USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Kingston > Ships of Kingston. : "Good-bye, fare ye well" > Part 11
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SAIL PLAN OF BRIG Monte Christo OF KINGSTON, 1847
"She is tidy craft," said he, "and she will be English, of course." I knew better and calling a boatman directed him to row to the vessel. As we rowed round her stern I was not very much sur- prised to read, Trueman of Kingston, in hospitable letters. I had often seen the Trueman, Captain Doane, and I spent a pleasant hour with the captain in his cabin before going ashore.
BRIG Monte Christo
Brig Monte Christo of Kingston, 161 tons, built at Kingston by Lysander Bartlett, Jr., in 1847; owned by Benjamin Delano and Joshua Delano.
REMARKS
Captain James Fuller was first master and she was used for West India voyages, and sold soon after 1860.
SHIP Nathan Hannau
Ship Nathan Hannau of Kingston, 513 tons, built at Kingston, in 1848, by Joseph Holmes and Edward Holmes; owned by Joseph Holmes, Paraclete Holmes, William S. Adams, Edward Holmes and Horace Holmes.
REMARKS
The Nathan Hannau was a fine ship and quite fast. She was 513 tons and was valued at $36,000. Her dimensions were 136 feet 5 inches long, 28 feet 7 inches wide, and 14 feet 3 inches deep. Captain William S. Adams of Kingston, commanded her when new, and in 1851, when he left her to go in the ship Joseph Holmes, Captain Peter Hansen had her and he was succeeded by Captain J. W. Nickerson and later by Captain Ebenezer Pierce, who was in her when lost March 3, 1859. His ac- count of her loss is that she struck just before daylight on a reef near SHEER AND SPAR PLAN OF SHIP Nathan Hannay OF KINGSTON, 1848 Cape Florida, bound to NewOrleans
STAFFORD OF KINGSTON JOHN SEARLI
جيرة
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SHIPS OF KINGSTON
MODEL OF BARK Stafford OF KINGSTON, 1848
from Boston. She was off her course by four days' calms and strong currents when she struck; although calm at the time, the following night a strong breeze coming up it was found impossible to get her off and she filled and had to be abandoned to the Key West wreckers. Most of the cargo and ship's material were saved. Cargo was ice and furniture. Materials saved from ship, sails, etc., sold for $1,670, and the cargo saved from the ship appraised at $2,872 was taken to New Orleans, the wreckers getting 45 per cent after all expenses were paid. The vessel was insured. The captain who had been in her for some time felt her loss very much. She was always employed carrying cotton, tobacco and sugar from Southern ports to Europe, as were the other ships owned by Joseph Holmes, and was named for a merchant in New Orleans.
At one time Captain William E. Josselyn was in command and he writes Captain Para- clete Holmes that he has arrived at Trieste from New Orleans, July 3, 1854. He also says that "no vessel beat me." He was seventy-four days on the passage and was seventeen days in the Gulf of Venice. His mate has run away. The second mate and steward good, but the crew very bad. "Shall sail for Sicily as soon as possible to load salt for New Orleans. He closes his letter by saying, "I am wore out and I most lay sick. I had rather be mate with you at $35 per month than to live in such misery." For several years he had been mate with Captain Paraclete Holmes on Joseph Holmes' ships.
September 1, 1854, he writes from Sicily that the Nathan Hannau sails for New Orleans tomorrow with 600 tons of salt, best quality, and seven or more passengers in house on deck, they to find themselves in everything. Adults paying $20 and children half price. Very sickly here, cholera they say. The crew have been sick but all well at present, except rum sick.
February 27, 1853, Captain Josselyn writes from Havre that the ship is ready for sea, bound to New Orleans with 226 steerage passengers at $1 I per head. Oftentimes these ships returned to the United States in ballast or with small cargoes, and passengers helped quite a little to keep down expenses.
