January 2016 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 25. HISTORY FROM THE PAST - Bangor Daily Commercial - Early 1900s


until the ice goes out they will bring up against the wharves and will have to be cut off into the stream again.


When a man who knows the ways of


the river, was asked about this shoreward movement of the schooners, he replied: “Yes, I have noticed that they are nearer shore. It is on account of the westerly movement of the ice which takes place every winter. The ice in the river will move from 25 to 40 feet from the time it forms to the time it goes out, to the westward. “The reason for this so far as I know, is that the sun on the western shore, is warmer and shines longer during a day. Consequently the ice along the edge of the wharves melts and these balls that you see forming all the time keep melting and dropping down. If you will notice this kind of formation is less on the eastern shore, because the afternoon sun isn’t warm enough to melt the ice much by the time it gets around to strike the ice under the edges of the wharves. Whole Field Crowds West. “The ice freezing faster on the eastern than on the western shore crowds the whole body of the ice to the west and of course this carries with it everything that is frozen into it. Some people believe that since the world turns to the east that the ice lying quiet in the river is set over to the westward by reason of its own inertia, but of course no sensible man can think there is anything in that.” The Buoy Moves Too.


Capt. Alfred G. Fickett the Maine Central drawtender, who spends most of his time on the draw pier at the mouth of the Kenduskeag Stream and who has an opportunity of closely observing the ways of the river, says that in the winter which he hauls the buoy out of the ice to prevent its being carried away from its moorings by the rise and fall of the tide in the course of the time after the stream is frozen, the buoy is carried from 20 to 35 feet to the westward. It is this same action that moves the schooners.


22 February 1901 News of Shipping.


Schooner PERCY Attracts Attention in Boston.


Bath’s Newest Fourmaster is a Handsome Craft.


Other News of Maritime Interest – The BIRDSAIL is Ashore.


Bath had another launching on Thursday afternoon whne the big and handsome fourmasted schooner CHARLES S. HIRSCH was sent into the water from the yard of Kelley, Spear & Co. The vessel was christened by Mrs. Chas. S. Hirsch of New York with a bottle of American champagne. The vessel was constructed especially for the lumber trade and will have a carrying capacity of 500 M. The dimensions are: Length, 173.1; breadth, 35.5; depth, 13.3; gross tonnage, 620.67; net tonnage, 530.76. In the construction the best material obtainable was used and expects say that she is without any question as substantial and well built vessel as ever went into the water. She is rated A1 for 15 years and has all the moern improvements, including a Hyde windlass and engine. The masts are Oregon pine, 90 feet in length, will spread 4300 yards of canvas and carries two 3000-pound anchors.


The cabins are commodious and arranged with as good accommodations as some of the large yachts. The forward cabin is fi nished in ash and sycamore and the after cabin is in birdeye maple. The captain’s room is oak, the ceilings are North Carolina pine.


The HIRSCH is owned by Charles S.


Hirsch of the fi rm of Charles S. Hirsch & Co., of New York, and will be commanded


by Capt. H. C. Brown of Bath, formerly of the DORA MATTHEWS. He is highly pleased with his new craft. She will be ready for sea the fi rst of next week and will cost about $40,000. She is the 105th


craft


launched by the Kelley, Spear Co. 5 March 1901


Back to Vessels


Sea Captains are Getting Ready for Spring Commerce. THOMAS at Palermo. New Bucksport Schooner Safe in the Mediterranean After Good Passage – Shipping News.


It won’t be long before the shipping season opens on the Penobscot and by the time the ice leaves Bangor harbor many of the schooners and small coasterse which spend most of their time sailing between here and Maine and Massachusetts ports will be ready to come up for their fi rst cargoes. A half dozen or so skippers left Bucksport on Monday to go to their craft and to make preparations for early spring business. Those who went out on the steamer PENOBSCOT on Monday were Capt. Harvey of the GRACE WEBSTER; Capt. Charles Maddocks of the GEORGE B. FERGUSON; Capt. Arthur Miles of the PRINCE LE BOO and Capt. F. H. Lowell of the WILLIAM H. CARD. One of the fi rst of the season’s charters has been made by Capt. Perkins of the OMAHA who will take brick from Orland to Boston for $2.


It has been a long winter for the captains and though they’ve enjoyed the rest ashore and the daily social sessions in the Exchange Street shipping offi ces, there’s not one of them that’s not glad thtat it will soon be time to be afl oat again. “There’s a good time in Rockland today, I’ll bet,” said one of the old time salts down on Exchange Street, Tuesday morning, “where they’ll launch the fi rst fi vemaster and the biggest vessel ever built there. I’d like to see Rockalnd take a building boom now; there is no reason why she shouldn’t and if she tries she can compete with Camden and Bath.” The REBECCA PALMER is the fi rst


fi ve master and the largest vessel ever built in Rockland. Her dimensions are 251 feet length of keel, 285 feet over all, 46.1 feet beam, 27.1 feet deep. Estimated tonnage, 24000 tons, gross, 2000 net. The managing owner is Wm. F. Palmer of Boston and Captain David H. Sumner of Boston will command the new craft.


THOMAS at Palermo.


The fourmasted schooner GEORGE C. THOMAS, Capt. Kent, arrived at Palermo on Monday from Bucksport after a passage of 39 days, a remarkable good record considering the fact that this was her fi rst voyage. The THOMAS as will be recalled, was launched at Bucksport late in December. She has fruitbox shooks from the T. J. Stewart Co., of this city.


