USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Kingston > Ships of Kingston. : "Good-bye, fare ye well" > Part 8
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The ship is in every respect a first-rate vessel, she leaks but very little and out-sailed anything I fell in with on the passage. I do not consider it a fair trial
as my rigging was slack and crew very light, which
made it necessary for me to be careful about carrying sail. She steered like a pilot boat.
From Mobile she went to Havre with cotton and there is called as "fine a ship as ever came into this port and a great number of people came on board every day to look at her." She went from Havre to New Orleans with two cabin and ninety-five Swiss passengers. The next voyage was to Liverpool, cargo 1781 bales of cotton, 100 bales of which was on deck. The freight charge in money was 3,282 pounds. In one of Captain Holmes' letters as to a voyage from New York to Liverpool, he says that June 25, 1846, on the easterly edge of the Grand Banks he passed the schooner November, Joseph Holmes, owner. He says he tried to speak her but could not without hauling in all the studding sails and gave it up, supposing they were doing all they could toward a voyage. At this time he speaks in his letters of constantly seeing brigs and schooners owned by Joseph Holmes, on his passages or in southern ports. There is a story that Joseph Holmes said when told that two of his vessels were in collision off Hatteras, that he should have to stop building, as there was not room in the Atlantic for them. As he owned them both he could not get damages.
Under date of December 27, 1841, Captain Cook writes to Joseph Holmes from Savannah that on his passage from Philadelphia he spoke the schooner January of Kingston, Mass., a fine new vessel with a black ball in her foresail, bound to North Carolina.
February 5, 1844, Captain Paraclete Holmes writes his father, Joseph Holmes, that all their ships have a black ball in their spankers and if you see any reports of that kind you will be able to judge who it is. They are all to sail about the same time. Owners were now beginning to use some distinguishing mark on some sail on their vessels so that they could be more easily identified when spoken at sea, or entering port, and Joseph Holmes seems to have been one of the very first owners to adopt such a device, his schooners and brigs having a black ball in their foresails. By 1850, the packet ships belonging to various lines running between New York and Boston to England had some distinguishing mark on their sails; the vessels of the Black Ball Line showing a black ball in the foretopsail, the Red Star Line a red star and the Red Cross Line a red cross. The names of the ships then owned by him and their masters all being then engaged in the cotton trade and loading for Europe were as follows:
Ship Rialto, Captain Chase Ship Herculean, Captain P. Holmes Ship Raritan (new), Captain W. S. Adams
Captain Chase relieved Captain Paraclete Holmes, who had been in the Herculean a number of years, taking command in October, 1846, at Boston and continued in the ship as master till August, 1849. Captain Peter Hansen, who had been mate on Mr. Holmes' ships, took charge of the Rialto, succeeding Captain Chase, continuing as master of the Rialto till she was lost in 1850. A letter from Captain Chase to Joseph Holmes, dated Havre, December, 1846, gives an account of the narrow escape of the Herculean from disaster by fire at sea. The letter reads:
JOSEPH HOLMES, Esq.,
Dear Sir: I wrote you the evening previous and on the morning of sailing from Charleston, informing you of my proceedings and prospects up to the latest
Kingston, Mass. moment. I have now to inform you that soon after closing my last we came safely over the Bar, dis- charged the pilot and bore away to the east with a fine breeze from the S.W. At two P.M. wind freshening took in topgallant sails. At three furled jib and main-
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sail. At four close reefed the topsails fore and aft and ing that Heaven in its mercy, will spare me the repeti- reefed the foresail. At five the weather wearing an tion of another such a Thanksgiving day and night. exceedingly wild appearance took in the mizzentop- On the second of December, near the longitude of the Grand Bank, took strong gales from the N.E. with high seas which afterward shifted to S.E. and continued until about the 15th of December when the wind came round to westward and gave us a fine run. sail, clewed up the fore-topsail and while the men were in the act of laying aloft to furl it a whirlwind was seen approaching from N.W. The helm was in- stantly hove hard aport but before the ship had time to answer it the squall was upon us in great fury, blowing the fore-topsail all away below the reefs and splitting the mainsail from the reef-band to the foot rope and in spite of all we could do to the contrary, the ship broached to, head to the north. Furled the maintopsail, got the star-board fore-sheet aft and finally succeeded in getting her again before the wind. Scudded through the night.
