Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-04-06
Member of Line of Builders
He Had Worked on Famous
Clipper Craft


James Lyle, the veteran shipbuiIder
and a resident OF Honolulu for So
years, died at q sanitarium IN Bcrke
ley. Cal. this motnins The news
came to his eldest son, J. Alex. Lyle.
in cablegram which stated the &c.
mains. accompanied oy the widow and
daughter. Mrs. c. V SturdeyaLt.
would come in the Great Northern.
Mr.. and Mrs. Lyle went 20 San
Francisco in the steamer Manoa last
July. partly for their health and partly
for some business affairs OF Mr.. Lyle.
He had hard time on the voyage.
having but recently recovered from a
stroke of paralysis, and soon after ar
rival the couple took up their resi-
dence in the sanitarium.
On October occurred the CID an
niyersary OF their marriage.
James Lyle was born at Dartmouth,
on Halifax harbor, Nova Scotia, De.
cember IL, 1888, which Liakes his
age at death SO years and nearly four
months. He was virtually born to
the craft of shipbuilding for. with the
exception Of times he was construct
ing marine railways. he was engaged
in that occupation from the time he
quit school until few years ago,
when he retired from the management
OF the Honolulu Marine Railway, to be
succeeded by his eldest son.
Mr.. Lyle's father built clipper ships
for Cunard, founder of the famous
Cunard line, which carried the mails
across the Atlantic before the days
of steam navigation. Ten or II years
ago an item went the rounds OF the
worlds press saying that the Halifax
Dartmouth ferryboat Sir Charles ogIe
was then the Oldest steam vessel on
British registry and still in service.
The elder Lyle built that little craft
the first steamboat ever built in
British North America-more than 80
years ago, afterward building the
steamer Pocahontas for traffic be-
tween Nova Scotia and Prince Edward
Island.
Was Noted Shiphullder
Having served a regular apprentice
ship with his father, James Lyle, when
quite q young man, removed to the
United States. He worked for some
tife in the building yards Of the late.
eminent shipbuilder, Donald Mckay,
at East Boston. He helped to build,
from start to finish. the illustriohs
clipper ship Sovereign Of the Seas
which. made the record trip of 10A
days from Honolulu to New Bedford,
Mass. The Flying Cloud, Staehound
and other famous clippers Of those
days were also vessels on which he
wrought Other yards In which Mr.
Lyle worked were at Medford, Mass;
Damiscota, sie., and Mallory's at Nys-
tic, Conn.,, the owners Of the last
named being the founders of the Nal.
lory line of steamers between New
York and the West Indies.
Mr.. Lyle was construction foreman
for the late Horace I. CrandaIl in
building the patent marine railways of
that engineer In the United States and
British America, also on the Rio de
Ia Platte, Uruguay, and at Honolulu.
He came here with Mr.. Crandall to
build the marine railway about "a
years ago, when the work was com
pleted taking the SUPPLEMENTARY OF
the railway for the original lessee, the
late Samuel G. Wilder, and after a
few years. in partnership with the late
Mr.. Sorenson, taking over the lease
from the government at first hand
For some years after the death OF
Mr. Sorenson he continued the busi
ness under the same firm name, HIS
partners estate retaining the half in
terest, until he retired IN favor Of his
son. James Alex. Lyle, who now super
intends the floating drydock built by
the Inter-1sland Steam Navigation
Company, which has superseded the
old ways" that did as much as any
thing else in its time to make Homo
lulu famous. One red letter incident
In the history of the marine railway
was letter Of appreciation from the
navy department, Washington, for the
excellent work done on the u. s. s.
NiDsic, while occupying the cradle
after having been towed here from
Samoa, derelict from The disaster
To American and German warst1iDs al
Apia In 1882.
Fellow Workers Notable
Two of Mr.. Lyleis fellow-apprentices
in his fathers shipyard became not
able in the same line. One was Sir.
Jenkins, who made fortune out of
a marine railway in Port Adelaide,
South Australia, leaving the works to
a son. The other was a Mr.. Mackay,
WOMEN Wun IA