This noble vessel has not yet been measured by the Custom House official, but
will register about 1300 tons. She is 184 long on the keel, 10 feet longer
between perpendicular on deck, and 214 feet over all, from the knight-heads
to the taffrail; her extreme breadth of beam is 39 feet, with six inches
rounding of sides, depth 22 feet, including 7 feet 10 inches height between
decks; dead rise at half floor 20 inches, and sheer 2½ feet. As
her lines are convex, and as the planking is merged into the cutwater, her bow
forms a complete spherical angle. About half way up the wales, the cutwater
branches is a bold and rakish curve from the main stem, and forms the outline
of the head, where the mouldings of the planksheer and main rail terminate in
a point, in advance of which is a full female figure, crowned, and robed in
flowing vestments of white, the folds of which are gathered in front, and held
in the right hand, while in the left she holds her wand, which, instead of a
trident, bears on its end a glittering star, as much as to say __
The pedestal upon which the figure stands, is ornamented with gilded carved
work, and on the end of each cathead is a representation of the sun. The bow
has neither head nor trailboards, but is perfect in outline, smack-smooth to
the rail. The angles of her ends, on the line of the between-decks, are nearly
alike. Inside, at 20 feet abaft the apron, she is 18 feet wide, but her ends
are long and easy in outline. Her stern is timbered round, and semi elliptical
in form, with the planksheer for its base, and considering that she has a full
poop, is both light and graceful. She is smooth without projections up to the
planksheer, the moulding of which, and the mouldings of the main and monkey
rails are continued around the stern, making her externally perfect, eve to a
moulding. She is coppered up to 19½ feet forward, and to 20½
aft, and above it, the hull is black.
The whole height of her bulwarks, from the deck to the top of the monkey
rail, is 7 feet 3 inches, and below the main rail they are boarded inside,
over the stanchions, the same as the outside. Between the main and rack rails
there is a stout clamp, bolted to both, vertically, and through the
stanchions, horizontally. The monkey rail, inside, is tastefully set off into
panels.
She has a full topgallant forecastle, 40 feet long, from the stem, under
which are accommodations for the crew, and wing closets on each side. Abaft
the foremast is a house 38 feet long, 16 wide, and 6½ high, which
contains a spacious galley forward, and three state rooms abaft it, on the
starboard side, suitable for the accommodation of the forward officers, such
as the boatswain, carpenter, sailmaker, &c. On the opposite side, still in the
house, the long boat is stowed, and is placed on rollers, so that when
required it can be wheeled on deck with ease.
Her poop is 91 feet long, and takes in the mainmast. A shifting platform
connects it with the house, amidships, and another platform connects the house
with the topgallant forecastle, so that the men can pass forward and aft,
without descending into the waist. The front of the poop is curved forward,
amidships, with gangway mahogany ladders on each side, and the poop deck
itself is protected with a railing upon turned stanchions. Near its centre is
a square house, which protects the staircase leading to the cabins below. She
is steered upon this deck, and has a patent steering apparatus. The binnacle
is in the after part of an octagonal skylights, over the cabin, and
therefore at night its light will not be liable to be blown out by squalls;
but though this is excellent, the officer of the deck will have to obtain a
light for his pipe elsewhere, (sailors prefer pipe smoking to cigars,)
therefore, against this high handed outrage upon salt water rights, we enter
our solemn protest!
Her cabin accommodations are splendid. The after cabin is 35 feet long by
12 wide, and contains 10 spacious staterooms, and other apartments. It is
wainscotted with satin, rose, mahogany and other fancy woods, set off into
gothic-arched panels, with rosewood pilasters and cornices, edged and flowered
with gold. The cornices are enclosed between gilded mouldings, and the ceiling
is pure white. The perforated ventilators between the beams are flowered with
delicately carved worked and look beautifully. A splendid sofa spans the
stern, and a large mahogany table, with settees on each side extends through
is centre. The forward partition has set into it a beautiful mirror which
gives a reflected view of the whole cabin. The staterooms have each a patent
plate glass air-port, and are all furnished as beautifully as a lady's
boudoir.
Before the cabin is a vestibule 12 feet square, with the staircase in it,
and on the starboard side of it is the pantry, close abaft which is the
captain's stateroom. On the opposite side is a messroom for the officers, and
before it the steward's room.