The 23rd, 24th, and 25th, we had better weather and I had got all things right again when on the 26th we had another violent gale from W. N.W., which soon reduced us to a reefed foresail. The ship behaved well, scudded like a yacht, but unfortunately at two o'clock P.M. while a heavy squall of hail was passing over us a single flash of forked lightening was seen just forward of the maintop the report of which was exactly like that from a cannon. The effect on the ship was like that of a heavy weight having fallen with great violence on the deck, causing her to vibrate for several seconds and severely stunning the men about the decks. After a close examination no marks of its having struck the hull or spars could be found.
At six o'clock the same evening a strong smell of justice compels me to do so. I contend that the gas and smoke issuing from the after-hatch was per- ceptible. The foresail was immediately hauled up the helm put to port, brought the ship's head to the south, cleared away and opened the main-hatch with all possible dispatch when the cotton was found burn- ing freely around the mainmast. We all went at it like so many tigers, breaking out cargo and hoisting it up, but from its having been uncommonly hard screwed, our progress was very slow. In the meantime, the fire having got air, was spreading rapidly having lit into a blaze and showing the chances of subduing it from that direction much against us. At seven and one-half o'clock P.M. we cut through the deck to the windward of the mainmast and brought a cask of water near the hole knocked out a portion of the head and let it down upon the fire. This had a very good effect and by following it up with water from the pumps, we were enabled to keep it under and prevent it spread- ing until we had broken out and got around it finally extinguishing it at eleven o'clock. At midnight again, bore away.
Here much might be said upon the horror of such a situation, but knowing well how little sympathy is usually extended towards such cases, I forbear, hop-
Came into the Channel on the 21st and hove to off the port of Havre on the night of the 23rd, took a pilot on the morning of the 24th, with the wind from the east blowing directly out of the harbor. On the afternoon of the 25th, I with others made a signal for a steam boat, but being nearest to the Mole Head I had the misfortune to be the first served. The boat came out, took our hawser and we clewed up the sails. The boat pointed her head towards the harbor, and when very near the mouth, which is narrow, she found herself likely to come in contact with two outward bound French coasters. She cut our hawser, dodged out of the way and in attempting to steer the ship between them, we struck both of them, one on each bow, damaging the ship to the amount of about one hundred dollars, and the other vessels together about four hundred more.
This affair is now in the processes of law and every one says I shall have to pay the bills for the whole damage, upon the principal that any foreign vessel damaging a French one is doomed to pay the costs. But I shall not pay it until French law or French owners, master, two officers of the Herculean had no more control over her than if they had all been in Paris. I have endeavored to take all proper measures for a speedy and satisfactory settlement of the light- ning scrape. We threw overboard about fifteen bales of cotton which together with the damage received by water I suppose will be borne by general average on ship's freight and cargo, but what the amount will be, I cannot tell, not having yet broken bulk and I expect it will be several days yet before things will be in proper train for doing so.
I hope you will not think this long story unneces- sary, the ship must lose some money and what is worse she must lose time which under present circum- stances is more than money. I wish you to know exactly how I am situated which I have endeavored to communicate and must acknowledge that I either manage my affairs very badly or my evil star, if there is such a thing, is much in the ascendancy. I leave you to judge which, and ask as much of your charity as you can conscientiously allow me, and remain your unfortunate and
Obedient Servant, Signed, ISAIAH CHASE.
There is no date in the above letter as to when the Herculean left Charleston, but a previous letter shows it to have been November 22, 1846; cargo, cotton. Considering the weather and the delay caused by the fire, she made a very good passage.
This is the only time that any of the Holmes' vessels were ever damaged by fire, which is remarkable when we consider the length of time and the number of their vessels engaged in the cotton trade. Sailing vessels carrying cotton for cargo were often on fire and some were lost from this cause. Even today, when steamers are used for this business, it is
ORIGINAL FIGUREHEAD OF SHIP Herculean OF KINGSTON, 1839
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quite common to hear of the vessel and cargo damaged by fire and they are furnished with all modern equipment for extinguishing fire at sea.
In February, 1857, she was reported as on a passage from Singapore to New York and no more is known about her after that date.
CAPTAIN BENJAMIN COOK
Captain Benjamin Cook was born in Kingston in 1809 and died in 1880. He lived in a large white house on the Wapping Road, this place being now called Spring Brook Farm. Although he always lived in Kingston very little is known of the voyages he may have made in Kingston vessels. A letter to Joseph Holmes from the captain of the ship Helen Mar of Kingston, dated July 12, 1830, speaks of him as the mate and leaving her to go in another ship.
