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24 | MARINE REVIEW. == SHIP BUILDING ON THE COAST OF MAINE, Not for many years has the coast of Maine, particularly along the shores of Penobscot bay, witnessed such a renewal of wooden ship build- ing as in the year now drawing to a close. Crowded yards are found everywhere in the Belfast and Waldoboro districts. The yards at Bucks- port, Machias, Belfast and other places have not been idle, but the bulk of the building has been at Camden, Rockland and Waldoboro. The con- clusion of the year will find the sum total of the tonnage of the various vessels built in 1900 along the Maine coast to be far in excess of those turned out in any previous year. The reason for the increased activity in Maine ship yards, many of which for years have been practically idle, is not far to seelc and is found in the high rates being paid for freights and consequent demands for vessels brought about by the general prosperity of the country. The most noteworthy feature in the building is in the size. Very large vessels are demanded and now four and five masters are about as common on the stocks as two and three-masters were a dozen years ago. In the Belfast district, by far the greater portion of the building has been done at the well known yard of H. M. Bean, the Camden builder. Mr. Bean has turned out three vessels thus far this year. The Malcolm Baxter, Jr., was launched the latter part of March. The Baxter is a four- masted schooner with a net tonnage of 1,530, a gross tonnage of 1,722 and a carrying capacity of 2,700. She is 210 ft. on the keel, 46 ft. wide and her hold depth is 24 ft. The Baxter was built for Capt. George Bailey of New Jersey. Next came the large sailing vessel George W. Wells, whose tonnage is 2,900, and whose carrying capacity is 5,000 tons of coal. The third vessel, the five-masted schooner Van Allens Boughton, was launched last Thursday. She is 150 ft. long, 46 ft. wide, and 26 ft. deep. Her gross tonnage is 2,129 and net tonnage 1,905. Mr. Bean employs about 125 men at his yard. He expects to see the good ship building times continue, and will, at any rate, be busy for some time to come. Work is to be at once begun on a four-master to have a 170 ft. keel, and next summer Mr. Bean will start another five-master for Capt. Crowley of Taunton, Mass. : : _ Two three-masted schooners have been built at Belfast this summer, the Theoline of 447 net tons by George Gilchrest and the Pendleton Sis- ters launched last Thursday from the yard of Pendleton Bros. The Pen- delton Sisters is of 798 tons gross and 704 net, keel 116 ft.; registered leneth, 175 ft.; beam, 37 it. 9 in.; depth, 18 it. 9 in; length over all, 191 ft. Her imasts, 93 ft. long, are of Oregon pine, her frame of hard wood and hackmatack and plank and ceiling of yellow pine. The stem and stern are of oak. Several small boats have been built by C. F. Brown, the North Haven builder, including the sloop Winnebago of 14 tons burden. Not for many years have so many vessels been built in the Waldo- boro district as this season. This is largely due to the revival of the industry at Rockland. Cobb, Butler & Co. concluded to open their yard, and they have turned out two handsome vessels, the Geneva and the. Wellfleet and now have a large crew at work on a large five-master, the Rebecca Palmer, which, when completed will be the biggest vessel ever built in Rockland. The Wellfleet, a three-master, was launched in March and marked the first launching from a Rockland ship yard for seven years. The Wellfleet is a single-decked vessel will the following dimen- sions: Gross tonnage, 600; net tonnage, 496; registered length, 161 ft.; breadth, 35 ft.; depth, 14.5. Her frame is of oak and hackmatack, ceiling and planking of yellow pine and deck planking of white pine. The Well- fleet was followed by the Geneva, a handsome four-masted schooner launched in September. The Geneva is 160 ft. long on the keel, 190 ft. over all, with a beam of 37.3. She draws 17 ft. of water and has two full decks and a small poop deck. The Rebecca Palmer, the five-master now building, will be launched about the first of the year. Her keel is 251 ft. long, breadth 45 ft., depth 26%4 ft. Her masts are 116 ft. long and her owner estimates that her carrying capacity will be about 4,000 tons. The owners are William Palmer and others of Boston. At the Cobb-Butler yard a keel has been laid for a four-master to be built for Crowell & Thurlow of Boston, to. be completed early next spring. She will be 210 ft: keel, 42 ft. wide and 24 ft. deep, with a carrying