The forward cabin is finished in beautiful style, and liberally furnished.
It is 24 by 12 feet, and contains 4 staterooms on each side, with 4 berths in
each, and patent side lights, the same as those aft. There are two skylights
over the after cabin, the octagonal one already mentioned, and a large square
one farther forward, with raised sides, and an angular top. Another like it is
over the forward cabin. So far as lights and ventilation are concerned, the
cabins are all that could be desired. Her accommodations throughout, are not
only skilfully arranged for comfort, but are truly beautiful. The front of the
poop forms a recess, with the cabin doors amidships, and two large storerooms
in the wings.
Her pumps, which are Litchfield'd patent, are close to the mainmast, and
consequently are worked under the poop, sheltered from the weather. She has
two iron tanks, her whole depth, one before the main hatchway and the other
abaft the mainmast, and capable of holding 5000 gallons of water. She has a
powerful patent windlass,
Crane's self-acting chain stoppers,
Perley's patent
capstan on the forecastle, and beautiful mahogany and locust capstan inlaid
with brass, on the poop. The bitts before the foremast are fitted to receive
weather-bitts of the chains when riding at anchor in a heavy sea; and the
chain lockers are in the hold forward. The bitts before the mainmast are also
very stout, and there are also heavy fast-bitts on each side of the poop deck.
These are all of oak, kneed to the beams below, and otherwise strongly
secured.
She has four large boats independent of the long boat; a force pump
suitable for extinguishing fire, washing decks or wetting sails, and Phillips'
Fire Annihilators. Her ground tackle is long and strong enough to hold her in
a hurricane. In a word, everything which skill and and experience should suggest
has been amply supplied her.
In materials and strength of construction she is not surpassed by any ship
of her size we have ever inspected. Her frame is of seasoned white oak. The
keel is in two depths, each 16 inches square, or sided 16 and moulded 32
inches; the floor timbers on the keel are sided 12 and moulded 17 inches, and
she has 2 depths of keelsons, each 18 inches square, and an oak rider of 10
inches thickness. These are bolted 1¼ inch copper through the keel and
riveted, and with iron of the same size through the navel timbers into the
keel, within a few inches of its base. There are two bolts of copper through
every floor timber and the keel.
The ceiling on the floor is 4 inches thick, and over the first futtocks is
a bilge keelson of 16 inches square, which extends her whole length, and is
square bolted with 1¼ inch iron, driven from the outside and inside
alternately. Above the bilge there are 5 strakes of 10 inches thickness, then
5 to 8, and above 5 clamps, all scarphed, and of 7 inches thickness. She is
square fastened throughout, and caulked and payed from the bilge keelsons to
the deck.
The beams under the lower deck are 16 inches square, and those under the
upper deck 9 by 16. The hanging and lodging knees in the hold, and all the
hooks and stanchions, are of oak. There are three diagonal hooks in each end
below, which cross the cants and fay to the beams, and these take in the whole
angles of the ends, and are bolted through all. The hooks in the between decks
also span the ends, and have about 80 bolts in each; and there are also hooks
above and below the bowsprit, exclusive of the deck hooks. As she has two
stems, a massive apron, and stemson, and as the hood-ends are bolted
alternately through each other and the stems, it is apparent that she is very
strongly secured forward. The same is equally true of her aft. The stanchions
are of oak, 10 by 12 inches, kneed in the wake of the hatchways, and clasped
with iron above and below, elsewhere. The hanging knees are sided 12 inches
and moulded 20 in the throats; their lower ends rest upon a projecting strake
of the ceiling, and they have from 16 to 18 bolts in each. The lodging knees
meet and scarph in every berth under both decks.
The between decks waterways are 16 inches square, with a strake inside of
them, 11 by 10 inches, let into the beams, and another strake over them of 10
by 14, all bolted vertically and horizontally. The ceilings above is 6 inches
thick, and the hanging knees, which are hacmatack, rest upon the projecting
strake of the thick work, are nearly of the same size as those below, and have
22 bolts in each, except those in the ends, which rest upon the hooks. The
stanchions are of oak, turned, with iron through their centres, which bind the
decks together. The between decks are painted white, and the thick work blue,
and they have patent side lights, like those in the cabins above. The lower
deck is of hard pine, 4 inches thick, and the upper deck of white pine,
3½ inches thick, clear of blemish.
