Great Republic
Owner: Manhattan Sailing Club
LOA: 24'
Type: J/24
Designer: Rod Johnstone
Year Built: 19__?
Material: Fiberglass
Sail # GR
Commissioned into the Manhattan Sailing Club fleet on .
The clipper Great Republic
(from www.eraoftheclipperships.com)
The following account of the launching appeared in the October 5, 1853 edition of the Boston Post:
THE LAUNCH OF THE GREAT REPUBLIC
This triumph of marine architecture was launched from Mr. McKay's ship yard in East Boston at precisely 12 o'clock on Tuesday. The ceremony of introducing the noble fabric to her destined home occurred in the presence of an immense crowd of spectators, and she passed to her mission of the deep with the crash of cannon and the cheers of the people. She curtsied beautifully to the compliment as she glided coyly away from the shore, and gave her arm gracefully to the steamer Forbes to be escorted into dock. We have never known so much enthusiasm attending the launch of a ship. Visitors were in town from the back country and from all along the coast to witness the launch, particularly from Cape Cod, delegations from which arrived by the morning train. The wharves on both sides of the stream where a view was obtainable, were thronged with people; men, women and children vied in interest to get a look, and boys and men clung like spiders to the rigging of the ship, and the sides and roofs of the stores and houses, to get a glance at the sublime spectacle. For ourselves, we mounted the Chariot of Fame, a noble ship lying at Constitution Wharf,-upon the precise spot where the Constitution Frigate was launched,-from which we had a fine view of the scene. The river was full of vessels of various kinds and all kinds-from the Mayflower to the steam tug, and from the beautiful yacht to the little boat whose tiny sail seemed, in the distance, not bigger than a lady's hand,-and all were crowded with eager lookers.
The day was fine and the moving life upon the land and water gave great interest to the scene. . . . As the hammer of the clock fell at twelve, the stroke of a gun at the shipyard announced that the ship had started on her ways, and pursued her graceful course to the arms of the loving wave that opened wide to receive her. Capt. Alden Gifford christened her in pure Cochituate The Great Republic, as she left her trail and took to her watery bed.
The Great Republic is one of the most beautiful crafts that ever took captive the heart of the sailor. She is 325 feet long, 53 wide, her depth 37 feet, and her capacity 4000 tons-the largest merchant ship, probably, that ever tasted salt water. The Great Republic thus stands in front of the ships as the Great Republic she was named for in front of the nations, and we hope her prosperity may be in an equal degree with that of her great namesake.
It is estimated that fifty thousand people witnessed the launch, and not an accident occurred, that we have heard of, to mar the scene. The little steamer Argo, however, came as near an accident, and missed it as was possible. She was directly in the way of the ship wen she ran from the stocks, and notwithstanding all the efforts to get out of the way, the ponderous vessel passed her as she was peddling for dear life and carried away her flag staff. It was a truly narrow escape and the steamer's chance for a brief interval, was considered by spectators as a hopeless one.
Mr. McKay entertained a large party of visitors after the launch, and a fine social feeling prevailed, evinced in speech and sentiment wherein the best wishes were given for the success of the Great Republic.
It was more than 200 feet from deck to main truck, with yards in proportion. The spanker mast was 110 feet long and fore and aft rigged. The hull was constructed of oak and pine and when seen from the shore was not particularly different from ordinary clipper ships, except in length and the great shear forward from the fore chains to the figure head. But once on board the visitor was struck with her enormous breadth of beam.
The following account of the Great Republic is from a pamphlet published by Eastburn's Press, Boston, 1853 and was written by "A Sailor," and attributed to Donald McKay's friend, Duncan McLean.
