The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1904-09-15

for all kinds of cOaStWiSe trade in non.
perishable cargo. If then the wooden
hulled and wooden-sparred schooner
has gained for herself such a pre-emi-
nent position in this line of traffic, it
seems not unreasonable to predict that
her steel built successor will prove even
| more efficient when one considers her
! manifest points of superiority One
great difficulty which builders of wood
en- schOOners have met with is the
practical impossibility of safe guarding
the masts against breakage in a heavy
| seaway. 1t has been found undesir-
able to secure the masts too rigidly, as
the taut standing rigging is liable to
draw the chain plates in the fastenings,
especially if the shrouds are set up
tight when the vessel is loaded, as they
become too tight when the cargo is
removed, and the risk Of dismasting is
thereby greatly increased. This is one
reason why schooners of this type are
seldom sent on deep-sea voyages. The
steel masts and wire rigging of the
| steel schooner do away with this risk.
| Then, too, a steel vessel is about 27
per cent. lighter thar a wooden one of
| like size, which means that she can
carry - per cent. more of dead weight
on a like draueit. Naturally the
carrying capacity of any ship is ii very
important item 10 be considered In
the shape of her hul! some very radical
changes can be made, ali of which are
Improvements over the type most
common III the present wooden schoon-
er. She can be built with a fiat plate
keel rot extending below the bottom
plating, which reduces her draught
from to 10 IN, and still provides an
opportunity for using steel center
board if desired. The necessity of
square foretoot and a long deep keel,
which all wooden schooners have, is
Obvlated, the result being that the
steel vessel is quicker and more reliable
III stays. The steel schooner also
offers the advantage incident to the
use OF bilge keels, which prevent
excessive rolling and are efficient help
against ieeWay.
Perhaps the chief advantage embodi-
ed in the use of steel is the facility it
Affords for a double bottom construc-
ton Tor the carriage of Water-ballast
whenever necessary to increase or de-
crease the displacement of the vessels,
| according as the eXlgencies of wind and
sea demand. The initial cost of steel
schooner is of course greater than that
OF wooden one, and this is more than
compensated for by the greater lasting
qualities OF the former, and the smaller
cost OF maintenance
''The most noted example of the new
steel type is the seven masted Thomas
| W. Lawson, built III 1901. at the Fore
River Ship yard. Her net freight ca
paclty is 1000 tons, and she carries a
crew OF only sixteen men, or about half
as many as would be required in a
| square rugged vessel of the same size
and tonnage. Tie Introduction of
steam capStans and Windlasses and
stockieSs anchors has made it possible
| or two or three men to work such a
! vessels ground tackle, and as the sails
are hoisted and the pumps worked by
steam power She can put to sea with a
much smaller crew than would former
| ~ have been considered safe | under
stand that the net profit She paid her
, owners the first year was something
like n per cent, so there can be no
question as to the success of the new
! departure from the financial stand
point.
although this bni!dinq of steel
schooneIS Is IN its experimental STAGE,
and we have but little data as Vet to
Judge of their real value, it seems safe
to predict a great future for them. not
only for cOastWiSe trade, but for over
sea voyage as well. Arthur SeWall x
Co., Bath, Me, are now using steel en-
treiy instead OF wood, in the cOnstruc-
ton or their new SehoOners. and other
builders are follow ing their example.
Already some half a dozen steel schOOu-
ers have been launched. Combining as
these ships do, the maximum of carry
Of