The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-02-26
RECALLSDAYSOf
SPEEDY CLIPPER
SHIP RIVAL Y
Eagtest Craft That Ever Sailed
From Maine Was the
Red Jacket
10 LIVERPOOL ON MAIDEN
TRIP IN Is DAYS, III. 25M,
Yankee Seamanship Lands Her
Under Sail ct Pier With.
out Help From Tugs


BANGOR, Feb. 26.---ln the window
~ : Main. rav~nspsr of,oe thero n
:. A~.As aS.s. 80 49,
o1spAyeo ID snSrSvmS snss
every sailorman who passes that Way
ana holds him and many another 10
Close and admiring attention. u - =
soUewhat faded picture OF the famous
clipper ship Red Jacket. representing
that swift packet in the Ice on Cape
Horn whilc on the passage rom Aus
ttoIia to Liverpool. The snip - I'M
der top0ails and part OF her heedsan.
al It n seen that she had skysaiis
and carried stunsl b0oms. Under the
glass that protects the picture 10 Q
lock Of reddish brown hair. TAKEN
twenty-five years ago from the neao
OF the late Mrs. Sarah Sttiphin. motn.
81 Of Mrs. Calvin K. Cromwell, OF
Hath. who owns the picture. When
cut the lock Was Jet black. but IN the
yooro gone by It has not only become
reddish brown. tinged with gray. but
has grown two feet. Another lock OF
Mrs.. 6tilphin's hair was given at the
same time to = sister Of Mrs. Crom.
we'll. Mrs. Robert Lakin, who placed
IL IN the family Bible, where. It 10 ~
snrfed, It has grown twice across the
pare OF the book, but has retained itY
original color.
The fame Of the Yankee clippers
was at its height when. In 1858, Sea-
comb z Taylor. OF Boston. contracted
Win Deacon George Thomas, of Rock
land. Me-. to build q ship--the Red
Jactet--of $500 tons, the largest
n6oat. The shin was launched ON
Nov. 2. 1868. in the presence Of an i'm.
monse crowd. some of the spectators
having come from New York and
PhiIadelphia. She was launched with
out her masts.
christsued with New ENGLAND Rum.
ehe was christened with q bottle of
New Enaand rum. smashed across
her bows a she raced down the ways.
There was much excitement over the
launching Across the cove, ut Crock
Nttss Point. the little schooner War.
rior was taking on q cargo OF lime.
7fals big shin mxjeuttcxffy bore down
upon the little schooler. all efforts to
check her havinr failed. The Red
Jacket fattened the Warrior. crush.
ins In her sides like eggshells and
saSecxinR barrels Of lime out of her
hstchways.
The clipper Wa ga feet keel. a
feef 8 inches beam. le feet lower
hold. { feel .tveen decks. 256 feet ON
heck and reeietered $500 tons. Her
f0re1mast WA 50 feet loug. mainmsst
e. feet. missenmast g. She wss
rfronRly hunt. with 4 white oak frame,
n0uSPe- fastened throughout. and was
handsomely finished. inboard and out
1000. Her after cabin was 22x22
feet. was finished In rosewood. ma.
horny. satiuwood. zebra wood and
hlsck walnut With Z great deal OF
aflf work. The forward cabin was
o7x1e feet, and In the two cabins were
Il staterooms. besides those Of the
O6lcers. The forward house was 46x
A feet. with accommodations for 62
nfen. She was a full clipper and car.
rieA IA her figurehead o full size AZ.
uro Of the Indian chief whose name
rh1 bore. She had light, round stern.
with gilt scrollwork and the bust Of
| the Indian chief In the center.
y week after her launching, Red
Jacket was towed to New York,
Who're she received her maata. spars
EHud rigging and had her sails bent
nGa IN January all being ready, she
sailed for Liverpool. There was great
excitement over the event on both
sides Of the ocean, for the Red Jacket
WA out for q record. At that time
there was also being built ct Rock.
land the clipper Live Yankee, BY
Horace Merriam, and this 1,60O-ton
shin Was launched shortly after the
Red Jacket. Bets were freely laid "A
TO which Of these two clippers would
make the fastest time across the At.
laatic. and far heavier wagers upon
the ability Of the Red Jacket TO beat
exiating records were made. The best
passage up 70 that time was 10 daya
and.10 hours, New York to Liverpool,
roy me Sovereign Of the Seas, buf1t BY
Donald Mckay at East Boston.
RED Jacket covered the distance In
thirteen days, one hour and twenty
Nye mlnutes--the quickest time on
record. The news was received In
this country with great interest and
tubi1ation, and the newspapers bris.
tied with display heads and exclama.
ton points. The Live Yankee sailed
shortly afterward, but had hard
passage and never succeeded In beat
/ mt the record Of her rival. Two other
ships were built 1t. about this time
amor the Red Jackets model--one at
Wiscasset and one at Boston. But
/ amer Deacon Thomas had received
hio moulds he altered them, putting ~
four extra frames amidships' and q
that detail the Red Jacket differed
NON her imitators, who found the
down east deacon too smart for them.
= Rock'and snlD va y Llvs snS |.