Evening star., 1941-06-08
Freedom Of the
Seas
By Frederic J. HdSktn.

phrase 70 tnoSe VINO nave not taken tne
time to analyze the full significance Of
its meaning. Its importance is equally
great and indispensable in peace and
war times Indeed. it is the foundation
of one of the Oldest industries Of this
country, its benefits to all mankind
are mutual, and no nation could well
survive without free use of the seas.
Mans mastery of the waves through
the construction and operation Of ships
is so full Of romance and adventure that
it is a part of the life of people the
world over. And to the United States
goes the honor Of having sent the first
steamboat across the Atlantic. This
loO-foot ship, the Savannah, sailed out
of the port Of Savannah, Ga, May 22.
1919, and when sighted in an Irish port
some one exclaimed that the ship was
on fire, not having before seen vessel
sailing under steam.
On August II. 1907, Robert Fulton
sailed the Clermont. the worlds first
successful steamboat, up the Hudson
River. and following this the use OF
steam in propelling vessels came into
use along the Atlantic Coast. But 1t
remained for the Savannah to be the
first steamship to reach European
shores It was many years, however
after that first voyage of the Savannah
before steamships began to cross the
ocean frequently.
Another important chapter in Amer1-
can shipping is connected with the lie
of Donald Mckay. l6-year-old Nova
Scotia lad who landed in New York
in 1926 He had a great love OF ships
and of the sea, so he apprenticed him.
self to a shipbuilder in New York. After
Mckay had learned the trade, he en-
tered the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where
he was selected from a thousand men
to be foreman, but because he was not
a citizen of the United States, men re-
fused to work under him and finally
he left. Yet Mckay was destined to
perform an important task for his
adopted country, for within few years
he had become head of his own ship
yard,
For many years Mckay had heard
sea-going men talk about the speed OF
ships. He learned that since the days
of ancient Egypt the forward end OF
the average sailing vessel had followed
the pattern of the swans breast with
smooth curving surface that lifted
easily over the waves. He heard men
talk, too, about building the bow of
ship with sharp point point that
would clip through the waves instead
of riding over them. So, he decided to
build clipper ships, and that decision
wrote the first chapter in new era
of shipping. and made possible faster
and safer crossing of the Atlantic.
In McKays day the incessant cry was
for speed and more speed. Gold had
Just been discovered in California, and
the shortest route to this new FL Dorado
was by sailing around Cape Horn.
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fabulous prices for the voyage, so Nc
Kay built ships for the gold rush
marvellous ships as beautiful as they
were swift. One of his clipper ships,
the Lightning sailed 43e miles in one
day.
Although Mckay was the man most
responsible for clipper ships, fate In the
end denied the rewards due him. During
the Civil War many of this countrys
ships were destroyed and commerce
suffered severely At the close Of the war
people turned their energies to the de-
velopment of the West, constructing rail-
roads, building cities and encouraging
inland activities. which resulted in the
neglect of shipping. American ships
gradually disappeared from the seas, and
Mckay with all the glory of accomplish
ment to his credit. died in 1880, an old
man. broken-hearted and in poverty.
Even the models of his ships, which had
been stored in barn, were destroyed.
Gradually shipping of the United
States declined until short time before
the first World War only one-tenth Of
the commerce of this country was carried
under the American Flag But another
great chapter in American shipping was
soon to be written.
Shortly before the United States en-
tered the first World War many Of the
worlds greatest ships lay at the bottom
of the seas as a result of submarine
attacks by Germany. European nations
were on the brink of starvation. This
country entered the war 5000 miles
from the battlefelds and without a
merchant marine. 1t was necessary to
build quickly bridge of ships to France.
but the miracle was performed in record
time On July 4, 1918, go great American
ships slid down to the sea at one time
the worlds greatest accomplishment in
shipbuilding
This was possible because the tre-
mendous energy of America coupled with
inventive genius brought forth a new
type of veSsel-a prefabricated ship in
which the various standard parts were
built in factories and then assembled
and launched to the sea. Ships built on
the Great Lakes were constructed and
shipped in two sections in order that
they might get through the locks Of the
canal into the St. Lawrence The two
sections were then put together when
they reached the Atlantic seaboard.
Today almost one-half of the foreign
commerce of the United States is car
ried under the Stars and Stripes.
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