Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-01-17

settlement and return home.
The settlers possessed but one very
small craft. far too small for their
purposes. so they set to work and,
from the forest which grew along the
river bank and with such tools as
they had brought, cut the timber and
built the "Virginiai vessel Of suf-
ficient size to hold their belongings
and cross the Atlantic on their home
ward voyage.
Thus was begun what, in after
years. became a large and flourishing
industry which, up to the time Of the
Civil War, was one Of the most
important. in the State. This was
the natural sequence of the econ
ditions existing at the time. There
was a demand for vessels for the
foreign and coastwise carrying trade,
ard for the fisheries, and Maine with
it's numerous harbors and abundance
of timbers in it's forests, early seized
the opportunity and held the lead
against all competitors.
Going back to the date of admis-
sion of Maine into the Union in 1920,
the shipyards of the State that year
turned out two ships, 20 briggs, 101
schooners and II sloops, a total Of 149.
aggregating measurment Of 14,274.61
tons, an average of 1852 tons each.
In 1925. the output had increased to
eight ships, 1o1 briggs, 135 schooners
and four sloops, total Of PAS, aggre-
eating 34,557.64 tons, an average of
1884 tons. In 1929 it was estimated
by Moses Greenleaf, author of The
Survey of Maine, that, since 1920. the
shipyards of the State built vessels
amounting to an average annual value
of $1,037. 900, which would be equiva-
lent to S2315 to each family in the
State.
1t would be interesting to note the
increase in the size of vessels built in
recent years over those of earlier
times By eliminating the four sloops
from the product of 1925 the eight
ships. 10l briggs and 135 schooners
would average only 141.63 tons meas
urement, while in 1900 up to December
/, the two six masted schoOnerS. the
six five masters, the IA four masters,
and the nine three masters, launched
from the Maine yards, averaged L.
215.83 tons net.
Shipping conditions have changed.
For various reasons our foreign carry
ing trade is largely in the hands of
foreign shippers, and Of the small
amount carried in American bot
toms, only small percentage is done
by sailing vessels. steamers having
largely taken their place, so that prac-
tically all there is left to American
sailing vessels is our coastWise trade
and the fisheries, and even these have
been largely invaded by steamers.
notwithstanding all these adverse
conditions Maine is still prominent In
the construction of wooden sailing
vessels, and Bath is still a ship build
ing city, where every year a tonnage
is launched, approximating and often
surprising that of the whole State or
eighty or ninety years ago. Rockland'
Camden. Milbridge, Boothbay, South
Portland and Phippsburg usually have
one or more vessels on the stocks, ana
Waldoboro, Thomaston. Belfast, Ma
chias and Verona. occasionally get
contracts for new construction. In
1905 the total value of the output OF
wooden vessels and boats from all our
Maine ship yards was s3,O3S,016.
From the sloop and pinnace of the
early days have been developed types
of sailing vessels in our Maine yards
the equal Of any produced in any
other state or country. The brig and
the ship were for time popular, but
they were gradually displaced by the
schooner. Originally, a two masted
vessel, the schooner was enlarged as
the commerce Of the world demanded
more carrying capacity, and other
masts were added producing the three
master. the four master and the five
master, but it remained to the closing
year of the last century to develop
the six masted wooden schooner.
During the season of 1900 two such
vessels were launched in Maine, and
which for several years stood in
class by themselves, one from the yard
of H. M. Bean of Camden, and the
other from the ward of Percy & Small
of Bath.
The former, named the George W.
Wells, was launched August IA. and
of course was the first six master
afioat. Her dimensions were 3O2.11 feet
keel, 1876 beam and % feet depth OF
hold, and she registered 274S tons net
Her lower masts were 119 feet, with
the ton masts IS feet. Her two
anchors weighed 5000 and 1900 pounds
respectively.
The latter, the Eleanor A. Percy,
was launched October 10. from the
yard of Percy & Small. Her dimen-
sions were 3O165 feet keel. SO feet
beam and "a feet depth Of hold. and
she registered 1862 tons net. Her low
er masts were 1913 feet in length and
her top masts about one-half that
length. Her two anchors weighed
$500 pounds each.
Another development in the snip
building industry is the construction
of barges, a large number Of which
have been built in the Bath yards.
They are towed by heavy steam tugs
and are principally used in the coal
carrying trade. In addition to these,
several. hundred men are employed
building boats for pleasure and fishing
purposes.