The Custom House measurements of the ships Joseph Holmes and Nathan Hannau, show these two ships to have been so near alike as to length and tonnage that the same spar plan answered for both as was done with several of the smaller vessels, saving the designer the labor of making a separate plan for each. Although only six feet longer, the Joseph Holmes had more breadth and depth in proportion to her length than the Hannau, and unless the Hannau had been found to be oversparred, it seems as though the Joseph Holmes could have carried a larger sail area.
BARK Stafford
Bark Stafford of Kingston, 205 tons, built at Kingston by Nathaniel D. Drew, master carpenter, in 1848; owned by Alexander Holmes.
REMARKS
This bark was built by Nathaniel D. Drew for Alexander Holmes in Mr. Holmes' building yard, or, as called, the upper yard; she was named for Stafford Sturtevant of Halifax, Mass.
ХЛАМИ ИНА
-
BARQUE
ANN & MARY . KINGSTON A.DAWES MASTER ENTERING "PORT - PALERMO
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SHIPS OF KINGSTON
All that is known about her is taken from an old diary kept at that period by Cornelius A. Bartlett of Kingston, Mass., a ship carpenter, and from a newspaper clipping. Mr. Bartlett writes that January and February, 1848, he was working on the bark Stafford in the upper yard for Nathaniel D. Drew, for seventy-five cents a day. Alexander Holmes, owner.
"December 1, 1848. Launched the bark Stafford."
"December 15, went down the river with her."
"December 21, went to the Cow Yard."
"December 22. A strong N.W. gale; the steamboat R. B. Forbes that took her to Boston lay alongside all day."
"December 23. Moderated and steamer took her to Boston. I stopped on board of her finishing some jobs till she sailed. Captain J. Searles, master, bound for Smyrna."
"Came home the 3Ist."
The newspaper item is from a New Bedford paper and shows that she was owned by J. and W. R. Wing of that city, in 1865, and used for a whaler.
On account of her sailing for Boston so soon after launching, it seems likely she was launched with masts in and fully rigged as was sometimes done if the owners were in a hurry to send the vessel to sea. In this case the hurry was probably due to fear that the river would freeze up because of the lateness of the season and the vessel be detained till spring. The steamer R. B. Forbes of Boston was a side wheel steamer and had been recently built and at that time was the most powerful towing steamer in the country. She was sold to the United States Government at the time of the Civil War, becoming part of the Navy.
BARK Ann & Mary
Bark Ann & Mary of Kingston, 242 tons, built at Kingston by Edward Holmes, master carpenter, in 1849; owned by Joseph Holmes and Edward Holmes.
REMARKS
The bark, Ann & Mary, was named Ann for the oldest daughter of Edward Holmes, and Mary for the daughter of his brother, Horace Holmes.
She was launched in 1849, and was first engaged in the Mediterranean fruit trade, com- manded by Captain Allan Dawes of Duxbury. Captain Dawes was a most capable ship master, the oldest of the three Dawes brothers, who at one time were all sailing in Joseph Holmes' vessels as masters. To distinguish him from his other brothers he was called, by the Holmes', "The Dawes," and his sudden death in 1857 was a great loss to them.
In 1853, Captain Winslow Johnson, a son of Captain Francis Johnson of Kingston, was placed in command. He had previously been mate under Captain Dawes, the latter now taking charge of the new bark, Fruiter, of which he was a part owner with Joseph and Edward Holmes.
April 23, 1853, the vessel was at San Domingo city, seventeen days from Boston. Return- ing to Boston, she sailed for Rio Janeiro and from there to New Orleans, cargo coffee.
October 1, 1853, Captain Johnson, writing the owners from New Orleans as to his arrival, also says that, "expenses in port high. After five weeks in port I have secured a charter for the bark for $650 per month, with privilege of continuing it for a year. I am now loaded with cotton for Genoa and sailing tonight. Have just money enough to pay my sailors' advance wages. I have sent home a small sum to keep my wife alive this winter."
