The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-03-10
PROFIT FROM BIG sCHooNERs.
Large Returns From Investments in
Four and Five Mast Vessels.

Large Returns From Investments in
Four and Five Mast Vessels.
From the Boston Journal.
The great four, five, and six-masted
schooners of the Atlantic coastwise
service, even in these times of sharp
ly reduced freight rates, are the most
profitable floating property in the
world. One schooner, with a gross
tonnage of 1904 and a carrying ca
pacity of 5000 tons, has made twelve
voyages in 512 days, and paid divi-
dend on the twelve trips of SAP for
every one-siXty-fourth share, or near
iy SO per cent. on her cost of $72, $50.
Thirty nine per cent is profit which
not even copper mines equal, and the
owners of this successful schooner
now have their ship quite as good as
ever, for these modern coasters of
massive construction keep their Al
classification for dozen years.
Three other vessels paid an average
divided of 1913 for every one-sXty-
fourth share each trip, and an annual
profit of 27.5 per cent. on the invest
ment. Their net earnings were 1873
per cent. of their gross receipts, and
the profit repaid 10 per cent. OF the
total cost of the vessels.
OF course, these instances were more
or less exceptional. There were many
other coasting craft which, because of
hard luck or smaller Size, made far
less favorable showing. Yet it is a
fact that as thinges now stand, the
great sailing schooners of the Ameri-
can merchant marine are as safe and
attractive an investment as can be
found in the United States. Their bus
mess is absolutely guaranteed to
them. Cheap wage, subsidized foreign
owe
vessel under any circumst ances is per-
mitted to enter the United States
coasting trade. On the other hand,
whenever freights are good, these
huge foreand- alters can take char
ter over seas. Many of them have
voyaged to South America or Europe
Some have gone to the other side of
the world They have proved that
they are well adapted to deep-sea
service.
Twenty-Five years ago a full-rigged
ship of 1000 tons was considered a
very heavy vessel. But there are now
afioat siX-masted schooners of above
1000 tons. The following facts, gath
cred by John S. Rand of Portsmouth,
N. H, show some interesting points in
the Atlantic coasting trade:
There are 81 schooners of over 500
tons gross register owned on the At
lantic coast.
The largest two-masted schooner is
the Oliver Ames, 465 tons gross.
The smallest four-masted schooner is
the Massachusetts, 591 tons gross.
The largest four-masted schooner
af1oat is the Frank A. Palmer, 2,014
tons gross.
The largest three masted schooner On
the ocean is the Bradford c. French,
96S tons gross.
The smallest five-masted schooner on
the high seas is the Gov. Ames, Its
tons gross.
The largest five-masted schooner in
the world is the Prescott Palmer of
Boston, which registers 2,S11 tons.
The largest schooner in the world at
the present time is the Eleanor A.
Percy of Bath. Me. She registers $40
tons gross and has six masts. The
only other six-master afioat is the
George w. Wells of Boston; she regis
ters 2,970 tons gross.
The new Seven-masted schooner
building for John c. Crowley will be
the first steel schooner ever built in
this country and the first seven-master
ever built in the world. She will carry
a cargo of $500 tons, spread $4,000
square feet of sail, and he handled by
a crew of only sixteen men, owing to
many devices for saving labor.
The following table gives the Eame
and gross tonnage of the twenty-nine
largest schooners in the world:
Gross
Names. Tons.
Eleanor NJ Percy, six masts.. ....3, 4O1
George NJ. Wells, six masts. ....: ..2,970
Prescott Palmer, five masts. .......2,S11
Baker Palmer, five masts. 1872
William c. Carnegie, five masts. 1858
Rebecca Palmer five masts. .......2,5 56
John B. Prescott, five masts.. ...2,4 54
Nathaniel T. Turner, five mosts. %, 44O
Oakley c. Curtis. five masts. .2,374
Helen w. Martin, five masts.. ,265
Fannie Palmer, five masts. .2,254
Louise Is. Crazy, five masts. .......2,231
Arthur Seltz, five mastS. ..2,2O7
Martha B. Small, five masts. ..2,17S
Mary w. Bowen, five masts. .......2,153
Van Aliens Boughton, five masts. q, 40
M. d. Cressey, five masts. ia
Frank A. Palmer, four masts. .2,614
Jennie French Potter, five masts. 1888
Marie Palmer, four masts. .........1 ,9O4
Mary NJ. Barrett, five masts. ....... ,S33
James w. Paul. Jr five masts. ,SlS
Henry o. Barrett, five masts.. 1911, SO7
William b. Palmer, four masts. .... sos
Gov. Ames, five masts. .............l, Lib
Jacob NJ Haskell, four mastS. .....l, 1lS
s p. Blackburn, four masts. ...... 1856
Maude Palmer, four masts. ........ i, 745
Malcolm Baxter, Jr., four masts. IL 52