Among the many wonderful results which have followed the discovery of gold in California, none is more wonderful than the magnificent fleet of clippers which has been built within a few years, to perform the carrying trade of the new state. Rapidly as the population of California increased, it hardly kept pace with the means to furnish supplies, notwithstanding the length and rugged nature of the seas over which they had to be carried. Month after month, ships surpassing in beauty and strength, all that the world had before produced, were built and equipped by private enterprise, to form the means of communication with the new land of promise. Our most eminent shipbuilders and most enterprising merchants vied with one another to lead in the great race around the Horn. The established rules, which had for years circumscribed mechanical skill to a certain class of models, were abandoned, and the capitalist only contracted for speed and strength, Ships varying in size from 1500 to 2000 tons were soon built and sent to sea, and their wonderful performances, instead of satisfying, increased the desire to excel to be first upon 'the world of waters;' and this desire has known no abatement even to the present day. The Flying Cloud, built by Mr. McKay, on her first passage was made in 89 days, and she ran in 24 consecutive hours 374 geographical miles. Such results would have satisfied most men that they had at last produced a model which might defy competition, and would have flattered themselves during the rest of their lives, that they had discovered perfection, and made no further efforts to excel. But such were not the conclusions of the designer of the Flying Cloud. His daring and ever active mind was not satisfied with a single triumph. He carefully reviewed all his past works and analyzed their results, and came to the conclusion, that perfection in modeling had not yet been discovered; that whatever success he had attained had been the result of increased information, derived from experience, and that if he desired to excel he must never cease to improve. Impressed with these common sense views, he determined to build a clipper that could outsail the Flying Cloud, and he produced the Sovereign of the Seas, a ship of 2400 tons, and then the largest, longest and sharpest merchant ship in the world. Contrary to the advise of his best friends, he built her on his own account; he embarked all he was worth in her, for no merchant in this vicinity would risk capital in such a vessel, as she was considered to large and costly for any trade. But his clear mind saw the end from the beginning. Before her keel was laid, he had mastered the workings of the California trade, and when she was ready, to the surprise of even those who knew him best, he played the merchant successfully and loaded her himself. His business capacity for mercantile transactions was scarcely less conspicuous than his skill as a mechanic. And well he was rewarded. He not only sold her upon his own terms, but her performances exceeded his expectations. Although she did not make so quick a passage to San Francisco as the Flying Cloud, yet she beat the swiftest of the entire fleet which sailed about the same time, 7 days, although she was dismasted; and on the homeward passage, made the greatest runs ever recorded. In 24 consecutive hours she ran 430 geographical miles, or 56 miles more than the greatest run of the Flying Cloud, and in 10 consecutive days she ran 3144 miles. Her next passage, which was from New York to Liverpool, though performed in the month of June, under very unfavorable circumstances, was the shortest ever made by a sailing vessel. In 11 months her gross earnings amounted to $200,000.
But long before these gratifying results were known, her enterprising builder had taken another step-we ought to say another bound-in advance of all his previous undertakings. Experience had shown that the passage to California had been lengthened by the tremendous westerly gales in the vicinity of Cape Horn, and that to combat these gales successfully, vessels of greater size and power than any which had yet been built, were necessary. He accordingly designed the Great Republic, a ship of 4000 tons register, and full 6000 tons stowage capacity, and has built her entirely upon his own account, and will sail her too. She is 325 feet long, 53 feet wide, and her whole depth is 39 feet. The keel for 60 feet forward is gradually raised from a straight line, and curves upwards into an arch, where it blends with the stem, so that the gripe of her forefoot, instead of being angular, like that of other vessels, is the complete arc of a circle. This arch, both inside and outside, is formed of solid oak and binds all the joints together, so that the greater the pressure the more firmly will the arch be knit together. Strength, however, is only one reason for adopting the arched form for her forefoot; another reason is to facilitate her working, and at the same time to make her entrance as clean as possible, to obviate resistance. She has vast surface of floor, with about 20 inches of dead rise, and a very long and clean run, which, however, as it rises,, is spread out to prevent her settling aft, no matter how swiftly she may fly through the water. Her lines are concave forward and aft, up to a few feet above the load displacement line, but become gradually convex as they ascend and form her outline on the planksheer. The angular form of the bow, however, is preserved entire; and such a bow for sharpness, beauty and strength, has never been produced in this country. Yet it is plain, even to nakedness, having the national eagle represented as emerging from below toe bowsprit, as its only ornament. But even simple and appropriate as is this ornament, it adds nothing to the beauty of the bow.
