The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1910-01-27
Famous Vessel Designer.
Record of John j. Wardwell as Designer
and Builder.

w aruWell OF ROcklanQ is Del1eVeQ TO De
the champion wooden ship designer and
builder of the Atlantic seaboard, ifnot OF
the United States.
For period of thirty six years he has
been at this work, though the years he
has been connected with shipyards and
shipbuilding number m my more than
that, for at the age of ID years he was
working in the shipyards of Stockton
Springs helping in the construction of
some of the famous ships of that town
and Searsport. His father before him
was noted master builder and designer
of the old days.
Mr.. Wardwell was boon in Stockton
Springs, where his father worked. AT
that time the decline of the square rig
number were built after he went to work
in the yards. In those times the ships
of Searsport and Stockton Springs We're
famous wherever sailing ship went, as
Were the shippers who handled them. 1t
was natural under such circumstances
that he should do one or two things, viz
either take to sailors life or become a
builder of ships. He chose the latter.
So we'll did he master the trade that
before he reached his majority he began
designing vessels. His first design was
made in 1873, but two years later he took
charge of the construction of his first
schooner. He was but q years of age.
Since then he has been constantly at 1t.
His first vessel was the schooner Walter
Il. Palmer.
He remained at Stockton Springs for
some years, but left there % years ago
and went to work for Capt. Bean, the
famous Camden ship builder, remaining
there until nine years ago, when ne Jol'i-
ed the forces of Cobb, Butler & Co. of
Rockland, with whom he now is.
He is now 81 years of age and has re-
corded to his credit rs vessels designed,
and with tow boat now under construc-
ton in the yard at Rockland has taken
charge of the building of Sc. Many Of
the Vessels which he has designed have
been built at other yards and under the
charge of other men. Also, he has built
a number of vessels designed by other
naval architects. The tow boat now
building is among this latter class.
He has the distinction of designing and
building the first six-masted schooner in
the world. This was the George W..
Wells. The Wells attracted much COM
ment and speculation as to whether she
would be successful type of ship. At
the time the Wells was under construc
ton the Eleanor A. Percy was being
built at Bath, but the Wells went over
board first. so that she was the first SIX
master built.
She was one of the famous Crowley
fleet, along with the Mertie Crowley and
the Thomas F. Lawson. the first and
only seven-masted schooner in the world.
The last vessel which he designed and
built was the William E. Burnham, re-
Gently launched from the yard OF Cobb,
Butler & Co.
The model room at that firms office is
very interesting to visit. There are dis
played many Of the models which Mr..
WardweIl has made. Among these is
sea going sailing yacht, designed at the
request of the Shiloh people, when their
yacht the Kingdom, was at Rockland
few years ago for repairs. At that time the
Shiloh people said frankly they might
never build the craft, but they wanted
model IN case they should. Sallor-men
who have seen this model declare it
ought to prove very seaworthy, as well
as speedy.
While the majority of the vessels
which Mr.. Wardwel has designed have
been of the schooner rig, he has made
Among the steamboats, is the Monhegan.
She was designed especially to work in
the ice during the winter and has come
up to all expectations.
1t would be difficult to find more IN
teresting man in all Maine than MIR.
Wardwel when he gets to talking ships.
When he first started work, a schooner
Of $50 tons capacity was a good sized
craft, while one of 200 tons was mon
ster Today a schooner Of 1900 tons is
only moderate sized craft, while the
average is around vessels that carry
$500 or 1000 tons Of coal.
Said Mr.. Wardwell, speaking about
this matter recently: People get an idea
that there ism much doing in the way
of carrying goods in wooden ships these
DAYS. They don't understand it. 1t is
true that as many ships are not built as
formerly, but one of the new schooners
carries as much as did an entire fleet OF
the old timers.
just take the Palmer fleet of Il
schooners. Before they lost this last one,
the combined carrying capacity of the Il
was about 50, 900 tons of coal. Now, 1t
would have required about SIX of the
schoouers of the type used when | start
ed working the kind which people are
talking about when they talk of the de-
cline of shipping-to carry thousand
tons Of coal. To be fair, cah it five of
them. Multiplication shows that it
would require fleet of 2S0 OF the schoon
ers of 80 years ago 70 carry the coal
which is Jagged in the IA vessels of the
Palmer fleet.
Then there were the three vessels of
the Crowley fleet, including the Lawson.
Their combined carrying capacity was
IS, 600 tons. 1t meant about 80 OF the
old timers to lug the load of those three.
There are fewer vessels, but the number
of tons Of coal or the number of thousand
feet of lumber they will carry, aggre-
gates as much, more probably, than
would five or six times their numbers of
the old schooners.
Il remember when we were building
the Mertie Crowley, one of the early six
masters. At the same time on the stocks
beside her was a small four masted
schooner. Everybody used to joke about
her; would ask US if that was the yawl
boat for the Crowley. One day a man
from Stockton Springs made the same
remark to me. asked him if he remem-
bered the ship Sontag, which we built at
Stockton. He replied that he did. She
was the wonder Of her day, if you re-
l.lember, said. He said that was right.
The largest ship in the world, l contin-
ued and he agreed. Well. said | to him,
that yawl boat you've been talking
D E., l., +L<