no.
menclature becomes progressively
weaker, until positive paucity of Ian
guage is reached in "pusher." Fore,
main and mizzen are good. salt words
that mean something positive; the
other four mean nothing SO much as
want of something better.