Her sides are arched, or swell somewhat like those of a ship of war, but not so much, in proportion to her size; and her sheer is graduated her whole length, with just sufficient rise forward, to impart ease and grace to the bow. She has a waist of 9 narrow strakes, defined between the mouldings of the upper wale and the planksheer, and every line and moulding is graduated to correspond with her sheer. Her stern is semi-elliptical in form, and corresponds well with her after body. It is spanned by a large, gilded eagle, with the American shield in his talons, and extends 36 feet between the tips of the wings. Her name and port of hail are also on the stern, and its ground, as well as the hull, is painted black. She is yellow metalled up to 25 feet draught. Instead of bulwarks, the outline of her spar deck is protected by a rail, on turned oak stanchions.
She has 4 complete decks The height between the upper and spar decks is 7 feet, and between each of the others is 8 feet. Abaft the foremast is a house 23 feet long by 16 wide, the forward part of which is designed for a work room in wet weather, or as a shelter-house for the watch on deck in stormy weather. The after part of it is a Sick-bay or hospital, where those off duty will be properly taken care of, and every means used to restore them to health. Abaft the fore hatchway is another house, 25 feet long, 16 wide, and 6 1/2 high, which contains the galley, and abaft the galley, is a blacksmith's shop and an engine room, where there is a steam engine of 15 horse power. This engine is designed to do all the heavy work of the ship, such as taking in and discharging cargo, setting up rigging, working the fire engine, hoisting topsails, pumping ship, &c., and connected with it is an apparatus for distilling fresh water from salt water. The advantages of a steam engine on board of such a ship must be great, and must prove a blessing to her crew, as well as a source of profit to her owner.
Abaft the mainmast is another house, 40 feet long by 12 wide, which contains a mess-room for the officers, and has a staircase in its forward part, which leads to the quarters of the petty officers and boys, on the deck below. Farther aft there is still another house, 17 feet long by 11 1/2 wide, of the same height as the others. It protects a staircase which leads to the vestibule of both cabins below, and contains lockers, &c. Aft, near the taffrail, is the wheel-house. Like a ship of war she has a double wheel, an iron tiller, and a gun-tackle purchase, as her steering apparatus, She has four large boats on the spar deck, two of them of 20 tons each. 30 feet long, 10 1/2 feet wide, and 5 feet deep, fitted with sails and all the other appliances necessary to preserve life in the event of disaster to the ship. She also carries four quarter boats of 26 feet length, and a captain's gig of 22 feet. Notwithstanding the space occupied on the spar deck by the houses and boats, such is her vast size, that the deck looks comparatively clear fore and aft, and is more roomy for working ship than that of a ship of the line. There are four working hatchways, the main one 11 by 14 feet in the clear, which is large enough to take down an omnibus, if required. Her heavy spare spars are stored on the deck below, and in the spar deck on each side is an oblong square opening, to admit of the spars being taken up or sent down. These openings, when not required, are hatched over, the same as the other hatchways. She will also carry spare topsail yards in her channels, like the heavy ships of war.
The accommodations for her crew are on the upper between decks, and as she purchases her anchors with a capstan instead of a windlass, the space is not only ample, but light and airy as the cabin, and is most admirably designed for comfort and safety; and the entrances on the spar deck are protected by companions.
Abaft the heel of the bowsprit are the riding-bitts, and abaft the capstan, near the foremast, are other bitts, suitable for weather-bitting, so that she has bitts enough to ride with four anchors down. The space abaft the foremast will be partly occupied with spare spars, hawsers, spare rigging, &c. Between the accommodations for her crew, and the after staterooms and cabins, there is space for 5 or 600 tons, which will be used as occasion requires.