From this it appears that he must have gone to sea quite young to have become mate at this time, for he was then twenty-one years old. In 1839, he was master of the ship Herculean of Kingston, new, and continued in her until 1843, as told in the "Remarks" on the voyages of this vessel. The next year, a letter to Joshua Delano from London, shows him to be in command of the ship Alesto of Kingston, owned by John Sever and Joshua Delano of Kingston, and nothing more can be found to connect him with any Kingston vessels.
His picture is taken from a portrait in oils by Guiseppe Tapani, 1852, now in the Kingston Public Library.
The oil painting of the Herculean was done for him on his first voyage in her, 1840, as this was the only time the ship was in Liverpool while in his charge. The artist's name is not given anywhere on the painting, but he must have been one of the best of that day as can be seen by a careful study of the picture. From the position of the ship the figurehead can easily be recognized and compared with the original.
This painting is now owned by F. Russel Adams of Kingston, a relative of Captain Cook, and is highly valued by him.
FIGUREHEAD OF THE SHIP Herculean OF KINGSTON, 1839
January 28, 1849, the Herculean was at Glasgow, Scotland, with a cargo of cotton from Apalachiola. Her master, Captain Isaiah Chase of West Harwich, Mass., who had been in her the past three years, writes Joseph Holmes of the ship's arrival, June 23, 1849, after a passage of forty-six days, and that she has leaked very freely all of the passage. In consequence of this the pumps were badly worn, refusing to work, and new ones were absolutely necessary. He expects that the cargo is considerably damaged, as at times, there was two feet of water in her. In closing this letter he says, "I intend to sail for Boston about the 18th of July with about the same cargo as last year, but, un- fortunately, at much less rates, only eighteen shillings per ton for pig iron, and other things in proportion, with probably about as many passengers as last year at the same rate."
On July 6, 1849, Captain Chase writes again to Mr. Holmes and says:
JOSEPH HOLMES, Esq.,
Dear Sir:
I wrote you by the last steamer informing you of my arrival, etc. Have now to say that we have com- pleted discharging, found some considerable damaged cargo, but not half as much as I expected. Have not yet settled or received the freight, expect to do so in a day or two and have no doubts but I shall remit to London one thousand five hundred pounds before the next mail for the U. S. We have dis- charged as much ballast as we dare to and am in
July 6, 1849. momentary expectation of receiving iron. The caulk- ing I mentioned in my last will be completed to-day together with the lower deck. The seams outside were found much harder than I expected to find them and I do not hesitate to say that the whole trouble with the ship is in the bow and that will never be remedied until it is strengthened with bolts and extra breast hooks. I do not think that reflects upon the credit of the ship at all, on the contra, it is wonderful or rather surprising to me how she has managed to carry such an immense weight hanging on her stem for so long a time. It is the
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only part of her that I have seen show the least signs of weakness. The expense of caulking the lower deck may be more than you counted upon, but when I joined the ship Captain Holmes advised me to have it done the first oppor- tunity. It had got to be very open and water spilt there went directly into the lower hole, this, with passengers is sometimes very annoying. I shall write you again by the next steamer.
And remain your Obedient Servant, Signed, ISAIAH CHASE.
P.S .- I shall not dabble with the bow at all but leave it with you to do what you choose when the ship returns. The new pumps are now going in.
Signed, ISAIAH CHASE.
A letter from Captain Chase from West Har- wich to Mr. Holmes, dated August 27, 1849, shows that the Herculean arrived in Boston the last of the month, but no further account can be found in Joseph Holmes' letters concerning the re- moval of her figurehead. It has always been CAPTAIN BENJAMIN COOK From a Portrait told that it was taken off on account of its great weight, but nothing was ever known about it making her leak so badly until Captain Chase's letters were found and mention made of it in them.
