New-York tribune., 1902-08-10
SHIPS AND THEIR FIGUREHE4DS.
DECLINE OF THE wOODCARvER's ART FOR
ORNAMFNTINCf CUTwATERs.

DECLINE OF THE wOODCARVER's ART FOR
ORNAMENTING CUTwATERs
asrgor Ne Aug. Q tspeciaD twenty-five years
AGO tbe shin carvers' trade fourished in all the
ports Of Maine and Massachusetts but to-day me
occupatlou these sculptors IN wood Is gone Ior
-ba chief product of their art. the hgurehead has
almost disappeared from the merchant marine
.ro,e uith the blue Jacket and the tarpauln nat
of the merchant sailor The profits Of sea freisht
ing are counted in larger figures now save III the
case of the small coasters, and modern appnaHSe9
r,ya relieved the sailor Of much Of MS oidtlHle
r,deerv and hardships. hut the present age Is al
together practical and utility has driven ronnallce
.orsver from the blue water
NJ, Of middle age can recall the day when nearly
very, vessel was ornamented with some sort OF d
,.t,,. F,,r noU one might search for days
,Iorr rhe docks without seeing anything Oh 'He
kind The owners OF vessels nave an eye '4i'y y
,rodrs and no money IS spent tor tahcy oa1 MS
- - and poddesses and horns OF plenty 10 De
mounted over the cutwaters. 10 give I"e Ia
....,tr, to,rh and endow them with the dlstlnct
,arsonaIitv that dgurehead expresses IN even
greater degree than name on the stern
--ba 1p71rebeads OF the old fleet afforded an IN
.ras,ir,, -,,,sv Some illustrative or the YES
saI.s name others were whins Of the owners OF 'he
rantain and still others symbolic OF events oc-
curing at the time the vessels We're ouii'-
schooner War Eagle, for instance was ONli' -
war time ana she had for her nsurehead d ~ ne
lacking eagle perched upon heap OF cannon oa-'S'
a,d with arrows clasped in its claws Inc war
Eagle fought the elements for more thah t"eH''
years and then TO an exciting end. oeihs ue-
stroyed at Boston by an explosion OF hAp"'iia III
her cargo. ,.,
q e,orpaous bird of freedom, and the brig American
Union was literally Ornamented stern ana o'"S'
with the symbols OF this nation Ine oid steamer
L,xnornder had a figure of John Marshall. holdlhg
N mis- hand the constitution outspread and me
e,asrr.r Daniel Webster carried. either paddle
box. a medallion head OF the great orator "h''e
in her saloon hing life size portrait OF hirn'
nrasenred bv the citizens of Boston ms painting
the work of famous artist Of that Time. no"
hangs in the Preble House IN Poriiahd. hd'lle
besn removed from the steamer when she was sou
10 20 10 the St Lawrence River On the 81 Law
renee her name was changed TO SGguSnay; and aeF F
good luck seemed then 10 desert neI. l lor sne l &
ner career ] IN d - - sn ter nassrnsers perishing
The lost steamer Cambridge Of the Boston and
Rangor line carried either paddiebox the coat
Of arms o. Massachusetts. with the motto of that
Stare-"Fnse petit pIacidam. sub uDertaten
Quietem' The famous OLD steamer N1tLllIii'. %
the same line. decorated wlth the caI'sa ca & oUS
iines Of the mountain for which she was named
VII WITH GTFT Vile the Penobscot had when new
a carved head Indian chleI on e4lHel Pi'is4Is
tba' fcraeround an Indian padding IN a canoe
across a silver lake. Some years ago InTS t''e M
and other adornnents disappeared-nuch 10 the re-
-re+ Gu - eantfmentaI people.
gT9t OF EN- be enJsone ship Belle Of Bath came to
Bangor along the seventies 70 an an nei iit ~
cargoNd.ais for Liyerpoo-the thiHS most tdInlIed @
ahnHt her was her fgurehead-the hgure OF ScGIS
woman in the height of style oI Siy peIu, , i'' Ti
ing the then fIsnIonaplt oiIci, - 80 80
Young woman. created from o49cA OF piIe pine, wood
- LII ~ fhe carver all white ana gold.
- -. H. n.Ire besides all her nnery, most engag-
ing smile which capJivated the ne4rIS 6f al Al s5ors
vo,inr woman under her bowsprIt, Went 10 snash
on foreign shore ore, befoks 15 x tI dress
The schooners Carrier Dove ana dns ring Dove. OF
FocIIari tad white doves as nsureheads. ana
the schooner Empress was decorated with white
queen wearing navy blue Grown i npper ,1 Win vel
was sIppcsed TO be a good likeness, carved from
wood Of the great Corsican out II looked more Ike
uT@rge W r famous for the decoration OF