Abaft the after hatchway is a large sail-room, with a boatswain's storeroom next to it, and abaft the latter is another sail-room for light sails, such as studding sails and staysails. farther aft are rooms for the boys, for she will carry thirty boys, and has spacious accommodations for them near the cabin of the petty officers. Leading from the sides of the petty officers' and boys' cabins, are a carpenter's room, state-rooms for the second officer and steward; and farther aft, two state-rooms and the pantry. Next, aft, is the dining saloon, which is 30 feet long by 14 wide, and contains 4 large state-rooms on each side. It is finely painted and grained, and elegantly furnished; and its state-rooms are spacious, and well designed for the accommodations of the passengers. Abaft the dining saloon is a vestibule, which communicates with the deck above and with both cabins below. It contains the captain's cabin on the starboard side, and the chief officer's opposite, both handy to the deck, and both clear of the cabins, so that their occupants may be called at all times, without interfering with the passengers.
The after cabin is 25 feet long by 14 wide, and contains 3 state-rooms on each side, two recesses with sofas, and is beautifully wainscotted with mahogany, rose and satin wood, set off with pilasters, papier maché cornices, and gilded mouldings. The backgrounds of the recesses are ornamented with plate glass mirrors, and mirrors also ornament the forward part of the cabin. The curve of the stern is fitted with a sofa, and over it aft, are circular plate glass air ports, and over all an oblong square skylight. In every state-room there are also deck and side lights, and skylights over all the other cabins, already described. Her cabin tables were furnished with plate, &c. by Mr. Samuel T. Crosby, the most eminent in his line of business of Boston.
On this deck, by each side, there are three large ports, with bitts near them, suitable for making the ship fast by, when alongside the wharf.
Her charm lockers are in the lower hold forward, and before the main hatchway and abaft the mainmast are two iron water tanks, each of 8000 gallons capacity. These were made by Messrs. Leonard, Holden & Co. of East Boston. The space between the other decks and the hold is entirely clear for the stowage of cargo, and in the sides of the main deck are three cargo ports, nearly as large as these between the decks above. She has also double main hatchways below, so that goods hurriedly put in the decks below in rainy weather, can be lowered into the hold without exposing them to wet.
These details will convey a general idea of the outline of this splendid ship, and now the details of her materials and construction will be reviewed.
The keel is of rock maple, in two tiers, which are 12 feet long, which, as well as the parts of the keel, are bolted with copper, The show, or false keel, is 4 1/2 inches thick. Her frame is of selected seasoned white oak. The floor timbers on the keel are sided from 12 to 15 inches, and moulded 22 inches, and the top-timbers at the planksheer vary from 11 to 13 sided, by 8 inches moulded. the space of frames from centre to centre is 26 inches. All the frames are doweled or coaged and bolted together, near every joint. The coags are of white oak, cylindrical in form, 3 1/4 inches in diameter, and 3 1/2 inches long, and join both parts of the frame together, after which an inch bolt was driven through the frame and the heart of the coag. The object of coaging is twofold: first, it binds the joints together, beyond the possibility of working; and second, it protects the iron bolts driven through them from being corroded by salt water. Any person who has inspected a vessel 7 or 8 years old, undergoing repairs, could hardly fail to observe that the frame boltings were corroded, and that the action of frequent caulking had raised the butts of the frames. To guard against the contingencies is the object of coaging this ship's frames. But she is closely coaged elsewhere, as will be seen hereafter.
Her stem is sided the same as the keel, and is moulded 2 feet at the foot, and 4 inches less at the head, and the cutwater is tapered almost to an edge, to correspond with the sharpness of the bow. The apron is 4 1/4 feet through, and fills the angle of the bow, and inside of that is a massive stemson, which forms an arch covering all the joints of the stem and keel, as they meet at the forefoot, and also receives the lower ends of the cants. Every through bolt of the stem, apron, stemson and cutwater is of 1 1/4 inch copper, up to 26 feet draught, and the bolts are nearly within 6 inches of one another.