From what Captain Chase writes as to strengthening the ship forward, this extensive alteration must have been done in Boston after his last voyage in her, when a smaller or billet-head was fitted on in its place, very likely by carpenters sent up from the King- ston shipyard, as Joseph Holmes always repaired his own vessels, if possible. It had been on the ship ten years and after it was taken off, was brought to Kingston and fastened to the westerly end of the second story of the rigging and sail loft in the Holmes shipyard at the Landing, remaining there until the building was torn down by Edward Holmes a few years before his death in 1888. For several years after this the figure lay on the ground among the old timbers in the yard, finally coming into the possession of Mr. Elsworth C. Bailey. It now stands among the shrubs on the grounds of his residence in Kingston facing toward the Massachusetts Bay, never again to be washed by the seas of the Western Ocean on a winter's passage, or by the warmer waters of the Gulf of Mexico or Caribbean Sea.
A few of these full-length figureheads are still to be found in some of the seaport towns of New England, but they are becoming more rare with each passing year and are hardly to be compared in size or modeling to this that came from the bows of the Herculean.
From 1849, when the ship arrived in Boston and it was brought to Kingston, up to the present time it has always been exposed to the weather, but in spite of this is still in a remarkable state of preservation.
The figure is seven feet tall and weighs about 800 pounds, and with the exception of the right knee and arm is carved entire from a pine log.
SHIP Alesto
The ship Alesto of Kingston, 420 tons, built at Kingston by Lysander Bartlett in 1840; owned by John Sever, James N. Sever, Benjamin Delano, Joshua Delano, Melzar Whitten of Kingston, and Henry Whiting, Josiah Finney and W. S. Finney of Plymouth.
REMARKS
Henry Whiting was her first master, but did not stay in her long, for in 1844 she was reported to be loading in London in command of Captain Benjamin Cook of Kingston.
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The picture of this ship is from an oil painting that Captain Cook had painted for himself. The date on it is 1846 and the artist's name is C. F. Feeleler. The vessel is shown leaving or entering a Spanish Port and there is no further record of her.
SHIP Leodes
Ship Leodes of Kingston, 445 tons, built at Kingston by Lysander Bartlett in 1841; owned by John Sever.
REMARKS
This was the largest vessel built on Jones River above the present railroad bridge. In November, 1846, this ship was at New Orleans, loading for Rotterdam. Robbins, master. Colonel John Sever's daughter Emily says that the ship Leodes was launched at mid- night and that tar barrels were burned on both banks of the river to give light to the workmen and people viewing the launch. At the time of launching the night tides were much higher than in the daytime and on account of the ship's size the highest tides were needed for a successful launch.
A book entitled "Old Ships of New England," published by the Lauriat Company of Boston, in 1923, contains pictures of many of the more famous sailing vessels, and among them is a picture of the ship Leodes of Boston, Captain Edward Graves, enter- ing. Brouwershaven on the 19th of May, 1856, coming from Samarang. It is painted by Spin of Amsterdam. This shows the ship to have been owned in Boston at that time.
Through the courtesy of Mr. C. B. Webster of the C. B. Webster Company of Boston, who compiled the book for Charles E. Lauriat Company, the picture of the Leodes, entering Brouwershaven, is reproduced here.
The picture of the bark Stafford of Kingston, now owned (in 1924) by Alexander Holmes of Kingston, and painted by an unknown marine artist, is very similar to the one of the Leodes, so much so that it seems as though it was the work of the same man, as the position of the vessels, the way the sails are drawing and condition of the sea are exactly alike in both pictures. Pictures of the Rialto of Kingston and Propontis of Salem show a like similarity and we know in this case both were painted by the same artist at Marseilles at about the same time. The only difference is that the Propontis is under all plain sail on the starboard tack and the Rialto under shorten sail on the port tack.
SCHOONER June
Schooner June of Kingston, 88 tons, built at Kingston by Nathan- iel D. Drew, in 1841; owned by Joseph Holmes and Edward Holmes.
REMARKS
February 1, 1842, the schooner June was at Kingston, Mass., ready for sea in command of Captain Luther Crowell. She was used for fishing, coasting and West India voyages, and when new she was spoken off the southern coast by Captain Paraclete Holmes of ship Herculean. Captain John A. Morse was in her many years and was in command when she was lost on the southern coast, November 12, 1852.
SHEER AND SPAR PLAN OF SLOOP Union
SHIP Alesto OF KINGSTON. BENJAMIN COOK, MASTER, 1846
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MODEL OF SCHOONER June OF KINGSTON, 1841
An old letter of that time to Joseph Holmes, reads that some merchants of Charles- ton, S. C., have a bill against Captain Morse and owners of the schooner June, as part of the cargo of rice was saved from the wreck of the schooner and sold and the proceeds used for protest, Captain's board and expenses home, the owners of the vessel ought to bear a proportion of the expenses.
