Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1907-10-03
LAST
OF HER
KIND

Tuesdays Oregonian announced the
probable total loss of the American
ship Shenandoah while en- route
with cargo OF coal. Although the
Shenandoah has for years been out
dated by metal sailing ships and by
steamers, her passing will cause
keen regret in the old school of ship
masters, who will remember the
Shenandoah as "the last of her
race" The Shenandoah was one Of
quartet of immense sailing ships,
all of which have now been lost,
built by the late Arthur Seawell
about II years ago.
These vessels, the Rappahannock,
Roanoke, Susquehanna and Shenan-
doah, were immense four-masted
wooden ships, the last of their kind
10 be built, and, like every other
maritime production turned out In
this country, the finest Of their class
TO be found anywhere in the world.
While built for carrying big cargoes,
they we're also modelled for speed.
and with immense spreads of canvas
they raced round the world, making
faster average passages than were
made by any OF the metal ships with
which they came in competition.
Arthur seawell, the builder, DEM
onstrated with these vessels and
with the metal ships which followed
them that the Americans could sue
cessfully compete with the foreign
ers In the ocean carrying trade, but
his subsequent abandonment OF the
wooden ship was also an acknowi-
edgement that the competition could |
not be met successfully with ves-
sells inferior TO those with which |
they competed. Through all of the |
carrying stages OF the American mer |
chant, marine our builders have |
shown their ability 10 build the fast
est and finest ships aflOat. The |
Dreadnaught. the Flying Cloud. the
Young America and other famous
clippers OF the sos were the fastest
ships that ever noated, and met and
vanquished in speed contests all |
comers sailing under foreign flags
The broad-beamed and slower-mov-
ing wooden ships which followed |
them on the stocks at American |
yards were likewise superior to the |
new type OF foreign carriers. and
the seawell ships of the Shenan-
doah class marked the trump OF thu
American ship-builder's art in wood
en- ships.
But the finest American wooden
ship afioat from a commercial stand
point was less desirable than some
OF the foreign metal ships which
lacked many OF the good points OF
the Shenandoah. The business OF
the world demanded metal ships,
and even Arthur Seawell, with a
strong sentimental regard for the
wooden ship. was Obliged 10 bow
10 the inevitable. and he began
building metal ships. The metal
ships which are today carrying the
Seawell house flag into all OF the
prominent ports on earth are. like
the old wooden ships OF an earlier
day. the finest OF their class afloat.
and are credit 10 their builders
and TO the flag they fiy, hut thu
doom OF the metal sailing ships Is
at hand. Our prestige suffered great
ly because the foreigners were first
IN the field with metal sailing ships
IL Is suffering now because the
carrying trade We must keep up
with the procession.
Our old time clippers were the
best of their day and age, the mod
ern wooden ships which followed
them enjoyed similar prestige. and
no hner specimens OF marine archl-
lecture are afoai today than the
American metal sailing ships. But
they are ont of date. and n we are
20 continue in the ocean carrying
trade We must secure tramp steam.
ers, Much of the poetry and ro-