The stern post is in three upright pieces, coaged and bolted together, sided the same as the keel, and moulded between 5 and 6 feet, with 5 angular supports inside. The stern knee is sided 16 inches, is moulded 3 feet in the throat, and extends 8 feet along the sternpost and 20 feet along the keel, and is scarphed to the lower midship keelson, and bolted with copper. The sternpost is bolted in the same style as the stem.
Her frame is diagonally cross-braced with iron on the inside, fore and aft, the braces 4 inches wide, 1 inch thick, and 36 feet long, and extended from the floor heads to the top-timbers. There are 90 of these on each side. The first brace is let into the frames, and the second, or cross brace, is let into the ceiling, and these are bolted with inch iron into every timber, and are riveted together at every intersection.
Her keelsons, ceiling and deck frames are of hard pine. She has 4 tiers of midship keelsons, the two first 15 inches square, and the upper one 12 by 14 inches. These are all coaged and bolted together vertically, and are lock scarphed, and square keyed. There are two 1 3/8 inch copper bolts through every floor timber and the keel, the first driven through the timber and the keel, and the second through the first and second tiers of keelsons also, and all riveted on the base of the keel. The naval timbers are bolted through all the keelsons with iron driven into the keel, within a few inches from the base. These bolts were so long and stout, that it was found necessary to drive them through a pile-driving machine. The sister keelsons are bolted diagonally through the naval timbers into the keel, and horizontally through the midship keelsons. The whole depth of her back bone, from the top of the keelsons, including the moulding of the floor timbers, is 9 feet 10 inches, and its spread on the inside is 45 inches.
There are 9 strakes of 10 by 12 inches on the floor, all scarphed, square fastened through the frames, and bolted edgeways together every 5 feet. Over the floor heads are 4 bilge keelsons, each 15 inches square and in two depths. These are also coaged together, scarphed, keyed, square fastened with 1 1/4 inch refined iron and bolted edgeways, also. The ceiling above is in two depths, the first 6 inches, and the second 15, the later covering all the scarphs of that below, and is itself scarphed, and both are square bolted. In a few words, she is square fastened and edge bolted throughout, on the inside, and scarphed and keyed in all her ceiling. The whole bilge is double ceiled in this style, up to a lap-trake of 6 by 15 inches, upon which the lower ends of the hanging knees rest, and the lower deck clamps are also in two depths, of 6 and 10 inches thickness, fastened and finished in the same style as the work below.
The waterways of the lower and main decks are 16 inches square, the strake inside of them 10 by 12, and the thick work over them 12 by 18 inches, and the waterways and deck strakes are coaged in every beam, and bolted through the coaging, and are also bolted vertically and horizontally. The ceiling above is 8 inches thick, scarphed, keyed and square bolted, and the clamp under the upper deck beams is 12 by 15 inches.
The upper deck waterways are 12 by 13 inches, with one strake inside of them of 8 by 13 inches, and the waterways, like the work below, are coaged and cross-bolted and scarphed; and the ceiling above is 3 1/2 inches thick, and the clamp under the spar deck beams is 6 by 14 inches. The outline of the upper deck above the waterways is covered by a planksheer of 7 inches thickness, and the covering board of the spar deck is 7 inches thick and 20 wide, and on this is a chock of 12 by 6 inches, and into it are morticed the turning stanchions, which, with a rail that is 3 1/2 feet high and 5 by 12 inches square, protect the outline of the spar deck.
Her garboards are 10 by 14 inches, let into the keel, and are bolted through it and each other, and square fastened through the timbers; the next strake is 9 inches thick, and third S. champered off to 6 inches, the substance of the planking on the bottom; the bilge is covered with 8 inches thickness; the wales are 6 by 8, up to the moulding below the planksheer, and the waist is 4 1/2 inches thick. The outside is square fastened with treenails, is extra copper bolted, and finished smooth as glass.