capacity of about 2,500 tons.' The vessels which have been turned out at the Cobb-Butler yard have proven very satisfactory, being of a fine grade of workmanship and containing only the best material. At the present time the concern is employing about 150 men. A good business is ex- pected next year-as there are many contracts im the market. I. L. Snow & 'Co. of Rockland are also engaged in building a three-master of 450 tons. The length of keel is 107 ft., beam 31 ft. and depth 8 ft. The sound of the hammer and the saw has rung out merrily in Thomaston ship yards during the past season. Washburn Bros. in March launched a large four-master, the John E. Devlin, and now have on the ways the biggest vessel ever in course of construction at Thomas- ton. This is a four-masted schooner with a net tonnage of about 1,400. She will be launched the last of November or first of December. The Devlin is 180 ft. long on the keel; 41 ft. beam; 19 ft. deep and has a gross tonnage of about 1,100. Her frame is of solid Virginia oak and the ceil- ing and planking of yellow pine. The same concern has a frame for an- other four-master on the way from Virginia and will at once begin work on its arrival. Dunn & Elliot of Thomaston have also been busy at their yard this season launching the Thomas S. Dennison, a beautiful four- master, the latter part of August. The Dennison has a gross tonnage of -1,537 tons, net 1,376 tons. The vessel is 218.2 ft. in length, 42.7 in breadth and 19.7 ft. depth of hold. Her frame is a heavy one of Virginia oak and she is substantially built in every way. Dunn & Elliot plan for plenty of work next year and regard the outlook as very promising. A week ago the Fannie Palmer, a large five-master, was launched from the yard of George L. Welt of Waldoboro. The Palmer is 240 ft. length of keel; over all, 280 ft.; 40 ft. beam, and 25 ft. deep. Her gross tonnage is 2,000. The Palmer has thus far been rather unfortunate as she is now ashore on the flats, owing to an attempt to tow her in heavy weather. Tugs have not been able to get her off and a crew of workmen is now engaged digging a trench through which to float her, Mr, Welt [November 29, is getting the keel out for another five-master to be a sister ship to the Fannie Palmer. The vessel to be built will be named the Baker Palmer. There have, in addition to these larger craft, been quite a number of sloops and small boats built in the district, particularly at Friendship. The vessels built this season in the Belfast and Waldoboro districts, including those which are yet to be launched, are as follows: BELFAST DISTRICT. Net tonnage. Sch. Malcolm Baxter, Jr., H. M. Bean, Camden................ cscs ee cece eee ccenccee Sch. George W. Wells, H. M. Bean, Camden....... a Sch. Van Allens Boughton, H. M. Bean, Camden... Sch. Pendleton Sisters, Pendleton Bros,, Belfast..... ee ces Sch. Theoline, George Gilchrest, Belfast. ............ceeeecee cere e tee cen ee terenseneees Slp. Winnebago, C. F. Brown, No. Haven............ cc cece cece eee e cee e eee eee ences WALDOBORO DISTRICT. Sch. Wellfleet, Cobb-Butler, Rockland.............seceeeseeeee ener ence ences eceeeseces 496 Sch. Geneva, Cobb-Butler, Rockland. ..........c. ccc cee pee e ects ee nce teeters eee tecescnee 776 Slp. Lulu Marion, W. A. Morse, Friendship..........:.ceeeeee eee e eee e eee eeeeeeeee 8 Slp. Bernese & Belle, W. A. Morse, Friendship...........s.eeee cece ee cee eee eerctenee 12 Slp. Vincie E., W. A. Morse, Friendship........... stn en eee eee cesses ec tseneesecseseee 5 Slp. Gertrude and Herbert, W. A. Morse, Friendship ms Bones Slp. Golden Hope, W. A. Morse, Friendship........ a 7 Slp. Columbia, W. A. Morse, Friendship... Slp. Sculpin, W. A. Morse, Friendship..... sia 8 Slp. Josephine, W. A. Morse, Friendship. ...........c cece ec ee eens eee c eset ecseeeeens 8 Sch. Volunteer, Chas. Morse, Friendship...........c. ccc cee ce cec cece rete ececenesceces 5 Slp. Little Foster, Chas. Morse, Friendship.................. Sia lpld tb cca idioveleth waht mete wearers & Sch. Susie B., Lorenzo Walton, Friendship............... 0 cceeeece cence cee uee sess 11 Slp. Clyde and Astor, Clifford Winchenpaw, Waldoboro...........-...se eee eeeeenees 6 Sch : jk ae SU OW: OCKIBNG Sores seein cs os Soest per oen tweens 450 Sch.. Thomas S. Dennison, Dunn & Elliot, Thomaston ae ne Sch. John H. Denlin, Washburn Bros., Thomaston.. A , Washburn Bros., Thomaston...... eee, Sch. Fannie Palmer, Geo. Li. Welt, Waldoboro. ...... 