Page 24. MAINE COASTAL NEWS September 2015 HISTORY FROM THE PAST - Bangor Daily Commercial - Early 1900s 10 February 1893 Maine Schooner Lost.
Her Crew Rescued by Life Savers from Point Judith.
Providence, Rhode Island, February 10. The schooner EAST WIND, Capt. Combs, of and from Rockport, Maine, with a cargo of lime for this city, went ashore early, this morning near the Point Judith life saving station. The crew were taken off in the surf boat by the life savers. The schooner and cargo will probably be a total loss. The latter is insured.
* * * * * A Perfect Gale
Blowing From the Southwest Around New York – An Unknown Brig Ashore. New York, February 10. The wind is blowing a perfect gale from the southwest this morning. The Sandy Hook life saving service report a brig ashore at Ship Bottom station, near Long Branch. No particulars are obtainable.
20 February 1894 How Vessels Are Named. The Government List Shows a Wide Range in Choice of Titles. People who are called upon to name vessels sometimes have strange ideas as to the fi tness of things, and the list of merchant vessels sailing or fl oating or being pushed or dragged along under the American fl ag shows how affection, gratitude, political preference, imagination and humor are all used to furnish names for sailing craft. System is adhered to only by regularly established lines, and by only few of them, even the big steamers of the American line, the NEW YORK and PARIS, having been named before they hoisted the STARS AND STRIPES, “City of” being dropped when that interesting ceremony took place. The largest list of strictly American vessel where a system is followed is in the case of the Southern Pacifi c fl eet, running between this city and New Orleans, the names of the steamers all beginning with the Spanish “El,” while the Ocean Steamship Co., running to Savannah, called upon cities and rivers of Georgia for names for its vessels. While the comparatively small number of
steamers fl ying the American fl ag precluded any great latitude in nomeniclature, the sailing fl eet makes up for the defi ciency, with room to spare, and with that part of the nation’s commercial marine the name fi nder had a good time judging by the results of his efforts. A Texas man, apparently doubting whether he was or was not, asks the question by naming his little 5 ton schooner, AM I, while someone in Noank, Connecticut, drew on the Pequod tongue and named his little two-master AQUOPIMOQUK. A man in Westerly, Rhode Island, has a pain, and recorded it by calling his sloop BACKACHE, while Chief Justice C. P. Daly is the name of a sloop hailing from Sag Harbor, Norfolk County, Virginia, recalls other days in New York by calling a sloop the HELEN JOSEPHINE MANSFIELD, but who Filomina Ciccaluga, who has a schooner named after her, may be is probably known only to the man who wrecked a pretty Italian name when he christened a Cow Bay, New York schooner the GULLY ELMA. Chincoteague, Virginia, has a man who is probably an agnostic, as his lack of knowledge is blazoned in his schooner’s stern, which bears the information, I DON’T KNOW, Port Huron, Michigan, has a name which it is well to recall when a collar button is lost. It is on an 18-ton schooner called the GO LOOK, George W. Childs has fi fty tons of shipping named after him; GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN was good enough for four vessels aggregating less than 150 tons;
the LITTLE JOHN TROTT fl oats around Crisfi eld, Maryland, the OVAL (??) hails from Chicago, while the Mississippi River at New Orleans fl oats a lighter called the PUDDICINEDDA CITROIN. Wellfl eet, Massachusetts, rejoices in a sloop is known as the O THEY KNOW ME, and the other end of the country has, at Port Townsend, Washington, a man who had a narrow escape, and celebrated it by naming his sloop the NEVER TOUCHED ME. How near Deer Isle, Maine and Norfolk, Virginia, joined hands is shown by the Maine boat NAWGAWAW, and the VIRGINIAN NASSAWADDOX. Names where MARY either alone or in combination with other words, appears, are borne by more than 500 sailing craft.
The mutineers of the Bounty are recalled by the name Pitcairn, borne by a vessel built so the record says, at Benicia, California, but now hailing from Detroit, Michigan. What Proof Glass is probably known to the New Yorkers who own a sloop of that name. One of Cooper’s works is recalled by the Baltimore schooner WISHTUNWISN, and a Michigan man struck a combination of Petroleaum V. Nasby and Josh Billings when he called his two master the X 10 US.