The beams under the lower and main decks are 15 by 16 inches amidships, and under the upper deck 12 by 15, but 25 of the upper deck beams are double, bolted together, and side 22 inches, and the spar deck beams vary in size, but are very close together. There are 38 beams under the lower deck, 40 under the main deck, 41 under the upper deck, and 89 under the spar deck. The hanging and lodging knees connected with the two lower sets of beams are of oak, and those of the beams above, are of hacmatack. The hanging knees are sided from 10 to 13 inches, moulded from 22 to 24 inches in the throats, have from 5 to 6 feet bodies and 4 to 4 1/2 feet arms, and have 20 1 1/4 inch bolts and 4 spikes in each. The knees under the spar deck, like the beams, are light and are all diagonal; and the lodging knees, connected with the beams below, are sided 8 inches, are scarphed together in every berth and closely bolted. All the ceiling between the main and upper decks, has diagonal, hard pine braces, extending from the throat of one hanging knee to the foot of the other, from forward to aft, and these braces are bolted through the ceiling and the timbers. The upper deck for and aft framing, usually square in other ships, is diagonalled, between every beam, the diagonals fayed to the beams and earlines, and the beams are also amidships to the central fore and aft framing, which is 8 by 14 inches, and to which there are 144 knees. The spar deck is of white pine, 3 inches thick, and the other decks are of hard pine, of 3 and 3 1/2 inches thickness, and the thick strakes amidships and over the wing stanchions are coaged and bolted through the beams. She has 1,650 knees in all.
She has three tiers of stanchions, which extend from the hold in the main deck beams, and which are fitted around the lower deck beams, as if they have been rove through them, and these are in two pieces, which combined, are 10 by 23 inches. The wing stanchions are stepped into the bilge keelsons and double kneed to them, and the midship stanchions are stepped into the upper keelson, and are kneed fore and aft, the knees scarphed together in every birth, thus forming a rider over the upper keelson.
The stanchions under the corners of the main hatchway are clasped with iron to the beams, and like the others are continued to the deck above.
The stanchions under the other decks are of oak turned, secured with iron rods through their centres, which set up with screw-nuts, and are 10 inches in diameter.
Her hooks and pointers are of white oak. In the hold forward are three sets of pointers, from 30 to 40 feet in length and of 9 by 11 inches in substance, and except the lower pair, which fay into the angles between the keelsons and the skin, are filled in with hooks, cross all the cants diagonally and fay to the lower deck beams. In addition to these, about 5 feet above the keelsons, is a horizontal hook, shored off with two beams, and to each beam there are 4 knees. The after end is secured in the same style, and the knees under the deck are very stout, and extend well aft and forward.
The chain lockers, as already stated, are in the hold, near the foremast; and the iron water tanks, which extend to the upper deck, and are cylindrical in form, are placed, one 64 feet below the main mast, and the other 24 feet abaft it, and rest upon massive beds, strongly bolted, and the stanchions before and abaft them are kneed on the sides to the keelson. The mast-steps are of oak, and are also very strongly bolted; and the pump wells, for she has 4 hold pumps, are large and well secured. The bow, between the lower and main decks, is spanned by a heavy hook, which extends along the sides to the 4th beam, and is braced off by two beams, kneed like those below, that is, 4 knees to each beam. The after beam is beamed and kneed in the same style, and the after hook between the decks above is built double around the curve of the stern, and is also beamed and kneed to the distance of the 4th beam before the stern post. Between the main and upper decks her bow is spanned in the same style, with hooks, beams and knees, and over and under the bowsprit, which is stepped on the upper deck, and angles of the bow are filled with heavy hooks. Her ends like every other part of her, have been secured in he strongest style. All her hatchway combings and mast-partners are kneed to the beams, and every thick strake on all the decks, as already stated, is coaged and bolted through the beams, so that it seems almost possible for any part of her to work loose, while her materials endure.
