The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1914-07-09
FIRST STEAMSHIP
Built In America Run TO a Maine Port

/ tiA1 IL d ~ III oAitN Sltdllitl III llll
United States came to Maine? Is it
part of your common knowledge
that the first iron man of war which
entered the navy of this country was
we'll known along part of this STATE s
coast?
Such are the facts!
| This steamer was called the Ban
gor and she had very eYentful ca
reer from the day of her launching
to her final end. She met with dis
aster. as have all steam craft bear
ing the same name. She took part
in war and was in every way great
object of interest. Strange as it may
seem. after a look at the aecompa-
nying picture of the ship, she was
called handsome. However, ideas of
beauty change in three quarters of
century.
The Bangor was built in 1914 at
/ Wilmington, Del, by the noted ship
building firm of Belts, Harland and
Hollingsworth, for the Bangor Steam
Navigation Co. The head of the
navigation company was Jacob
Drummond, who held the office Of
president Mr.. Drummond was Que
of the big transportation men of his
day-it might he said that he was
the Mellen of nose times, so far as
Maine coast transportation was con
cerned
Today, the Bangor wouldn't be
called a remarkably large ship. she
would be, Just ordinary. In lS4f
she was a monster. Her hull was of
iron and she was ia feet between
perpendiculars Her overall length
as 131 feet and her beam was :?
/ feet. While her hold was 8 feet in
depth. The boats now running on
/ the Bangor line are nearly three
times the length of this original iron
craft. Her mechanical equipment
was two independent engines of the
/ Loper type with % inch cylinders
and p inch stroke of piston. She
/ had twin screws and speed of 1872
/ knots per hour. She was designed
exclusively for the Boston and Ban
+ gor route.
The Bangor was rugged as a three
masted schooner and carried a COM
I plete set of sails for a craft of that
type. This canvass was used when
ever there was fair wind and
greatly accelerated the speed at
which the craft travelled.
On deck was a long house. There
was roomy and well lighted tween
decks and berths for 81 passengers
and an undertook capacity of 1000
barrels
In the month of July, 1915, the
Bangor reached Boston on her first
trip northward She created great
deal of excitement. AT that time
steamers were no rarity in that port,
but iron vessels had never entered
ship of her class built in America,
she was the first there. All the peo-
pie of Boston wanted to see her, just
as they would today desire to get a
look at dirigible airship of the Yep
plin type which had crossed the At
lantic. They flocked to the harbor
to view her. AS would be the case
with the airship today, the papers
of that time gave great prominence
to the arrival of the Bangor. They
didn't have linotype machines, type
writer's, half tone process and per
fectng presses at that time, so they
couldn't give quite as much space as
would be given the airship in a mod
ern daily, but they did feature her
big. One thing the papers and sail
ors and everybody agreed upon was
that she was the "handsomest YES
sci that had ever visited Boston"
EARLY TASTE OF MISFORTUNE
AS has always been taa case with
vessels named Bangor his one got
an early taste of misfortune.
She made her first trip to Bangor
in July of the year 1S45. The most
eventful feature of that voyage was
the attention which was attracted by
the epoch making vessel.
On Saturday night in August of
the same year the Bangor steamed
down Boston harbor on her second
trip to Bangor. This was not reg
ular trip. but a special to take care
of accumulated freight.
At 8 O'Clock on Sunday afternoon.
as the steamer was running up Pen
obscot bay under a good head Of
steam and with all sails set, fire was
discovered in the hold forward of the
boilers and directly under the cabin.
The steamer was to have called at
Castine. but the captain did not
dare, after fire was discovered, to
attempt to reach that town. IN
stead. he decided to head for the
Long Island Qsleboro) shore. The
boat was using the western passage
Soon after the blaze was discovered