The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-07-10
BUILDING WOODEN SHIPS
How They Were Constructed i'm Hur'
nv Fifty Years Ago

New York Sun: While there Is
great deal of discussion about the build
ing of wooden ships and ship construc-
tion in general it is of interest to con-
slider a record of actual achievement
record of the rapid fire construction
at the little down east town Of Bath,
Me, half a cetury ago.
In far off pre-revolutionary days Bath
built its first ship, and in the SOS Of
the last century It had become the most
important American shipbuilding center.
Those were the halcyon days Of the
wooden ship, when the American clipper
ruled the seas and Bath contributed
the biggest quota of Yankee cargo car
riers and speed queens, although ex.
treme clippers were seldom built there.
1t was in 1854 that Bath hung up the
record that all Bath citizens are proud
of. In that year. according TO the ar
chives. the Kennebec yards launched
fifty-nine full rigged ships, seven barks,
eighteen brigs and three schooners, a
total Of eighty-seven vessels, with a
tonnage Of 64.32S tons. That would be
going some for any present day ship
building center. so far as the total num-
ber of vessels launched is concerned.
There was a long record before that
banner year. and after it, and now
adays there is a rising cadence Of ship
wrights' hammers and riveting ma
chimes in the ancient yards.
| According to the records the first
ship built at Bath was the Earl OF
Butte launched by William Swanton
said to be the pioneer builder at Bath
in 1862. Swanton was soon Joined by
other shipbuilders. who recognized th'
advantages Of Bath as a building base
Among the early American shipbuild
ers were Poshua Raynes. John Clark
Simeon Turner, Jonathan Davis, ZadoC
Lincoln, Samuel Moody and Davit
Trufant. all placed IN the pioneer class
by Bath historians.
More than a century ago Bath begar
to show signs Of record breaking II
ship construction In the year 1901
forty-four ships Of various types were
constructed there. and in 1905 thirty
nine vessels, Of which fifteen were full
rigged ships The year 1882 established
a new record, with fifty-two vessel
OF various descriptions leaving tn,
ways. The late '40s saw the beginninl
Of Baths greatest boom time. and II
1913 sixty-eight vessels were turne,
out. twenty Of them being full rigge,
] slips.
\ Perhaps the firm Of Bath shipbuild
ers most widely known for the con
struction OF great clippers was Sewal
4 Co. builders and owners OF sucl
famous vessels as the Shenandoah
Roanoke. Arthur Sewell and William +
Frye. While not exactly pioneers Il
Bath ship construction. the Sewall
were an old Bath family and entere
the shipbuilding business in 1923.
In that year William ID. Sewal
founder OF the firm. launched the bri
Diana, 1879 tons. The firm continue
to expand and eventually built IN
greatest OF Baths square rlggers. Tn
Roanoke was the biggest wooden cllI
per ever built, $3.50 tons. and the WI
liam p. Frye the biggest steel clippe
built In this country. 1874 tons. Tn
Sewalls built the first and last ste,
! square riggers.
When the present sewall firm decide
to quit building ships. In 1908. the re,
ord showed that the Sewall yard ha
turned out 1O5 vessels OF l3O.953 ton
, Many Of the vessels are still in service
but only one or two are left under III
: blue and white Sewall house flag.
Since the official record OF Bath shil
building began. at the close Of N
: revolution. the total number OF vesse
CONSTRUCTED there has been given q
! S,7Ss. with a total gross tonnage
. 100000 tons. This number include
. 1870 steamers, built In later years; 9l
I full rigged ships. z52 barks. 673 brii
D and l,fsS schooners.
5 This Is exclusive OF naval vessel
e The battleship Georgia was a Bat
@ product and the scout cruiser Chest'
s and several destroyers were built ther