May 2017 MAINE COASTAL NEWS Page 21. HISTORY FROM THE PAST - Bangor Daily Commercial - Early 1900s


4 March 1914 Old Steamer BANGOR Served in Turkish Waters for Years


T. R. Wasgatt, Author of Steamboating in Gulf of Maine, Recounts Interesting Details About One of First Steamers on Boston-Bangor Route; Its Story T. R. Wasgatt writes the Commercial as


follows: To the Editor and Readers of the Commercial: During the many years of my connection


with Eastern steamboat “BANGOR” and for many years supported it was only one “BANGOR.” Many said “she was sold to go up the Mediterranean, and was even running them up to a few years ago.” Others (?) an outline of her “career as a vessel in the government service in the Mexican war.” But no one seemed aware that there had been two “BANGOR.” My researches have straightened out the aff air so that everyone can now understand the true tale of the early boats.


In the early part of the last century,


there were running on the eastern routes from Boston two steamers of this name, one immediately following after the fi nal disposal of the other. Our careful researches, piecing together a little here, and some more there result in an interesting account of the fi rst BANGOR of (?) but the story is best told in a History of America Steam Navigation of Brooklyn in 1903. A most excellent and accurate work, covering the whole navigable portion of the United States. He says:


“In 1833 the Boston & Bangor S. S. CO.


was formed, principally of Boston people, and the next year the ‘BANGOR’ was built for them by Bell & Brown of New York, the vessel being about 100 feet long, with a ‘square’ engine of 36 inches by nine feet stroke. This vessel formed the permanent line between Boston and Bangor, and the towns on the Penobscot River, until 1842, when R. K. Page & Son of Hallowell, sent her to the Mediterranean, leaving Boston, Massachusetts, on August 16th


, 1842 for


Gibraltar and Constantinople, and doing service in Turkey waters for many years. The same parties in 1844, had built at Bath, Maine, the hull of a propeller 144 feet long named “MARMORA” with Ericson engines, built in New York, that was also sent to the Mediterranean ports, leaving New York for Liverpool, September 2, 1845. This vessel was wrecked on the coast of Morocco on her outward voyage. “In order to correct many statements


that have been made in the last few years that the ‘BANGOR’ was still in service the writer (Morrison) submits a copy of a letter from Consul General at Constantinople. “Constantinople, November 12, 1902. “J. H. Morrison, Esq.,


“358 Hancock St., Brooklyn, N. Y., “Dear Sir: I have secured the following


information regarding the American-built steamer ‘BANGOR’ which came out here in the year 1842: “She was purchased by the civil list,


renamed the “SUDAVER” and used to carry passengers between this city the Princes’ Islands in the Sea of Marmora. She was said to be the most commodious and comfortable daily passenger steamer. She was never the yacht of any Sultan. Her machinery is said to have been remarkable and original, and was named by the public ‘ROKANA’ (Carpenter’s plane) owing to its peculiar movements. “After many years’ continual service to


the Princes Islands and the Sea of Marmora, during which time she underwent extensive repairs to her hull and boiler, she was transferred to the Idarel(?). She was laid up for several years in the Imperial Ottoman


dock yard after being withdrawn from service, and eventually, some 14 years ago, was broken up. “The above information you can take as


authentic. It was accured through our harbor master from Husni Pacha Chief Naval Constructor, Imperial Ottoman Admiralty, who remembers his trips when a boy by the said steamer, between his home in town and the Naval College at Halki, one of the Princes Islands. “Very truly yours, “Wm. Smith Lyte,


“Vice Deputy Consul General.” The Boston & Bangor S. S. Co. having


sold the Bangor of 1834 it was decided by them to build another steamer for this route; she was begun in October 1843, and launched in May, 1844 from the yards of Betta, Harlan & Hollingsworth, the fi rst iron sea-going steamer constructed in the United States. She was completed and delivered to her owners, as the Bangor Steam Navigation Co. of Maine, in 1844, eight months after the keel was laid. Her hull was formed by bar- iron ribs, her frames secured by numerous wrought iron clamps, her plating was put on in the lapped or clinker style, instead of the modern outside inside method of arranging the sheets. She was considered a very graceful


modeled boat by all the critics of that day; and it may be remarked that as to the outline and proportions of the fi gurehead stern and fore-foot, they have not been departed from to any great extent by the latest and most approved plans of our advanced English cruisers. The BANGOR measured 231 tons


and her general dimensions were as perpendiculars; 23 feet breadth of beam; moulded; nine feet depth of hold from base line amidships. On deck she was about 131 feet over all in length. Her sheer was an average one, rather


fi ne forward on account of the bowsprit rig. She had three wooden masts, schooner rigged, with bowsprit and jibboom carrying a suit of eight sails. The accommodations were as follows:


The crew’s quarters were located forward in the hull, accessible from the deck by a scuttle or booby-hatch. The passengers were carried aft on deck in a commodious house fi tted up in a style of elegance unusual in those days, and considered particularly handsome by her owners and builders. In the interior of this house was a comfortable saloon, surrounded by sleeping accommodations intended for night service. There were but two deck houses upon the vessel at the time she was built, third or forward house, having been added afterwards. In the midship or boiler house were the galley, pantry and store, lam, and other rooms, etc., as was customary. The pilot house was located well aft for seagoing purposes, and had one room abaft for the use of the commander and pilot. The hold, with the exception of the space taken up by the quarters described was devoted to the carriage of freight, which was lowered down through the forward hatch. The fuel was also stored in bunkers in the hold in the customary manner. Altogether her arrangements were not far diff erent from those in vogue at the present time, for vessels of her class. She carried no ballast. Her machinery consisted of independent twin- screw propeller, engines, having cylinders, 22 inches in diameter by 24 inches stroke of piston.


The propeller wheels were of the Loper type, and 8 ½ feet diameter. Her boiler was placed in the hold, and was of iron, 20 feet in length, of the type known as the drop-fl ue boiler. We shall dwell somewhat more at


length upon the circumstances attending the construction of this interesting vessel, because of her prominence in the records of American Shipbuilding, and also on account of the local importance attaching to the work in connection with the early achievements of the concern. She occupied the single building slip of the fi rm, and absorbed their best talents and almost their entire time for many months. When about a quarter of her frames were in position upon the platform of the ways, ready to be “set up,” it occurred to Mr. Harlan that an excellent way of providing for her completion, on contract time, was by saving all the bad day’s work which otherwise would be lost on account of the inclement winter weather. To accomplish this he set about erecting a large frame shiphouse, covering in the space where the vessel would lie when in frame, and thus aff ording a comfortable shelt for the workmen who were engaged upon the hull. This was the fi rst and only shiphouse used by the fi rm, as it was the only one ever put up in this city. It nevertheless served its purpose well, and would doubtless have enclosed the hulls of many succeeding steamers, had it not soon after become the scene of remarkable casualties. The “BANGOR” had been completed


and was awaiting the fi nishing strokes about her decks before being launched, when one afternoon, Capt. Kelley, who had charge of the yard as superintendent, noticed the approach of a very ominous thunderstorm from the southwest. From the moment he fi rst observed it, it seemed to come on at an astonishing speed, so that by the time he had reached the shiphouse the sky was overcast by black scurrying clouds and the air was heavy with an oppression that boded a violent atmospheric disturbance. He, however, passed through the building, stopping to speak to Mr. Harlan, who then accompanied him to the saloon of the steamer “KEYPORT,” which chanced at the time to be lying alongside the wharf. They had scarcely descended below the deck when they heard a strange and terrifying sound overhead which almost drowned the


shouts of workmen in the yard. Hastening up the steps, Capt. Kelly, who came fi rst was suddenly caught by the wind and hurried across the deck, narrowly escaping being forced overboard by the gale. At the same instant, looking westward, he beheld rapidly bearing down upon them along the valley of the Christiana a huge, twisting and roaring funnel-shaped cloud, whose quick advance and unmistakable character at once foretold the approach of a tornado. Calling with all his strength to those on shore, he gave orders to secure the mooring lines and make ready for the blow, but even as he spoke there came a sudden lull followed by a rending and crashing of timbers. The air was fi lled with fl ying splinters,


leaves, branches and dust, forming a scene of indescribable confusion and terror. At the same instant a loud succession of thunderous falls, mingled with the yells of men caught beneath the ruins, told only too plainly of the total collapse of the shiphouse. Both Capt. Kelly and Mr. Harlan hastened to the spot as quickly as possible, after the passing of the fi rst gust of wind which had caused the havoc. Here they came upon a distressing scene. The building had been wrecked from end to end, and after having been lifted from its foundation had come down in a shapeless mass of debris, burying beneath it several of the workmen who had fatally delayed their own escape from its fancied shelter. A gang of rescuers was quickly


organized and the work of searching the ruins was begun. Among the fi rst objects to be discovered was the old black mare called “Old Betts,” the only horse belonging to the fi rm, and the faithful creature which had hauled every sheet and bar which had gone into the full of the “BANGOR”, from the shop on West Street to the boat yard. She had been struck by a descending beam and was tightly wedged down under a weight of timbers, but by a singular change was otherwise unhurt. Her driver, William Stomps, had run out of the shiphouse at the fi rst alarm, and had thus succeeded in saving his life. Not so fortunate however, were two of the (?) workmen who had been engaged


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