15 March 1901 A Launching at Rockland.


Rockland, March 5. The fi vemasted schooner REBECCA


PALMER, the largest vessel ever constructed in Rockland, was launched at 11:30 o’clock Tuesday forenoon. There was a large number of spectators present and the shore near Cobb, Butler & Co.’s shipyard where the schooner was built was crowded. The launching was very successful and everything went off according to arrangement. The REBECCA PALMER was built at a cost of about $100,000 and is the first fivemaster and largest vessel ever launched from a Rockland ship yard. She is a fi nely made vessel, richly furnished, and


is equipped with nearly every successful modern labor saving device in use on sailing vessels. Her fi ve masts are 116 feet in length with topmasts 60 feet long. Her dimensions are:


Length of keel, 251 feet; length over all, 285 feet; beam, 46.1 feet; depth of hold, 23.1 feet; gross tonnage, 2,556.39; net tonnage, 2,125.


The managing owner is Wm. F. Palmer of Boston and Capt. David H. Sumner of Boston will command the new craft. She will carry a crew of 14 men.


23 March 1901


All News of Shipbuilding. The Industrial Journal for March 22 is the annual special number devoted to the shipbuilding industry and plants in New England, and like all of Editor Blanding’s extras, contrains much matter of interest and importance. Besides the valuable information in the reading columns, there are numerous handsome illustrations of recently built Maine craft including several of the fi ve and six-masters.


The number was complied under the direction of Frank H. Rowe, associate editor of the Journal, and is a distinct creit to his energy and ability.


* * * * * The fi ve masted schooner REBECCA


PALMER, which was damaged by striking bottom when launched here several weeks ago, was towed to Boston Saturday. She will be put in dry dock at Boston and thoroughly repaired.


1 April 1901 BON TON Out.


The Sturdy BON TON is Being Repaired and Refi tted Now. To Launch This Week.


Capt. Dan Golden Has Come Out of


the Woods and is Getting His Life Line Ready.


The middle of the week will see the good little ferry launch BON TON puffi ng back and forth between Bangor and Brewer. Since the ice went out of the river opposite the ferry on Saturday, a row boat has been run to accommodate the people who prefer the shorter route over the river to the longer walk around the bridge. The BON TON is hauled out and housed at the Brewer side of the ferry and work has been begun on her already.


Capt. H. J. Leach, Capt. William Higgins and Engineer George Leach are hard at work refi tting the little boat for summer service and she will be put in the very best of condition before she is launched. The BON TON is generally the fi rst steamer on the river in the spring and last off in the fall and this year is evidently to be no exception.


Along with the other harbingers of spring which have come to Bangor in the last few days is Capt. Dan Golden, the well known life saver and protector of the water front. Capt. Golden is as hale and hearty as ever and has just gotten back to town from Lobster Lake where he has been all winter employed by John Ross as roadmaster. Capt. Golden has occupied this position for the past 31 years and hopes to for as many more. He is overhauling his lifeline and getting it ready for use this summer.


24 April 1901


Seems to be a Phantom Ship The Large Steamer Reported Aground on Boone Island


Sighted Wednesday Morning Half An Hour Later She Had Completely Disappeared – Is it the DRUMELSIA?


York, Maine, April 24. The large steamer which was reported aground near Boone Island Tuesday night has disappeared and it is thought she was at anchor, instead of being ashore. Through a rift in the fog early Wednesday a vessel was sighted off shore in a position which led to the belief that she was on the rocks. Half an hour later the fog lifted again and no vessel was visible, but what appeared to be smoke from a moving steamer going to the eastward was seen. It is believed the weather showing signs of clearing, that the steamer was making for Portland.


It is believed that she is the British steamer DRUMELSIA, bound from Hamburg for Portland. The DRUMELSIA was reported as having struck on Bibb Rock, between Wells and Ogunquit, by Capt. Nicholson, of the Louisburg steamer ALORA, which arrived at Portland Tuesday night.


Bound for Portland?


Portsmouth, New Hampshire, April 24. – Investigations have been in progress along the shore between here and Biddeford, Maine, since early Monday, when a large steamer was reported aground on Berle Rocks, one mile west of Boone Island but no signs of a wreck had been discovered at a late hour Wednesday forenoon. A large steamer anchored off Wells Beach but when last seen as the fog lighted was moving toward a port, thought likely Portland.


10 May 1901 The ALICE F. CLARK will be


discharged by Friday evening at the High Head staging, and will leave for sea during the night. There are a number of coal vessels bound here but the only one to arrive in the tow Thursday was the R. F. Hart for the Stickney & Babcock Coal Co. The ANDREW NEBINGER is hauled out on Stetson’s railway for slight repairs. The New Light Station.


A notice has been posted in the lower corridor of the custom house Friday morning calling for the attention of prospective bidders to the fact that scaled proposals for the new light and fog signal station at the breakwater in Rockland would be opened at noon, May 28, in the offi ce of the lighthouse engineer, 25 Pemberton square, Boston. This station will be of the greatest service to mariners along the coast.


15 June 1901


How Grain Schooners are Unloaded in Bangor’s Port.


Steam Elevators Do the Work Now Which Was Formerly Performed by a Horse and a Big Basket – Taking Out the Cargoes.


When schooners come up into Kenduskeag Steam with corn and grain and other feedstuff, and haul up alongside of the stumpy elevators that make either side of the waterway look like a comb with the teeth broken, precisely the same methods are pursued at discharging as exist at the million bushel elevators in the cities along the great lakes. It is the western system divided by about a thousand; but there is a similarity. The elevators don’t rear themselves away into the clouds and big freighters of the lake pattern don’t hover around their bases but the word elevator is used just the same. There was a time, and not so many years


ago, either, that the schooners that brought grain and corn up here had to go through the slow torture of having their holds emptied by the horse and basket method. That method is obsolete now, however, and the primitive


Continued on Page 26.


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