Nautical Research Journal 43


12. An actual lower composite mizzen mast from an unknown wrecked clipper ship. Courtesy Wiederrich.


Another of Rob’s keen observations was added double backstays on fore and mainmasts. T ese were not on Glory when launched in November 1869. Determining exactly when those clever backstays were added became another bit of study. Wikipedia has a thorough chart of Glory of the Seas; captains and voyages including specifi c departure dates and arrivals including all locales. Captain Elisha Sears departed Saint John, New Brunswick May 14, 1871, arriving in Liverpool on June 8, a twenty-fi ve day voyage. Captain Sears’ recommendations to Captain Knowles to rig additional backstays was in order to run Glory on a full suit of sails. T is implies Sears knew he was hampered in his own attempts, most likely having to voyage under less-than-optimal settings. Michael Mjelde confi rmed this timing suspicion: “Please note that I have concluded that additional backstays were added following the arrival of Glory of the Seas at Liverpool when Josiah Knowles took command. It was most likely following the earlier suggestion of Elisha Sears who conducted the ‘delivery’ voyage via St John with lumber from Boston to Liverpool and that Sears had concluded that she needed those two additional backstays if she was going to be ‘driven under full sail.”


Researching this development led to determining that


it was Captain Josiah Nickerson Knowles


(Figure 13) who decided to expand and enclose the originally open-ended wheelhouse, making it a much


13. Captain Josiah Nickerson Knowles. From Twice Told Tales.


more comfortable environment for the helmsmen. Captain Knowles also added a midship gangway and boy’s house, relocating the ship’s boats; all of which dramatically revised Glory’s entire aſt quarters. Samuel Walters painted his commission aſt er these major modifi cations yet before


the additional backstays were rigged. Since Walters’ piece depicts


14. Glory of the Seas in San Francisco, 1900s. Courtesy Michael Mjelde.


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