23 November 1895 Building Few Vessels.
Belfast’s Record for the Past Year Not a Proud One Offi cers Regulating Iniquity of Various Kinds – News and Notes About Belfast.
Belfast, November 23. – But 21.20 tons of shipping were built in the Belfast customs district in the year 1895. Not a large craft has been launched this year, the list of new vessels comprising but three small yachts, or sailing boats. March, of this year, the sloop yacht ACME, 6.08 tons, was launched at Islesboro. April 6, the yacht MARGUERITE, 7.72 tons, was launched at North Haven, and later in the season the yacht LITTLE GLAYDS, 7.40 tons, was launched at Vinalhaven. The year 1896 will make a better showing for Mr. Bean, at Camden, has contracts for two large schooners, and Messrs. Donald & Brown, Belfast, will launch a four-masted barkentine. The last, large vessels built in this district were two by H. M. Bean, at Camden, and launched in October, 1894. They were the J. HOLMES BRIDSELL, 1520.26 tons, and the MARY MANNING, 1233.78 tons. There are now in Belfast district 134 vessels against 148 last year. The loss of 14 are from wrecks and vessels sold. The next year will show a still greater falling off for several have already been lost. The total tonnage in the district is less than 20,000 tons. A man from Montville brought into Belfast Friday a sea gull which he found alive and on the ground in that town. The bird was nearly 15 miles from the ocean, his native home. The bird died and the owner proposes to have him mounted.
4 April 1896 Wayfarer’s Notes
They are Largely Devoted to Things Nautical.
Early Shipbuilding and the First Steamer on Our Waters.
Why H. B. Plant Ran the OLIVETTE From Boston to Bar Harbor Two Seasons.
I give here such information as I have
been able to fi nd. Prior to 1790 vessels were registered by the state. After that time they were registered at Castine. The writer has made several attempts to explore the archives of the Castine custom house, but nothing came of it.
Prior to 1770, Col. Jonathan Buck, the
founder of Bucksport, had a small vessel which he used for trading along the coast. In 1770 he built the sloop HANNAH of 60 tons at Bucksport. She was burned by the British in August, 1779. Prior to 1810 there had been built at Bucksport three ships, two barges, 13 brigs, 70 schooners and the sloop HANNAH. Col. Thomas Goldthwaite was commander of Fort Pownal from 1763 to 1775, excepting a short time. He was part owner and builder of vessels on the Penobscot River and Bay. He was a large land holder at the fort, which was what is now Fort Point. He owned many vessels which he bought elsewhere. He built and launched a vessel in 1774.
I do not know where his shipyard was but it was either on the northwesterly side of Frank Harbor or Jellison Harbor, or perhaps at the head of what was then called the Long Cove, above Fort Point. John Bernard, the son of Gov. Bernard, was part owner in some of the vessels.
The sloop “FRANKFORT”, of about 94 tons burden, was owned in equal shares by Goldthwait and John Bernard. From an account stated between them, it is learned that the “FRANKFORT” was in the coasting trade between Fort Pownall and Boston in 1768 and 1769. In the fall of 1769 she was sent south and was employed by a fi rm there in the commerce between South Carolina and the West Indies on a charter of £220 per month. Being returned in May, 1770, she made four round trips to Boston, and on the 21st
of November next was sold “with her
Cargo of Lumber as she lay at Fort Pownall” for £800 lawful money. A year later Bernard began a suit to recover the amount due him upon the account with Goldthwait and in the return of William Morony, then “resident of Pownalborough, mariner,” a special deputy sheriff appointed by Sheriff Cushing to serve the writ on Goldthwait, it appears that in addition to an attachment of the defendant’s interest in real estate he “attached, the Frame of a Vessel on the Stocks together with a quantity of Timber belonging to the said Thomas Also Three Anchors and two Cables together with the Wreck of a Vessel, destroyed by Fire, belonging to the said Thomas; And also I have attached a Sloop called the ELK of about Twenty-fi ve tons burthen with all her Appurtenances belonging to the said Thomas.” * * *
In 1785, Col. Jona. Eddy of Eddington, bought the schooner BLACK BIRD. She was the fi rst vessel owned on the river above Bucksport. Her register, now before me, old and worn, was signed by John Avery, Jr., secretary of the commonwealth and countersigned by John Hancock, governor of Massachusetts. It says that she was built at Beverly in 1780, and sold by Peter Coffi n, Jr., of Gloucester, May 16, 1785, to Messrs. Stephen & Ralph Cross of Newburyport; and by them sold about the fi rst of November, 1785, to Col. Eddy. She was probably a fi sherman, and made several voyages to Grand Manan after Col. Eddy owned her.
