The Republican journal., 1915-08-12
CAPT. CHARLES E. RANLETr.
Retired sealkrer. Hale and Hearty at So
Was Born In Montville.

Retired Seakrer. Hale and Hearty at SO.
was Born In Montville.
Boston Sunday Herald
|. Dean of the sea captains that made
Thomaston, Me-, famous by sailing the
countless vessels built at that old town
to all parts of the globe is the honor that
rightfully belongs to Capt. Charles E.
Ranlett, still hale and hearty at the age
of SO years and eight months.
Every day, rain or shine, he may be
seen walking about the grounds around
his pretty home on Central street, Au-
burndale, and despite his advanced age
this remarkable man retains his faculties,
though he makes use of a magnifying
glass while reading.
For q years he sailed the seas, COM
handing in that time Is vessels, and the
only disaster that befell him was the loss
of his first command, which burned in
southern port. Since retiring from sea
half century ago, Capt. Ranlett has
served as selectman of Thomaston, re-
preventative to the General Court from
that section, and has also served Newton
as selectman in the days before it be-
came city, as we'll as representing it in
the Legislature.
His early life was similar to that of
thousands of other Maine boys. Born in
Montvlle, Nov. 8, 1916, he went to sea
when II years old as cabin boy on coast.
ing schooners. Thus, in the language of
sailors, he came aboard Through the
hawse pipe" and rose through the sue
cessive grades until, at the age of 10
ho,
ter of the schooner Waldoboro.
The vessel was loaded with lime from
the kilns at Thomaston and 20 days later
IN harbor on the coast Of Georgia, she
sprung leak and the water fired the
lime, causing the destruction of the
| schooner. He had many other COM
mands, however, among the coasters of
| the Thomaston fleet.
The last 20 years of his life at sea
were spent in large vessels, one the clip
per ship Oracle, a craft of 1900 tons
| burden, which he commanded two years
/ and in which he made voyages to China
and Australia.
Then, like many others of his calling,
Capt. Raniettt decided to invest his saw
| ings in ship building. At Kennebunkport
| he built the bark Asterias and at Thorn
aston, in yard on the easterly bank of
+! the st. George river, HE gang of workers
| built another bark called the Sunbeam,
which was Capt. Ranlett's last command.
He sailed this vessel from St. John. N.
B., to Adelaide, Australia, thence to
Lima, Callao, the Trinity Islands. to Gal
way, Ireland, to Cadiz, Spain, then back
to Boston. where he relinquished his COM
mand. After he left the Sunbeam she
sank.
On giving up seafaring life he settled
in Thomaston, in coy home on Main
street. This was IN the days when ship
| building and lime burning were at their
height in that place and the town was
prosperous and BUSTING. The population
was made up largely of ship captains and
owners and the scene along the wharves
was busy one. Now, however, the town
has fallen into tranquil decline. Occa-
sionally vessel is towed up the river to
reft and few of the lime kilns are still
operated by an independent concern, but
the wharves, shlpyards and the shops
where rigging and sails were made, are
fallen to decay and Thomaston's glory
has departed.
Capt. Ranlett stills visits the cid town
and delights to talk of the days when the
house flags of the ship-owning families of
Thomaston sailed the seven seas and the
ring OF calkers' mallets and the sound of
ship carpenters aozes could be heard on