How a Medford Ship was built.
A half century has nearly passed since the
Pilgrim, the last Medford-built ship, was launched from
Captain Foster's ship yard.
To speak of ship building in
Medford today is to tell of a lost art, and of the many craft here built, none are now known to be afloat.
But reminders of them come to us occasionally.
The specifications of one, built seventy-five years ago, we reproduce in print, regretting that it could not be a facsimile of the elegant quill script of the original.
It is the only ‘specification’ we have ever seen, or that we know to exist, of a Medford-built ship.
We present it entire, as worthy of a place in the historic literature of
Medford.
Representative of a vanished industry, it is a witness of the careful and thorough work done on the banks of the
Mystic in days agone.
We call attention to the group of
Medford ship builders shown in our frontispiece, especially
Mr. Cudworth, the builder of the
Horsburgh.
Description of Ship Horsburgh.
All the frame white oak and Hackmetack, Hackmetack used for all the [k]night-heads, except one next to Stem and some timbers in bow cants and top timbers & upper deck knees and hanging knees between decks.
[p. 16]
Timbers on the keel moulded 15 inches—at gunwale 6 inches —rooms 24 inches—floor & navel timbers sided 11 & 11 1/2 inches & timbers sided at gunwale from 9 to 10 1/2 inches.
Size of Keelson 15 × 15 1/2 inches—a copper bolt in every other floor timber through floor timber & keel before keelson was put on—1/2 of 1 inch & 1/2 of 7/8ths and then a copper bolt throa every floor timber whole length of Ship, throa keelson, floor timber and Keel.
One bolt of 1 1/4 inch through every scarph of keel and keelson— all the rest of 1 1/8—inch—Stern knee and false stem fastened with 1 1/4 & 1 1/8—inch copper as high as copper fastenings goes.
Rider 13 × 13 1/2 inches fastened with iron bolts of 1 1/8 inch, 24 inches apart.
Ceiling on the floor 3 1/2 inches thick of white oak—a spike in every other timber & a treenail in every other timber—treenails drove from inside, two thick streaks to go over floor timber joints 7 inches thick of white oak & doubled forward & aft so as to make about same thickness forward & aft as amidships: fastened with an iron bolt drove from inside throa every other timber of 3/4 & a copper bolt throa every other timber of 1 inch and then a locust treenail throa every other timber drove from inside making two fastenings throa every other timber & then three six inch
yellow pine streaks above the 7 inch and then 5 inch
yellow pine to go to the clamps & four six inch
yellow pine clamps carried round the bow & aft doubled.
the six inch streaks fastened; a spike in every other timber & a locust treenail in every other timber drove from the outside & throa ceiling, wedged outside and inside & a 7/8th copper bolt in every third timber—the 5 inch streaks fastened; a spike in every other timber and a locust treenail in every other timber drove from outside & throa ceiling same as the 6 inch—one treenail throa every other timber & a 3/4 copper bolt in every third timber —the 4 lower deck clamps are fastened: a spike in every timber and an iron bolt in every timber; one half the bolts 3/4 & 1/2 of 7/8 inch.
Hanging Knees sided 7 1/2 & 8 inches of white oak fastened with 1/2 of 1 1/8 inch & 1/2 of inch iron, 9 bolts in a knee
Lower deck beams sided from 14 1/2 to 17 inches & moulded 14 to 14 1/2 inches in centre & 10 to 11 inches at the ends all of
yellow pine.
Lower deck knees sided 7 inches & fastened with 1 1/8 & 1 inch iron—fastenings drove from outside through bends &c
Lower deck Waterways,
yellow pine, 14 inches deep and moulded on underside 14 inches thick.
Streak next to waterway on lower deck 9 inches thick on inside, fastened; a bolt through every other timber drove from outside & clinched on the inside & a bolt throa every other timber drove from bends outside & clinched on the inside of waterway—making the fastenings of waterway in two streaks of bends
[p. 17]
One thick streak above lower deck waterway 8 inches thick and a blunt bolt in every other timber drove from the inside of 3/4ths & a bolt in every other timber drove from outside & cinched on the inside of 7/8ths
The 8 inch streak is bolted edgewise, down throa waterway and bolts about 3 feet apart.
Upper deck clamp, 5 inches thick and tapered to 4 inches to top of thick streak above waterway
The upper deck clamp and next streak below have a spike in every timber and a 3/4 iron bolt in every timber where there is no chain bolt.
Upper deck beams are sided from 14 to 16 inches and moulded from 8 to 8 1/4 inches in centre and from 7 1/2 to 8 inches at ends.
Upper deck plank of soft pine 51 inches wide & 31 inches thick fastened with composition spikes
Quarter deck 3 inches thick 5 1/4 inches wide fastened with composition spikes
Upper deck knees of hackmetack, sided 6 inches, fastened with 1 inch iron
Hanging knees under upper deck beams sided 8 to 9 inches with 9 one inch bolts in each knee
Plankshier 5 inches thick well fastened down with iron & a 3/4 copper bolt throa every stanchion
Rail 5 inches thick
Bottom plank 3 1/2 inches thick to the round of the bilge and then 4 inch white oak except 6 streaks of
yellow pine 4 in. thick, 3 of the 6
yellow pine streaks under wales to flush out. The 5 lower wales & the upper wale, making six, white oak—the rest
yellow pine 7 inches wide.
Upper streks 5 1/2 inches wide & 3 1/2 inches thick each butt fastened with a copper spike
Ship
Horsburgh built by
Hayden &
Cudworth at
Medford for
Danl.
C. Bacon of
Boston, Mass.
launched May 1 1847, Carpenters tonnage 577 72/95 Tons
Government tonnage about 550 Tons.
Dimensions Carpenter's Measurement
| Length on deck | 142 feet |
| Breadth of beam-Carpenters' measure | 29 feet 8 1/2 in |
| Whole depth | 20 feet 9 in |
Built with a half poop cabin, about 18 feet long with a house running six feet forward of poop, with a
state room on one side & entry on the other side, next to gangway.
Has American Rigging made by
Mr Sewall–
Cotton duck for heavy sails & twine duck for light sails
[p. 18]
Dimensions Ship Horsburgh's Spars
| Main Mast 71 ft. Head 11-6. | Main Yard 62 ft. arms 2-6 |
| Main Topmast 38 feet ft. Head 6-6 | Main Topsail Yard 49 ft. arms 3-9 |
| Main Top. gt.mast 19-6 & 9 Pole | Top.
Gt: Yard 34 ft. arms 2– |
| Fore Mast 65-6 Head 10-6 | Fore Yard 56 ft. arms 2-4 |
| Fore Topmast 36– Head 6— | Fore Top Gt. 43-6 arms 3-6 |
| Fore T. Gt.mast 18-6 12-2 & 7-6 Pole | Fore T. Gt. 31 arms 1-9 |
| Mizen Mast 63 Head 8-6 | Cross jack 44 arms 3– |
| Mizen Topmast 28 Head 4-9 | Mz T. Gt.: 34 arms 2-8 |
| Mizen Top G. mast 14-6 9-6 & 5 Pole | Zzz 23 arms 1—6 |
| Bowsprit out board 26. | Royal Yds 23 Zzz 21 & 16 arms 1-4, 1-2, & 1 |
| Jib Boom 36 | Head 2-6 |
| Flying Jib boom 39. | Head 3-6 |
| Spanker Boom 38 | Gaff 28 & 4-6 end. |