They did not get to sea as expected, for October 12 he again writes, "I would have made a good voyage if I had gone north from Rio instead of coming to this eternal grave yard. I should have made quite a saving voyage but coming here spoiled it. Myself and mate have both had the yellow fever, but, thank God, have recovered and am getting tough and ready to try another voyage. My nurse's bill was $5 a day. There were two captains and three mates buried here last week."
From Genoa the bark went to Palermo and was loaded for Boston January 21, 1854, ready for sea. From Boston she went to Rio Janeiro and loading coffee for New Orleans,
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SHIPS OF KINGSTON
CAPTAIN ALLEN DAWES
she arrived there November 28, after a passage of fifty-three days from Rio.
December 22, 1854, Captain W. S. Adams, who was at New Orleans in Joseph Holmes' ship, Nathan Hannau, writes Mr. Holmes as follows: "I have to inform you of the death of Captain Johnson of the bark, Ann & Mary. He died this morning from an attack of cholera. I shall have his remains sent home in the bark. The Ann & Mary is nearly loaded for Boston and I shall try to get a good man to take charge of her."
Captain Adams writes Mr. Holmes, December 31, 1854, that "the Ann & Mary went down the river the evening of the 29th - John M. Page is master who I think is a good man, and the other's pay is his agreement. Captain Page has the chro- nometer and charter belonging to Captain Johnson and the mate has his clothes and some other things in his care which are to be delivered to his friends.
"The bark's cargo consists of 1690 bbls. of flour and 237 bbls. of molasses, something over $9000 freight and primage. "Signed, W. S. ADAMS."
After her arrival in Boston it was decided to sell her, and February 13, 1855, she was offered to Brookhouse and Hunt of Salem for $10,000 and they purchased her for that amount. From that time there is no further record of this vessel.
Captain Johnson did not live long to enjoy his first command. For many years New Orleans had been considered a very unhealthy city, cholera and yellow fever being very common. All of the cotton ship captains write of the sickness in the city, and as they sometimes remained there several months, waiting for cargoes or advance in freights, their letters show much anxiety as to health conditions on board the shipping.
CAPTAIN ALLEN DAWES
With the exception of Captain Paraclete Holmes and Captain William S. Adams, the three Dawes brothers sailed for Joseph Holmes the longest of any of his captains.
Captain Allen Dawes was the eldest, being born in Duxbury in 1812. Nothing can be found that connects him with any of the Holmes' vessels until 1838 when letters to her owner, Joseph Holmes, show him to be in command of the brig Belize, new, and on her first voyage. He continued in her for several years, and next appears as captain of the bark Ann & Mary, also new, in 1849, on voyages up the Mediterranean for fruit.
In 1853 he was master and part owner with Joseph Holmes and his son Edward, of the bark Fruiter, new, engaged in the same trade. In 1855, Joseph Holmes built the bark Sicilian, of which he and Edward Holmes were also part owners. Giving up the Fruiter to his brother, Captain Josephus, he took over the new bark and remained in her until his death in 1857.
The voyages of these three brothers in vessels owned by Joseph Holmes and Edward Holmes are so told in the "Remarks" on these vessels that nothing but a brief sketch of them can be given here.
SHIP Joseph Holmes
Ship Joseph Holmes of Kingston, 611 tons, built at Kingston by Joseph Holmes and Edward Holmes in 1851; owned by Joseph Holmes 8/16, William S. Adams 4/16, Edward Holmes 2/16, Paraclete Holmes 1/16, and Alexander Holmes 1/16.
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SHIPS OF KINGSTON
REMARKS
This was the largest vessel ever built in Kingston and her dimensions are of interest and were as follows: 141 feet 6 inches long, 35 feet 1034 inches wide, and 15 feet 5 and 3/ 16 inches deep. She was valued by her owners, in 1851, November 28, as she lay in the Cow Yard (so called), Plymouth Harbor, with ballast and stores on board, at $36,000. Captain William S. Adams of Kingston, master.
