The Washington times., 1903-08-13
WOODEN SRIPBUILDING
is STILL PROFITABLE
Outlook Good for Prosperity
Among Maine Builders.
GREAT COASTWlSE MARINE
Contracts Granted for Many New
Schooners-Bath IN the
Lead.

BANGOR. Ne. Aug 10.-Wooden ship
building in Maine IS a fairly prosperous
industry this year. and the outlook is
encouraging. A great deal is said about
the decadence Of the wooden ship. and
especially the sailing wooden ship, but
this does not apply to the great Amerl-
can coastwise merchant marine, which is
today far greater than ever it was be-
fore. and still growing Time was when
the harbors OF Eastern lumber ports,
like Bangor. were crowded with topsail
schooners, brigs. barks, and fore and-aft
schooners. and many people lament to-
day that the vessels are few in compari-
son with the old fleets. This Is a needless
complaint. however. for, while the yes
sells are fewer, they are also much
larger now than in days past, and the
tonnage entering and leaving the port
of Bangor now is much in excess Of
what it ever was in the so-called palmy
days OF the American merchant marine.
Ships Were Small.
In the old days a ship OF 600 to 200
tons was considered a big fellow; today
the coal stevedores at High Head, Ban
gor. speak OF ], 000-ton schooners as lit
tie fellows No schooner begins TO at
tract attention unless she is pretty close
to 1.500 or 1000 tons net register, and
there ere great many. schooners carry
ing coal on this coast whose tonnage is
in excess of 1000. One of the schooners
that comes 10 Bangor generally brings
about ,700 tons of coal at a load and
she attracts less attention than did the
brig Harry Smith twenty years ago.
when she came here with $50 tons. The
big schooner, the Fannie Palmer. can
carry as much coal At one load as would
keep one Of the old-time coasters busy
for a year.
That is the kind of vessels, for the
most part that they are building in the
Maine yards nowadays. with a few Of
medium size for special trades or TO
suit special purposes At Bath they are
building ten or q dozen schoOners, rang
ing from 500 to $500 tons capacity, while
ar Marlborough two gigantic schoon-
ers are under construction for the ia
nous Palmer fleet - the fve-master
schooner Singleton Palmer. and another
not yet named. These vessels viii carry
about $500 tons OF coal each
Builders at Work.
At Rockland various builders have
contracts for four schoOners ranging in
size from 800 TO 200 tons. the latter to
be duplicate Of the famous schooner
Jacob n. Haskell. called The Flying
Haskell" because Of her great speed.
At Belfast Two four-masted schooners
are being built with others in prospect;
at Bangor a four-master OF 1000 tons
is nearing completion. and at Camden,
H. II. Bean has just closed a contract
10 build for Capt. John F. Crowley 5
syndicate a five-masted schooner OF
about 2.2oO tons. At MiIbridge a three
master FOR the coasting trade is about
TO be launched from Sawyer's yard the
schooner Emma Lord, 300 tons. owned
by Henry Lord. of Bangor. and others.
At Thomaston a three-masted schoon-
er OF 400 tons. a four-master OF 1 200
tons. and a four master % 1.40o tons
are being built, and at several otheG
places along the coast vessels Of va
rious rigs and sizes are In process oi
construction, including a number Of
sioops and small schooners for pleasure
and fishing purposes. Bath also has {
battleship. the Georgia. on the stocks
which VIII require three years for CON-
pletion. and other Government work.
Cost Of Materials.
The cost Of materials Is high, and
wages are higher than for years. yet the
orders for new vessels are coming in and
contracts are being placed at prices that
give the builders a fair profit. No one
down East seems 10 have any apprehen-
sion that the shipyards viii go out o.
business until the ocean dries up. ever
81 they don't build square-riggers AM
more. One thing is to be noted in con
nectiOn with the industry of immediate
interest 10 lumbcrmen. and that is thai
the yards are no longer turning ou
small coasters-the two masted lumber
carrying type Of 100 TO 200 tons The
old feet IS rapidly disappearing. and IN
less new feet shall be built befor.
long. Bangor Will have to employ bargea
TO transport her lumber to Boston anC