She is ventilated upon a new principle. A plank is open along the sides of all the houses on deck, with glass below, so that the air acing upon the sides of the houses will follow the ventilators into the decks below on one side, and escape through those on the side opposite, thus keeping a continued current of air passing from side to side through every deck and the hold. These ventilators also answer for skylights and are so arranged that water cannot enter them.
The ship has 4 masts, the after one named the spanker mast, which is of a single spar; the others are built of hard pine, the parts doweled together, bolted and hooped over all with iron. The bowsprit is also built and hooped in the same style, and the topmasts and jibbooms are of hard pine. She has Forbe's rig, and is square-rigged on the fore, main and mizzen masts, and fore-and-aft rigged on the spanker mast. The main yard is 120 feet square, and the lower maintopsail yard is 92 feet. Excepting these, all the other yards above are alike on the fore and main masts, and the lower foretopsail yard is of the same dimensions as the crossjack yard, and all the yards above are alike on both masts. The following are the dimensions of her masts and yards:
MASTS.
Diameters. Lengths. Mastheads.
Inches Feet. Feet.
Fore...................44 130 36
Top....................24 76 12
Topgallant......18 28 0
Royal................15 22 0
Skysail.............11 19 pole. . 12
Main.................44 131 36
Top....................24 76 12
Topgallant......18 28 0
Royal................15 22 0
Skysail.............11 19 pole. . 12
Mizzen.............40 122 33
Top...................22 69 10
Topgallant.....16 22 0
Royal...............10 19 0
Skysail..............8 15 pole. . 8
YARDS.
Fore..................26 110 Yard- 6
Lower top......24 90 arms, 5
Upper top......19 76 4 1/2
Topgallant.....15 62 4
Royal...............12 51 3 1/2
Skysail..............9 40 3
Main................28 120 6
Lower top.....24 92 5
Upper top.....19 76 4 1/2
Topgallant....15 62 4
Royal..............12 51 3 1/2
Skysail........... 9 40 3
Crossjack......24 90 5
Lower
mizzen top...19 76 4 1/2
Upper
mizzen top...15 62 4
Topgallant....12 51 3 1/2
Royal................9 40 3
Skysail.............6 29 2
The spanker mast is 26 inches in diameter, 110 feet long, including 14 feet head, and the topmast is 40 feet long, divided at 15 and 10 feet above the cap, for the gaff topsail and gaff topgallant sail. The spanker boom is 40 feet long, including 2 feet end, and the gaff 34 feet, including 8 feet end. The bowsprit is 44 inches in diameter and 30 feet out-board; the jibboom 22 inches in diameter and 18 feet outside of the cap, with 4 feet end, and the flying jibboom is 14 feet long, including 6 feet end. Her fore and main rigging and fore and main topmast backstays are of 12 1/2 inch patent rope, wormed, and served over the eyes, and over the ends to the leading-trucks. The mizzen rigging and mizzen topmast rigging is of 8 inch, and the fore and maintopmast rigging is of 8 inch. She has six shrouds on a side, for the lower rigging over the trestle-trees, and two shrouds on each side from the caps at the extremes of the lower mast-heads. There are 4 shrouds on each side for the topmast rigging,, three topmast after backstays, and shifting beast backstays, double topgallant, and royal backstays, with outriggers in the topmast crosstrees; and there are also outriggers in the tops for the topmast breast-backstays. The lower and topmast stays are double, and she has also capstays loading from the extremes of her lower mastheads on deck. The fore stays set up to the knightheads, and her topmast and jibstays lead in through the bow and set up inboard. She has iron futtock rigging, chain bobstays and bowsprit shrouds, martingale stays and guys, and topsail sheets and ties. She has iron patent trusses, and iron jackstays on all the yards. As the topmasts are fiddled before the heads of the lowermasts, the lower topsails set upon the heels of the topmasts, between the tops and the caps. She has pole topgallant, royal and skysail masts, which are in one spar, and are also fidded forward of the topmastheads; and her tops are of solid oak. Her sails are made of cotton duck. There are double reefs in the courses and lower topsails, and single reefs in the upper topsails and topgallant sails. The topsails and courses are roped along the reef-bands, and are also cross diagonally banded and roped between every reef, and from opposite clews to opposite earings over their whole surface. They are also belly-banded and roped at regular distances their whole depth. All the rope of her sails is of Manila hemp, and the leech and foot ropes of her topsails and courses are of 8 1/2 inch. She has no lower swinging studding sail booms, for her lower studding sails are triangular, terminating in a point at the rail, and, consequently, will set better and can be carried longer than if they were square. Her rig is the best square rig ever invented, and ought to be applied to every large clipper. By adopting it Mr. McKay has displayed the same practical common sense, which characterizes all his mechanical operations.