The upper deck waterways are 12 by 14 inches, with two thick strakes inside
of them, let into the beams and cross bolted.
Her garboards are 7 inches thick, let into the keel, and bolted through it
and the timbers; the planking outside of them is 4 inches thick, the wales 5
by 7 inches, and the planksheer and main rail are each 6 inches in thickness.
She is square fastened with treenails, and strongly bilge and butt-bolted with
copper. The inside of the bulwarks and poop are planked with 3 inch, and both inside and outside she is finished in the first style of workmanship. Her sides are smooth as glass, and every line and moulding are regular to a shaving. She is seasoned with salt, and has Emerson's patent ventilators forward and aft, and all the other means of ventilation now in use. These details show that she is one of the strongest ships afloat, and a view of her will convince any one that she is remarkably well finished.
She is a full rigged ship. Her masts rake, 1, 1¼ and 1½ inch to the foot, and the fore and main are built, the pieces dowalled together, bolted, and hooped over all. The mizzenmast is of a single spar. The following are the dimensions of her masts and yards.
The bowsprit is 34 inches in diameter, and 16 feet outboard; jibboom 17 inches in diameter, divided at 16 and 14 feet for the two jibs, with 6 feet end; spanker boom 50 feet long, gaff 34, main spencer gaff 29 feet, and the other spars in proportion. Her fore and main rigging, and topmast backstays are of 10½ inch four-stranded patent rope, wormed, and fitted well, and set up with laniards and dead eyes; the topmast rigging and stays set up on their ends. The fore stays set up to the knightheads, and the topmast and other head stays lead in through the bows and set up inboard, leaving nothing but the bobstay and bowsprit shrouds, which are of chain, to be set up outside. She has iron futtock rigging, and all the other iron and chain work now in general use. She has also gins at her topmast heads and on the yards, and double topsail ties and halliards. As may be seen by referring to the dimensions, her masts and yards are very stout, well proportioned, and a glance at her aloft will show that they look magnificently. The mast-heads are crowned with gilded balls, the lower masts and topmast heads are painted white, the yards black, and the booms are bright and varnished.
She was built at East Boston by Mr. Paul Curtis, and is owned by Messrs. Glidden & Williams, and others, and will be commanded by Capt. Knight, a gentleman of long-tried experience, and every way qualified to make her do her best.
She will load in Messrs. Glidden & Williams's line of San Francisco clippers, and will sail about the last of this month. We would particularly call the attention of passengers to her unrivalled accommodations, and also to the fact that she will be most liberally found in all that can render them comfortable, and will most surely sail on the day she is advertised. Compare a comfortable passage in such a noble ship, with the delay, sickness and death incident to the route across the Istmus, and no reasonable person, who prefers health and comfort to the chances of disease, will, for the sake of a week or two's despatch, hesitate which is the best. Families particularly, will find this ship's accommodations all that they can desire.
She is spoken of in the highest terms of admiration by all who have seen her. In a few days she will be at her berth at Lewis wharf, and commence loading for San Francisco, having most of her cargo already engaged.
Transcribed by Lars Bruzelius.
Sjöhistoriska Samfundet | The Maritime History Virtual Archives |
The Boston Daily Atlas.
Search.
Copyright © 1996 Lars Bruzelius.
MASTS.
Dimensions
Inches. Length
Feet. Mast-heads
Feet.
Fore 34 83 13½
Top 16½ 46 0
Topgallant 11½ 25 0
Royal 10½ 16 pole... 5
Main 36 86 10
Top 17 48 0
Topgallant 12 26 0
Royal 11 17 pole...6
Mizen 25 76 12½
Top 13 39 8
Topgallant 9 21 0
Royal 8 13 pole...4
YARDS.
Fore 19 70 yard-arms...4½
Top 14½ 55 5
Topgallant 10 41 3
Royal 7½ 32 2
Main 21 78 4½
Top 16 62 5
Topgallant 11½ 47 3
Royal 8½ 34 2
Crossjack 15½ 58 4
Mizen topsail 12½ 46 4½
Topgallant 8¼ 34 2½
Royal 6 25 1½
Boston Daily Atlas, October 6, 1852.