The Republican journal., 1908-12-17
The Passing of the Brig.
"reminiscences by the Editor of the Marine
Journal.

"reminiscences by the Editor OF the Marine
Journal.
To THE EDITOR OF The JOURNAL: Your
letter of December Bird, relating to the
passing of the brig rig of sailing vessels,
at one time so popular and common In
New England, interested me very much,
as | began my sea life in the late tiftles
in the hermaphrodite brig Beaver out OF
Bangor, Me-, with Capt. Thomas Tapley,
who is still living in West Brooksville,
Maine. l also sailed with Capt. Abram
Tapley in the brig Elmer, and with Capt.
Jerome Tapley in the brig Abner Tapley,
all of Bangor and trading to the West
Indies on owners account, carrying car
goes of lumber and bringing sugar or
molasses back to Boston, then going to
Bangor for return cargo.
The Abner Taylor should be remem-
bered by your younger seafaring readers,
as we'll as the lumber shippers of Bangor,
as she was carried on the governments
list of merchant vessels, which is issued
from the Navigation Bureau at Washing
ton, longer than almost any sailing vessel;
about fifty-one years, if remember right;
and it was less than dozen years ago
that she was eliminated from that list.
During the latter part of her career she
was rugged as a two-masted schooner,
trading between Bangor and Boston.
The passing of the full-rigged brig, l.
e., with yards on both masts, began be-
fore the Civil War. And in this connec-
ton I can touch on that of local interest
to Belfast. 1t was in the late fortles
that my father, Capt, George D. Norton,
commanded the full-rigged brig Tonq'.ln,
owned and managed by a firm of the name
of White of Belfast. do not remember
the full title of the firm, but do remem-
Der that my father called this vessel a
beauty and he was very proud of her.
He. for some cause unknown to me, left
the Tonuuin shortly after to take charge
of the brig Adeline of New York. He
sailed for Charleston, S. c., on his first
trip and was never heard from after
ward. This was in the winter OF 1851.
| never knew what became of the Ton
uuin, but some Of your Oldest citizens
might. That well known shipbuilder
Columbia P. Carter of your city, long since
dead, was great friend of my fathers
in those days, and | still remember his
wife whom nv mother taught me to call
Aunt Fidelia
The square-rigged brig, as we used to
call it, was not as handy as the hermaph-
rodite. 1t had too many sails and too
much rigging for small vessel, conse-
,ouently required at least two men more
than brig with yards only on the fore
mast. Besides the latter could work to
windward better. The topsail schooner
rig to which you refer naturally went
out as soon as it was discovered that
going aloft wasn't necessity to that
extent. and the vessel better one in
every way with no yards on the fore
mast. Besides it took all hands to furl
that topsail in heavy weather, leaving no
one on deck but the captain at the wheel
for whatever emergency might arise.
have often wondered what our hardy
navigators of the vessels and days refer
red to would think could they but return
to their old vocations of following the
sea and fall in with one of our staunch
built. able six masted schooners, coal
laden, between the Chesapeake Bay and
Boston, carrying their six lower sails
with lib and forestaysail in a gale OF
wind, and although a little wet making
fairly good weather of it. Everything
but humanity has changed and improved
in construction and operation, and to an
almost unrecognizabie degree, since the
beginning of our Civil War, and craft |
that sail our rivers, lakes, bays, sounds |
and oceans have certainly kept pace with
the great race in improvement and com
petition. GEORGE L. NORTON,
Editor Marine Journal.
New York, December 8, 1908.