Some of its ships.
Ship
Gem of the Ocean, 730 tons, built by
Hayden &
Cudworth, was launched at midnight, Aug. 4, 1852, on account of the tide.
Each man brought his lantern.
Mr. Cudworth's mother, then seventy years of age,
[p. 97] never having witnessed a launch, came up from
Scituate and was present at the event—a great one for her.
Ship
Electric Spark, 1,200 tons, launched at the same yard in 1855, was commanded by
Capt. R. G. F. Candage (now of
Brookline) and made the voyage to
California in one hundred and six days.
The Boston Advertiser of Saturday, May 10, 1856, has the following advertisement:
Glidden & Williams line for San Francisco
To Sail on or before Tuesday, May 20,
the Magnificent first-Class Clipper Ship Thatcher Magoun
S. B. Bourne, Comdr.
The ‘Thatcher Magoun’ is truly an elegant ship extremely sharp and ventilated in the most thorough manner.
She will sail as above.
For Freight or Passage
Apply at California Packet office
39 Lewis Wharf.
She was built by
Hayden &
Cudworth.
To illustrate the quality of work by a famous
Medford ship-builder a lady relates this experience:
She was returning from
Europe with husband and family on the ship
John E. Thayer. They encountered an unusually severe gale lasting three days, with constantly increasing violence.
The passengers became so alarmed that the captain was appealed to for assurances of safety.
While he admitted the storm to be the worst he had ever known, he called the ladies to the cabin and asked them to notice the builder's name in golden letters on the white enamelled panel.
They read this: ‘
Paul Curtis, builder.’
He assured them that no ship of his had ever foundered,—no ships
[p. 98] had so high a record for low insurance rates,—no timber or bolt was introduced unless free from all defect.
‘I assure you, ladies,’ he said, ‘I think she will ride this terrible storm safely.’
The ship came safely through the storm.
Although this ship is not in the list of Medford-built vessels, this incident is well worth a record here on account of the builder being one of
Medford's best.
In 1851 there was constructed by
B. F. Delano, at
Magoun's yard, the ship
Dauntless, of 800 tons, faultless in every particular, the pride of the builder and owner.
She was commanded by
Captain Miller, who then lived in the large house at the corner of Revere place and Salem street. From the day she sailed away no tidings of her ever came to shore.
The ship
Don Quixote, built at
Foster's yard in 1868 (A picture of this vessel is reproduced on the invitations to this meeting.
She is represented just before the launch.) has a notice in the Boston Evening Journal of Oct. 29, 1868, as follows: ‘Launched, ship “
Don Quixote.”
A fine vessel of about 1,000 tons was launched by
Mr. Foster, at
Medford, a few days since.
She now lies at Long wharf and will load for
San Francisco.’
Her commander was
Captain Nelson, formerly of ship
Golden Fleece, and she sailed for
Winsor's regular line for
San Francisco.
The ship
Pilgrim,—long may she be remembered as the
last of all the vessels built and launched on the shores of the
Mystic!
She was constructed at
J. T. Foster's yard for
Henry Hastings & Co. Of nearly a thousand tons, launched on Dec. 3, 1873, she sailed to
Hong Kong Feb. 14, 1874, with a cargo of ice, and was commanded by
Capt. Frank Fowle, making the passage in one hundred and twenty-one days. Afterward, in December, 1889, was sold to
Daniel Bacon, of New York.
She was constructed of finest material, sailed the world over, making fair passages, and was lost.
