The Washington herald., 1909-07-04
''HALF MOON" READY
Duplicate of HudSOn's Ship
Coming to America
ABOARD A BIG STEAMSHIP
Hollands Contribution 10 Hudson
Fulton Celebration Is ship, Pat
termed After Vessel I'm Which Hud-
con Sailed to America 300 Years
AgO-Manned by Dutch Crew.

London, June s.-The duplicate OF the
Half Moon. which is Hollands contribu-
ton to the Hudson-Fulton celebration In
America. Will set out for New York next
month-not under sail, but aboard a
steamship.
The original Half Moon was lost In 1911.
No drawing or picture OF the vessel is in
existence. so that the designer OF the du-
plicate has had 10 rely on information
gathered from various sources. An old
record of the Dutch East India Company.
still preserved at The Hague, gives the
tonnage Of the vessel, and from Nicho-
lsas Witser's old book on shipbuilding II
is deduced that the craft which bore Hud-
son across the Atlantic was a sort Of
three-masted yacht.
This is the design adopted The vessel
is rigged with hand-woven sails, VIII
carry hand-worked flags. and is antique
enough in her ittings 10 confuse the best
seaman afoat.
On deck there Is a carved igurehead 10
which ropes can be fastened. Roughly
carved heads ornament the woodwork
and a wooden pump lends an ancient air
10 the vessel Forward is a raised deck
and in front OF that the prison. whose in
mates got drenched every time the vessel
dipped its nose under water
Cannon Amidships.
Two cannon are mounted amidshlps on
the tween decks, whose ceiling is so low
that one has 10 bend nearly double 10 get
along, and portfolios on either side allow
these weapons to be used A library or
rather bookshelf. has been fitted up It
contains the books which Hudson took
with him-a Bible, prayer book, and books
OF voyages
A chart is spread out on the cabin ia
bles and near at hand are compass and
measuring instruments. sand glass. and
the rough nautical instruments OF the
time. A gun OF two in a rack and a pile
OF shot and bags OF powder are shown. to-
gether with copy OF the supposed con-
tract which Hudson had with the Dutch
East India Company. The original con-
tract is lost
The old Dutch East India Company.
which had its chief office in Amsterdam,
caused all its vessels 10 be marked with
the initial letter OF the port from which
they sailed On the stern Of the duplicate
OF the Half Moon the letter A indicates
this custom.
Other signs painted on the vessel in
Ciude starry heaven with comet. planet
and a large half moon Below this is the
name on a scroll IN Dutch. DE Halve
Maen." while underneath are the arms OF
Amsterdam and those Of the company
Hitherto great secrecy has been main
tained about the vessel and even now
no photographs may be taken OF her.
Manned with Dutch Crew.
Next month the Half Moon will be
taken 70 Rotterdam and shipped aboard
the steamer SOestdyk. OF the Holland
America Line When she arrives IN
America she viii be fitted UP afresh
and manned with seventeen hands from
the Dutch war vessel Utrecht, which has
been ordered to proceed to New York
from South American waters The
Utrecht viii form part OF the procession
which viii sail up the river from New
York with the Half Moon and the CIer-
mont, Fulton's frst steamship. at It's
head.
The man who Will play the part Of
Henry Hudson aboard the duplicate
Half Moon is Lieut. W. Lam. OF the
Utrecht. He VIII be clad in the style OF
captains or such vessels IN the beginning
Of the seventeenth century. and the men
under him will be dressed in the style
In vogue in Holland AT that period