May 13, 1854, she was in New Orleans. Captain Josselyn and later Captain Peter Hansen had her. She was sold in 1860 for $17,600, and soon after lost. She was registered in King- ston, Mass., December 1, 1851, Joseph S. Beal, Esq., Department collector.
She seems to have been a very successful vessel, making many voyages to England and Europe from southern ports and was one of the best sailers the Holmes' had for ships.
BARK Messenger Bird
Bark Messenger Bird of Kingston, 418 tons, built at Kingston by Nathaniel D. Drew, mas- ter carpenter, in 1852; owned by Alexander Holmes 1/8 and Trueman Doan 1/8, of Orleans.
REMARKS
This vessel was built in the yard of Alexander Holmes, near the Poor House. C. A. Bart- lett's diary under date of February 23, 1852, says that she was launched with the masts in and in launching after she left the ways, she fell over on her side and remained till the next day when she was righted and taken to the wharf below the railroad bridge. "She was a long legged craft and very crank and required a great deal of ballast" and they had a great deal of trouble in going down the river to Rocky Nook Wharf and getting down the bay.
The dimensions of this bark were: 120 feet long, 27 feet wide, and 13 feet 10 inches deep. Trueman Doane was her first master and she was later sold, although Joseph Holmes might have had a small interest in her in 1859, for in an old letter of May 3, that year, to Joseph Holmes, from an insurance company of New York, it says that they are informed that the bark Messenger Bird, which they understood was owned by him had arrived at Valparaiso, although bound to Hampton Roads, the captain having run away with the vessel and cargo. It has always been understood that the vessel was never recovered or the captain caught and that Joseph Holmes and Alexander, his son, had sold all their interest in the vessel before she was run away with.
SCHOONER Ocean Bird
Schooner Ocean Bird of Kingston, 114 tons, built at Kingston by Edward Holmes, master carpenter, and Joseph Holmes, in 1852; owned by Joseph Holmes.
REMARKS
The schooner Ocean Bird was used by the Holmes' many years, chiefly for freighting and voyages to West Indies and South America. She had many masters, at one time Captain Edwin Powers of Kingston, being in command.
January 12, 1854, she arrived at New York, Thomas Dodge, mas- ter, from Port au Prince, twenty- four days' passage; lost deck load, damaged sails, and crew all sick, only mate and one man able to do any work. In May, 1857, the schooner was at Para, Brazil, loaded for Salem, Captain Seth F. Bassett dead of yellow fever after four days' sickness. Vessel brought home by mate. She was finally
SAIL PLAN OF SHIP Joseph Holmes OF KINGSTON, 1851
BARK Messenger Bird OF KINGSTON, 1852
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SHIPS OF KINGSTON
sold. The following is Captain Bassett's last letter to Joseph Holmes and also the letter from the mate, David Nickerson, telling of Captain Bassett's death:
Para, Brazil, May 7, 1857.
MR. HOLMES,
Respected Sir: I take the first opportunity of informing you of our arrival without anything unusual occurring on our passage which was 32 days; rather a long passage, but considering our chances it did very well. I expect to leave for Salem in about ten days and the last of June you may expect us on the coast if nothing happens. It is quite healthy here at present and I hope it will remain so.
Signed, SETH F. BASSETT.
Sch. Ocean Bird, Salem June 17, 1857. MR. HOLMES,
Dear Sir: The schooner Ocean Bird arrived at this port this morning without any material acci- dent, except death of Captain Bassett. He died at Para, May 16th, of yellow fever after an illness of only four days. Since that time the command of the schooner has devolved upon me and I have acted in that capacity to the best of my judge- ment for the benefit of the voyage and all concerned. I hope to have your instructions at the earliest moment what to do with the schooner and how to proceed.
Yours obdt. servant, Signed, DAVID NICKERSON.
David Nickerson was the mate and after bringing the schooner to Salem, Mr. Holmes continued him in command.