Alexander Holmes has the half or working model of the schooner which shows her to have been a full bowed craft with a long floor and easy run. During these years there were large numbers of vessels of this size and rig used in the business of fishing, coasting and West India voyages and although not built for speed, good passages were made and they were always in demand; their draft of water allowing them to visit ports not reached by larger vessels. Carrying small crews with no long waits for cargo, their run- ning expenses were small as compared to the larger vessels and little difficulty was experi- enced in the showing of a profit for the year's work. Later, when railroads became the carriers, business was centered by them in the larger ports and the small vessels were no longer used as packets and coasters, and few were built, except for fishing and carrying lumber from eastern ports.
ALEXANDER HOLMES
Alexander Holmes was the oldest of Joseph Holmes' sons and was born in Kingston in 1803.
Unlike his brothers, Paraclete and Edward, he never went to sea, but early in life became an owner in his father's vessels, assisting him in their construction and outfitting. As the business increased he was obliged to make frequent visits to Boston and New York to see to the chartering and general management of the vessels when in port, with the result that he soon acquired a large acquaintance in the shipping circles of these cities. Whenever a vessel was sold, that was not in Kingston, he usually attended to the business and letters to his father often speak of the offers he had secured for them when in Boston or New York.
In 1839, he leased the upper shipyard at the Landing of John Drew and began building vessels for himself, but retained his holdings in those owned with his father. Previous to this he had owned this part of the Landing, conveying it back to the Drews a short time before leasing. None of his letters or books are to be found, so only a brief account can be given about the vessels he had built for him in the old Drew building yard.
There are two paintings, two models, and three sheer and spar plans of them left, which are now owned by his grandson, Alexander Holmes, of Kingston.
The last vessel built for him was the brig Frank Henry in 1854, and becoming president of the Old Colony Rail Road Company in that year, he soon after gave up all of his interests in shipping. He was president of the railroad company for over twelve years, retiring from this office in 1866 owing to his health.
On his marriage he took up his residence in a house on the Main Street near his father's and opposite to the Town Green, afterward building the house on his large estate near the Great Bridge over Jones River, now owned and occupied by his grandson, Alexander,
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LEODES
SHIP Leodes OF KINGSTON, 1841
Photographed by George E. Noyes, Newburyport
SHIP Leodes OF KINGSTON IN STORM, 1841
€ 6
SHIPS OF KINGSTON
ALEXANDER HOLMES
Holmes, and called The Jones River Farm. He died there in 1868, sixty-five years old.
SCHOONER Brazos
Schooner Brazos of Kingston, 99 tons, built at Kingston by Nathaniel D. Drew in 1841; owned by Alexander Holmes, Dawson Lincoln, Benjamin and Joshua Delano, and Melzar Whitten.
REMARKS
Dawson Lincoln, one of the owners, master, when new. This is a photograph from the original plan of the designer, Nathaniel D. Drew.
CAPTAIN PARACLETE HOLMES
He was the second son of Joseph Holmes and was born in Kingston in 1804.
Like many others who lived here and com- manded vessels, he commenced his seafaring life at an early age. With the exception of a voyage or two in the ship Helen Mar, after she was sold he always went in his father's vessels.
When twenty-two years old he was mate of the brig Sophia and Eliza of Kingston, bound from Boston to Lisbon, and the following is a partial account of the voyage:
"The brig, Sophia and Eliza, was 85 feet long, 23 feet 6 inches wide, and 11 feet 9 inches deep, and her tonnage was 206 tons. She was built in Kingston by Joseph Holmes, owned by him and Joseph W. Plasket of Nantucket and registered at the Plymouth Custom House as built in 1824. She was sold to Duxbury in 1841 and registered as hailing from Duxbury rigged as a bark. We only know of one voyage made by this vessel which was from Boston to Lisbon, touching at Gibralter and from there to Callao, Peru, and return to Boston. She sailed from Boston, September 27, 1826, Joseph W. Plaskett, master, with Paraclete Holmes, who afterward commanded his father's vessels so successfully, making his first voyage as mate. Cargo, staves. The mate writing his father, Joseph Holmes from Boston, September 21, 1826, says, in part, as to the prospects of the voyage as follows :
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