Page 22. MAINE COASTAL NEWSFebruary 2016


31 August 1901 Bath, July 31.


HISTORY FROM THE PAST - Bangor Daily Commercial - Early 1900s was as follows:


Used Flowers at Launching When the four-masted schooner


FREDERICK W. DAY slipped down the ways at the Kelley, Spear and Co. yard here Wednesday afternoon, instead of breaking the traditional bottle of champagne, Miss Blanche Hinckley, the sponsor, scattered an armful of roses and pinks on the schooner’s bow. The launch was a most successful one and was witnessed by a large number of spectatots. Capt. F. J. Hinckley the managing owner of the grip, received a telegram from Sheriff Pearson of Cumberland county congratulating him on having broken away from the old custom of christening with wine.


The dimensions of the DAY are: Length 172.9 feet; beam 32.8 feet; depth 13.2 feet; gross tonnage 613 tons; net tonnage 519 tons. Her four masts 90 feet in length, are of Oregon pine.


30 September 1901 Churning from the Sea with Schooners Few Folks Realize the Importance of Patient, Homely, Dogged Little Tow Boats That Guide Towering Coal Carriers to Berths.


From the time that the Penobscot is freed from its locking of ice in the spring until the time when the crystals that form on the surface during cold fall nights are knit together so that they can’t be ripped by the iron sheathed bows of powerful tugs, vessels by the hundred come sweeping into Bangor harbor; and 90 percent of them come behind tugs. Tugs are institutions, especially at places that are inland, away from the free sweep of the sea and the steady winds. Schooners may make a wharf in some of the big seaports without a tug to assist them; fairly big ones can do it, and do it with grace. But after a tortuous stretch of winding river, in cramped quarters, nothing but the little


bay coaster can fl y around at its ease under its own sail and worm up to its place at City Point. A great many tugs in harbors serve that purpose in the harbor that a shifter does in a railroad yard. They strut around in every conceivable point, poking their nose in all the dark corners and dragging and pushing at the big coal carriers and the barges and all the numberless forms of craft that come up here until the captains of the craft are about beside themselves. But although the captains get beside themselves and talk to the tug boat skippers in language that rails from the quarter in suffocating clouds, they couldn’t get along without the skippers and there is a mutual and interesting understanding to that end.


Above and beyond the harbor tugs, though, are the great ocean going engines that pull jagged strings of blunt grimed barges wallowing along behind them. These tugs are generally in the employ of some railroad company and pull barges that belong to that fl eet only. Tugs such as the VULCAN and the TRITON and the VALLEY FORGE represent the ocean going type in the highest form. They are capable of the longest trips known to towing, carrying the heaviest loads.


These big tugs that buffet around the live ocean with their cumbersome tows are berths that are dodged as compared with the river and harbor boats, for there is a great cloud of danger rolled up over the life of one of the skippers or any of the crew. In the summer time it’s a pleasant proposition but in the winter when the boats have to stagger around the cape with a long tow in the no’theaster it’s another story. Up to two years ago Fort Point was the starting place for all tows bound up, and in the average instance for tows bound down. But of late years, with the competition on the peaceful Penobscot rival tugs have wallowed and pitched out by Monhegan,


watching day and night for the fi rst glimpse of one of the big coal carriers. Then there is a race for the prize and one boat takes a hawser and churns for Fort Point while that other keeps on wallowing; waiting for another big one.


All the fourmasters and fi vemasters tow to Bangor from way outside Rockland and going down they don’t take in their hawsers until they are well from any form of land. It’s a big business during the summer, and it’s increasing all the time as towage is paid by the too and the size of the vessels coming here is growing larger.


26 November 1901 A Launching at Bucksport Bucksport, November 26. The largest schooner and the only fi ve- master ever built on the Penobscot River, the JAMES W. PAUL, JR., was successfully launched Tuesday forenoon at 9:30 o’clock from the yard of McKay & Dix. The PAUL was built for the general carrying trade, and was designed for fast sailing. She will hail from New York, and will be commanded by Capt. A. L. Kent of Brewer. She will be ready for sea in about a week. Her dimensions are: Length, 250 feet; breadth, 43 feet; depth, 21.9; gross tonnage, 1806.13; net tonnage, 1653.75.


* * * * *


Maine’s Many Shipyards Have Had a Busy Season.


Past Year’s Operations Average Up Well with Former Years. 94 Vessels Launched.


This is Exclusive of the Government Ships at Bath and Aggregates 42,631 Tons.


Augusta, December 3.