In 1852, each of the building yards at the Landing, as it was then called, had a vessel on the stocks. Alexander Holmes, who then occupied the upper yard near the present Alms House, leasing it from John Drew, had the bark Messenger Bird building by Nathaniel D. Drew, master carpenter. Lysander Bartlett, Jr., was using his father's yard. This yard was some 200 yards up stream from the Railroad Bridge on land owned, in 1908, by Captain E. A. Ransom and H. M. Jones and later by Captain Ransom's heirs and Major George F. Sever, and called the middle yard. Here he was building the bark White Wings for the Delano's of Rocky Nook and others. Below the railroad bridge, at what is called the Landing today, Joseph Holmes and his son, Edward, were building in his yard the schooner Ocean Bird. The two upper yards above the bridge were soon to be given up, the master and other carpenters fortunately finding work with Joseph and Edward Holmes, who con- tinued building vessels in spite of the gradual depression in this business, which by 1857, had assumed serious proportions throughout the country. At this time and later, the losses to builders and owners of shipping can be traced to various causes, the chief of which was the financial panic of 1857. Following this came the increasing number of steam vessels and the diverting of the ships employed in the California trade to foreign commerce. Then the Civil War and destruction of shipping by enemies' cruisers brought about still further loss, and the smaller yards where vessels were only built on orders were, one by one, abandoned for lack of work.
American ships, although faster, could not compete with those be- longing to European countries. Their operating expenses were so low they secured much of the freight formerly carried in Ameri- can bottoms. So from all these causes the sailing vessels as they became old or met disaster were not replaced and many years' su- premacy on the seas was lost to American commerce never to be revived.
On the plan of the schooner Bridgewater, designed and built by N. D. Drew for Alexander Holmes, in 1844, was written the names of
SHEER AND SPAR PLAN OF TOPSAIL SCHOONER Ocean Bird OF KINGSTON, 1852
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SHIPS OF KINGSTON
schooners Cosmos, Ocean Bird, Kingfisher and Clark Winsor, these four being built at various times by Joseph Holmes, all being of a like rig and of about the same dimensions. One plan was used, as was done with the ships Joseph Holmes and Nathan Hannau. Because of the beauty of the name, Ocean Bird, for a vessel of this class, I have called the plan shown here that of the Ocean Bird.
SCHOONER Cosmos
Schooner Cosmos of Kingston, 110 tons, built at Kingston by Edward Holmes, master carpenter, and Joseph Holmes, in 1848; owned by Joseph Holmes and Edward Holmes.
REMARKS
This schooner was used for fishing, coasting and West India voyages several years. In December, 1853, she was at St. Thomas in distress, John Allen, master, and bound from Boston to Jacmel. She was hove down in a hurricane while under bare poles and had to cut away foremast, losing sails, jib-boom, etc. She was also commanded by Captain Albert Holmes, Plymouth, and S. O. Whitman, and sold at New York, 1860. The following is a letter to Joseph Holmes from Captain John Allen of Harwich, Mass., relating the disaster to the Cosmos.
St. Thomas, Dec. 6, 1853.
JOSEPH HOLMES, Esq.,
Dear Sir: It is with feelings of deep regret and dis- appointment that I am compelled to acquaint you of my arrival at this port a perfect wreck. I experienced a tremendous hurricane on the night of the 24th of November in Latt. 23° - 40', Long. 69° - 50' and whilst under bare poles the vessel was hove down on her beam ends and I cut away her foremast carrying with it main topmast, jib-boom and bowsprit in the cap and both jibs. She then came up and soon after the hurricane abated and on the morning of the 25th we hoisted out our boat and worked until night and with much difficulty we saved a broken jib-boom and
flying-jib and then made the best of our way to this port, where we arrived on the 3rd inst. I should have steered for Jacmel which I could have reached two days sooner but from my experience in the ports of San Domingo, it would have been impossible to have procured mast or rigging. I shall get repaired as soon and as cheap as possible and proceed to Jacmel. I hope to get away from here in a week. There are eight wrecks in here now, and a mast alone for the Cosmos costs $300.00.