25... cee sect cc cee eae cesenrece LARGE ORDERS UNDER WAY AT SPARROW'S POINT. The Maryland Steel Co., Sparrow's Point, Md., is about to close another contract to build two steamships for eastern capitalists. Details will be given out as soon as the contracts are signed. The company is now at work on the plans of two 600-ft. steamers to fly the American flag in the Atlantic Transport line service between New York and Lon- don. They are to be 65 ft. wide and 44 ft. depth of hold. They will register 13,750 tons, which is 2,000 tons greater than the St. Louis or the St. Paul. These ships are to be the largest ever built in the United States, and will be bigger than the crack Cunard, White Star and French liners. They will have twin screws and five steel decks, which will ac- commodate 20,000 tons of cargo. The ships will cost $1,500,000 each. The dredging steamer Thomas has had steam on her, and she will be sent to New York in about ten days. Her sister vessel, the Mills, will be launched from the ways in three weeks. These dredges are marvels of marine architecture. They are sea-going steel steamers, 300 ft. long, which suck up the soil from a channel through the bottom of the ships and deposit the earth in the ships' hulls. Then they steam to sea and discharge. They will hold 3,000 tons of mud each. The suction pumps are 4 ft. across their mouths. They will be the largest vessels of the ae in the world, and will dredge a 40-ft. channel from New York to the sea. S Probably the most important contracts being completed by the Maryland Steel Co. is one for three large and swift torpedo boat de- stroyers for the United States government. The vessels are the Truxton, the Whipple and the Worden. All three vessels are being built alike. The vessels. are partially plated, and their machinery is rapidly nearing completion. They are the largest destroyers now under construction, and will be capable of making 30 knots an hour. The vessels will be 259 ft. 6 in. long over all, 22 ft. 6 in. beam and 14 ft. 8 in. deep. Triple ex- pansion engines will develop 8,400 H.P. These vessels, which are of the twin-screw type, will probably be completed early next year. Keels are being laid for two 5,000-ton American tramp steamers for Boston capi- talists. These ships are to be 350 ft. long, 45 ft. beam and to have a depth of 28 ft. They will be duplicates of the Hyades and Pleiades, re- cently completed at the works. _The company is building a large steel car float for the New York, Philadelphia & Norfolk Railroad Co. for service at the mouth of the Chesapeake bay. This float, when completed, will be one of the largest in this country. This immense floating dock will be 340 ft. long and 40 ft. 4 in. beam. Four tracks will be constructed on its deck, and the float will be capable of carrying twenty-eight loaded freight cars. It will be supplied with steam pumps and steam steering gear. The float will be used between Norfolk and Cape Charles, and will probably be completed early next year. The great steel floating dry dock for Algiers, La., which is to lift an 18,000-ton battleship, is in frame and plated. The dock is 525 ft. long and 126 ft. wide. It will weigh 5,702 tons, and is to cost nearly $1,000,000. It will be the largest floating dock in the world. oe Sparrow's Point now gives employment to 3,500 men. Orders for steel rails are coming in from all parts of the world. It is expected that a fleet of steel-laden vessels will be at sea from Sparrow's Point for a year or more to come. To meet the demand for more employes the company 1S now constructing three blocks of new residences. These cottages will be constructed with sixteen in a square, each having a lawn, and will number about fifty new dwellings. They will be two and a half stories high, with seven rooms each, and are to have all modern con- veniences. Another novel card relating to the last trips of the 'Cleveland & Buf- falo line steamers City of Erie and City of Buffalo has just been issued by Passenger Agent Herman. A state room scene, with the title '""Resting til 1901," shows the steamers tucked beneath the sheets in upper and lower berths. The last trip from Clevelz i ¢ this week and from Buffalo on Beilcae ee Hunters' Rates--From Nov: 9 to Nov. 30 the Nickel Pl 1 : 4 DV. . ate r ill sell excursion tickets to hunting parties of three or more seers gether on one ticket at one fare for the round trip. Return limit Dec. 2. There are immense quantities of small game along the line of the Nickel Plate road in western Ohio and Indiana. Write, wire, 'phone or call on nearest agent, C. A. Asterlin, T. P. A., Ft. Wayne, Ind., or E. A. Akers C. P. & T. A,, Cleveland, 0; = BAT Noy. 30.