DISCOUNT POWER TOOLS CORDED POWER TOOLS CORDLESS POWER TOOLS FUELED POWER TOOLS PNEUMATIC POWER TOOLS FASTENERS HAND TOOLS


MATERIAL HANDLING


POWER TOOL ACCESSORIES SAFETY SUPPLIES WELDING SUPPLIES


Shipbuilding has had its ups and downs in Maine. But this year the industry has fl ourished throughout the state, equaling as a whole, the record of any previous season. This has been one of several prosperous years, an improvement having commenced with the revival of general business throughout the country. There being an all round activity in commerce, the demand for vessel increased correspondingly. Shipbuilders throughout the state, as a rule, have had all they could do, few yards being vacant in the busy season. In eastern Maine there has been a noticeable improvement, keels having been laid in yards where a broad-axe had not been swung for years. The vessels built have been mostly schooners. It is seldom that a square-rigged ship is constructed now. The new schooners are increasing in size each year. When the limit will be reached is a question which is puzzling the building. A vessel with fi ve masts is now frequently seen, hardly being a circumstance worth notice. Two six-masters have been constructed, and a seven-master is being built in Massachusetts. The advantage which large craft have over smaller ones is that they can be more cheaply operated, consequently yielding better returns to the owners.


But it fellows that there must always be some small vessels for the navigation of shallow rivers and bays. A vessel of over 11 feet draft cannot reach Augusta in the Kennebec unless there is a freshet prevailing. As a result the vessels seen above Gardiner have but two masts, or are small three-masters.


The total tonnage of documented vessels launched in the state this year outside of government ships at Bath, is 42,631 tons. The rig of these vessels is as follows: Ships, 2, schooners 36, sloops 36, steamers 10, tugboats 1, naphths launches 2, barges, 7. Tonnage by Districts


The tonnage built in the several districts 530.


Barge, Taunton; Kelley, Spear & Co., 1442. Barge, Taunton; Kelley, Spear & Co., 275. Barge, Taunton; Kelley, Spear & Co., 400. Barge, Taunton; Kelley, Spear & Co., 1428. Barge, Taunton; Kelley, Spear & Co., 403. Barge, Taunton; Kelley, Spear & Co., 1435. Barge; Taunton; Kelley, Spear & Co., 275. Schooner; Bath; Kelley, Spear & Co., 519. Schooner; Gardiner G. Deering, 1051. Schooner; Gardiner G. Deering, 1564. Steamer; Bath; Wm. T. Donnell, 104. Steamer; Taunton; Bath Iron Works, 206. Sloop; Pittston; Fred Stilphen, 18. Schooner; Bath; Arthur V. Minot, 1294. Sloop; Dresden; Samuel C. Trott, 6. Tugboat; Bath; Wm. G. Small, 19. Ship; New York; Arthur Sewall & Co., 2987. Ship; Bath; Arthur Sewall & Co., 2998. Total net tonnage, 26,402


Kelley, Spear & Co., have on the stocks two barges of about 3,000 tons each; New England Co., two schooners of 750 and 2,800 tons, and a steamer for the Kennebec Steamboat Co., of 2,000; Arthur Sewall & Co., one ship of about 3,000; James W. Hawley, one schooner, 700; Percy & Small, two schooners, 2,500 and 600; G. G. Deering, one schooner, 700; a total of 19,050. Kelley, Spear & Co. have contracted to build for the Maine Central in the future a small steamer, a duplicate of the SAPPHO. They will also build a small schooner for other parties. The New England Co. will build a 500 ton schooner for Capt. McCowan of Boothbay, Percy & Small have a fi vemasted schooner.


The Standard Oil Co. has placed a


contract with Arthur Sewall & Co., for the construction of a steel barge 293 feet in length. Work will be commenced immediately on the ways from which the ship, WM. P. FRYE was launched. The construction of the fi vemasted schooner will be postponed. The new barge will be the Standard Oil Co.


In the Portland district only two vessels have been built this year, both steamers. One, 141 tons, was built by the Portland Shipbuilding Co.; the other, 23 tons by C. W. Howard.


There has been no shipbuilding in the Saco district. In the district of Kennebunk,


Bath Portland


Kennebunk Wiscasset Waldoboro Belfast Castine


Frenchman’s Bay Machias


Passamaquoddy


26,402 264 495 312


3,551 3,029 1,659 19


1,882 67


42,631 Built at Bath


There has been plenty of building in the Bath shipyards this year, yet the aggregate tonnage will not quite reach that of last year. The principal yards have had numerous contracts, a launching being a common occurrence. The following vessels have been built in the Bath district this year:


Rig, Hall from, Builders and Net Tonnage Schooner; Portland; Percy & Small, 2000. Schooner; Bath; Percy & Small, 1903. Schooner; Portland; Percy & Small, 1020. Schooner; Bath; Percy & Small, 1317. Schooner; Clinton, Connecticut; New England Co., 1051.


538. 625.


Schooner; Jacksonville; New England Co., Schooner; New York; New England Co.,


Schooner; Seaford; New England Co., 573. Schooner; Bath; Frank S. Bowker, 333. Schooner; Newport; Frank S. Bowker, 18. Schooner; New York; Kelley, Spear & Co.,


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