The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1941-04-15

Northwest" He~ed Our
o. the Forest
First Puget Sound Ship
Hand Made Product
INSPIRED by the revival o.
L the shiphuilding industry here.
a request has come to this desk
for a review OF the beginning OF
shipbuildins on Puget Sound.
The answer is found in the story
Of the Northwest America. a
wooden ship built on Nootks
Sound in 1875. Though that first
enterprise can compare in no
way with the efficient methods
by which steel ships are put to-
gether today. yet for that period
1t was a remarkable accomplish
ment.
Nootka Sound Is a sheltered
cove on Vancouver island. Land
gently sloping to the beach pro-
vlded an ideal site for a ship
yard. A few hundred feet farther
back from the water there was
an abundance of shipbuildiHg
timber. This combination seemed
to have been made to order for
Capt. John Meares. China skip
per and adventurer.
Like many others on the same
quest, Captain Meares was scout
ing around Puget Sound in the
hope Of winning the reward of
10000 English pounds, about
$780, 900. offered by Great Brit
ain for the discovery of a north
west passage from the Pacific
to the Atlantic About this time
he developed the need for an
other boat TO help handle the
China trade which he had
worked up with his two ships,
Felice and Iphegenia. II was a
long way back To England. so
he put part Of the Iphegeniss
crew, including a few Chinese
carpenters, ashore at Nootka
and initiated what has become a
great industry of the Northwest.
Captain Meares leased from an
Indian chief named Maquinna. a
shipyard site on the water edge
and a large timbered area for an
indefinite period. The price was
two pistols. They not only pur-
chased the long time lease but
also a guarantee of immunity
from interference during the
building of the ship.
Captain Meares STAYED at
Nootka until a couple Of log
buildings and a stockade were
erected and In May, 1888, he
sailed away, leaving his men to
literally hew a ship out of the
forest. They worked so indus
triousiy that when he returned
the last of the following Septem-
her the ship was ready for
launching.
The story Of that first launch
ing in the Northwest ia told in
the following paragraphs from
Captain Meares' diary:
AT noon an event to which we
had so long looked with expecta-
ton, and had been the fruit Of so
much care and labour, was ripe
for accomplishment. The vessel
was then ready to quit the
stocks. and to give all due hon
our to such an important scene.
we adopted, as far as was in our
power, the ceremony OF other
dock yards
As soon as the tide WAS ut
Its proper height, the British an
sign was displayed on shore and
on board the new vessel. which
Mt the proper moment was
named the Northwest America
rs being the first bottom ever
built and launched in this part of
the globe.
1T was a moment Of much
expectation; the circumstances
of our situation made us look to
II with more than common hope.
Maqulnna. Calcium. and a
large body of then people who
had received information of the
launching. were come to behold
II.
The Chinese carpenters did
not very well conceive the last
operation of business in which
they themselves had been so
much and so materially con-
cerned, nor shall we forget TO
mention the chief of the Sand
witch islands. whose every power
was absorbed in the business
that approached. and who had
determined to be on board the
vessel when she glided into the
water.
The presence OF Americans
ought also TO be considered when
We are describing the attendant
ceremony Of this important
bus just inside the south city
limits. While hunting for the