In 1791 Dea. William Boyd built a vessel for Mayor Robert Treat. She was built near where the Red Bridge now is and was the fi rst vessel built in Bangor. Her name I do not fi nd. Rev. Seth Noble, the fi rst minister of Bangor, wrote in his diary under date of November 3, 1791, “Mr. Treat’s brig launched.”
In 1792 Dea. Boyd contracted to build a vessel for Castine parties. They did not furnish the materials according to aggrement and Dea. Boyd fi led his protest, which has come down to the writer and was as follows: “To all persons To whom this Protest
shall Come, Knows ye that I, William Boyd of Bangor, in County of Hancock, Shipwright, on the 23d of April, 1792. Did enter into contract with Doctor Oliver Mann and Hudson Bishop, Both of Penobscot, (Castine) in Said County, to Build them A vessel of one Hundred tons or thereabouts, as will appear by an Instrument the Said Oliver Mann and Hudson Bishop engage on their part to furnish one with every Material to enable me to Carry on said vessel in three weeks from the date of the above said Instrument. But to my great Damage they have not furnished me with Suffi cient Timber and other necessaries according to said Contract to Carry on said work. Wherefore I, the Said Boyd, hereby protest against the proceeedings of said Mann and Bishop, and against all Costs, Delays, Detentions, or any Damage or any name or nater that I may Receive or Sustain thereby. Where unto I have Set my hand this 25th
day
of June, 1792. William Boyd, and carpenters that wrought on said vessel. James Boyd, William Pattern, Robert
Campbell.”
This vessel was afterward completed and delievered to the parties at Castine. Wheeler’s history of Castine says the schooner NANCY, owned by Hudson Bishop and Oliver Mann was the fi rst vessel built in Castine. She received a coaster’s license in 1793. I am of the opinion that she was the same vessel built by Deacon Boyd at Bangor for Bishop and Mann. Prior to 1810 there were owned wholly or in part at Castine three ships, one brig, ten schooners, two sloops and several small coasters. Dea. Mark Hatch of Castine, built the brig “CASTINE” in 1811-1812. January 1812, he made up his account, which I have and give to show the difference in expense from 1811 to 1896:
174 tons, 23 feet at $25.00, $4,356.00 Masts & Spars, $ 150.00 Iron for the upper works, $99.33 Block maker’s bill, furnished by Bradford, Harlow (afterward of
Bangor), $167.12 Sail maker’s bill, $88.03 Mr. Adams’ bill for duck, cordage, boats
and Anchors, $2,260.72
His commission, 2 ½ percent, $56.20 Building chimney, etc., $2.00 Rigging & board (as near as I can make
it), $154.30 Capt. Wilson’s bill, $137.43 Sundries, $ 128.96 $7,600.00 * * *
The fi rst vessel built at Belfast was the “JENNY” MILLER built by Robert and James Miller, of 120 tons and launched October 26, 1793.
* * *
The fi rst vessel built on Long Island Islesboro, the “WILLIAM,” was launched in 1792. Her tonnage was 98 4/5 tons. She was built by the Pendleton Brothers. It is curious to know that the fi rm of Pendleton Brothers of Islesboro is now, in 1896, the largest ship owners on Penobscot Bay. * * *
Capt. Simon Crosby of Bangor was a veteran ship builder and built many vessels, the names of which I do not fi nd. Parson Noble in his diary writes under date of July 7, 1795, “went to Capt. Crosby’s to launching,” His shipyard was on the old Crosby homestead.
* * *
Gen. John Crosby of Hampden, was a noted ship builder and owner in his time, probably and owner in his time, probably the largest on the Penobscot River. * * *
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