I have nothing more to say at present. I would to God these few lines were on a different theme.
Respectfully yours, Signed, JOHN ALLEN.
Under date of December 24, 1853, Captain Allen again writes that he has completed his repairs on schooner Cosmos and "shall sail today for Jacmel. The whole amount of the repairs being $1,734.15." In a postscript he writes, "Excuse my bad writing. I am not well."
He did not get to sea as expected; for January 8, 1854, the firm of Piniston and Company to whom the captain had consigned the Cosmos on arriving at St. Thomas, wrote Joseph
SAIL PLAN OF TOPSAIL SCHOONER Ocean Bird OF KINGSTON, 1852
Holmes of Captain Allen's illness and also of the condition of the ship Raritan. The letter is as follows:
By request of Captain Allen of the Cos- mos we have to advise his being detained here for the past 10 days owing to severe illness not only of himself but also the mate and two of the crew. We had them all brought ashore and all proper assistance and attention rendered them. Captain Allen, the mate and steward are somewhat better, although, still very weak, but in addition to Captain Allen's troubles he had the misfortune to lose his son yesterday, after a few days' illness. Captain Allen naturally feels very much disheartened both as to detention of the vessel and his own private griefs. He has also allowed the
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SHIPS OF KINGSTON
former to prey too much on his mind which has in some measure retarded his own recovery. We beg to say, however, in his behalf that he has done all that man could do towards dispatching matters and the vessel's detention has been all together beyond his control.
The prevalence of cholera here from which they are dying at the rate of 40 or 50 per day has put a stop to all business and it is a very difficult matter to obtain laborers here for the most trifling work. Cap-
tain Allen leaves this morning and has drawn on you 2 small drafts in favor of Cushing Stetson for $70.55 and $117.90, which we recommend to your protection. These two drafts are for expenses of himself and crew during sickness and burial of his son.
Yours very truly, Signed, J. F. PINISTON & Co.
P.S .- The Raritan has commenced discharging and still requires constant pumping when lying still in the harbor.
The schooner proceeded on her voyage to Jacmel, loaded and sailed for Boston; March 7, she left Harwich, Mass., for Boston in command of Captain Smith, as Captain Allen was sick and had put into Harwich, his home, on that account and was not able to continue the voyage to Boston.
The year 1854 was a hard year for Joseph Holmes' vessels for he not only had the schooner Cosmos and ship Raritan in distress at St. Thomas at the same time in January, but the same month the brig Gustavus was at Charleston, S. C., in distress and the brig August was high and dry on the beach at Scituate harbor.
February 16, Captain Thomas Dodge of the schooner, Ocean Bird, writes Joseph Holmes that the schooner has been ashore on the Common Flats in Stage Harbor, Chatham. Carried on shore by ice while anchored, but was got off not much damaged by help from ashore and would continue on her voyage to Boston.
SCHOONER Clark Winsor
Schooner Clark Winsor of Kingston, 124 tons, built at Kingston by Edward Holmes, mas- ter carpenter, and Joseph Holmes, in 1850; owned by Joseph Holmes and Edward Holmes.
REMARKS
This schooner was used for West India voyages. From an old letter to Mr. Holmes from the captain of a vessel that lay alongside at Port au Prince, November 22, 1853, we find that Captain Percival of the Clark Winsor is sick on shore with yellow fever. Mate on board, drunk the whole 24 hours round, and had sold most of the provisions, and the vessel ready for sea. Later the mate was taken sick with the fever, as were all the crew. It was very sickly all through the West Indies in those days, many vessels losing their entire crews.
June 19, 1855, this vessel was lost on a reef at 3.30 A.M., twenty miles south of Inagua, bound from Gonaives to Boston, Captain F. M. Percival. She was carried out of her course by strong currents. The vessel soon filled and was a total loss. Captain and crew saved and taken to Inagua. The following is Captain Percival's letter giving the account of her loss:
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