Harris's lightning conductors are applied to al her masts; in fact, nothing has been omitted in her outfits aloft that could be considered of the slightest utility. Aloft, as well as below, she is all that a ship ought to be, in strength, beauty and completeness.
"She has three hawse holes and 4 anchors. Her best bower is of Porter's patent, and is 8,500 lbs. weight, the working bower is 6,500 lbs., the small bower or stream anchor 2.500 lbs., and the kedge 1,500 lbs. Her bower chains are each of 2 1/2 inch, and each 120 fathoms in length; the stream chain is of the same length and of 1 1/2 inch size, and she has two hemp stream cables and several hawsers.
It has been already stated that her anchors will be purchased by a capstan instead of a windlass. The capstan is of cast iron, invented by Capt. L. McKay, and can be worked on both decks. Its lower part has an angular indention, which receives the chain, and prevents its surging up, and the vertex of the angle contains grooves into which the links of the chain become imbedded as the capstan resolves; and to keep the chain in the grooves, there is a circular roller on deck, placed opposite the forward part of the capstan, and the chain, as it leaves the grooves, has a half turn over the roller, and is drawn aft as it is hove in, or it is payed down into the locker, if desirable. This plan supersedes, the use of the messenger, and occupies one-sixth less space than a windlass. As she has Crane's self-acting chain stoppers, no dander can be apprehended from surging, for every link, as it is hove in, is stoppered at the hawse hole. The upper part of this capstan can easily be disconnected from that below, and is therefore available for deck work when required. On the quarter deck is one of Allyn's largest patent purchase capstans, which is highly spoken of as one of the best ever invented. There are 6 crab winches on the spar deck, one near the after parts of the fore, main and mizzen riggings on each side; and nearly all her running rigging leads through blocks along the covering board, and in the beds of the masts. Every block, therefore, is an index of the name of the rope rove through it.
The following additional facts in relation to this noble clipper are interesting:
Hard pine used in her construction, 1,500,000 feet.
White oak, 2,056 tons.
Iron, 336 1/2 tons.
Copper, exclusive of her sheathing, 56 tons.
Number of days' works upon her hull, 50,000
Yards of canvas in a suit of sails, 15,653
Will carry a crew of 100 men and 30 boys.
As the names of several of the master mechanics employed on this ship have been already mentioned, the others must not be omitted. First in importance is her blacksmith, Mr. Mendum, who has made the iron work of all Mr. McKay's ships; Mr. Young made her spars, Mr. Thomas J. Shelton, her blocks and pumps, Capt. Brewster of East Boston, rigged her, and Messrs. Friend & Southward made her sails. Messrs. Manson & Ford did her joiner work, including the cabins, Messrs. Gleason & Co. ornamented her head and stern, Clark & Co. painted her, and Messrs. Sewell & Day made her cordage.
The master spirit of all, who designed this mighty fabric of mechanical beauty, has been already mentioned; but reference only was made to two clippers, the Flying Cloud and the Sovereign of the Seas, which he has built, whereas he has built several others celebrated for beauty and speed. These two, however, were mentioned because he built them on his own account and was, therefore, alone responsible for their success. Although restricted to size in the others, they were all of his own designing, and all have performed well.
The following sailed from New York to San Francisco:
Flying Cloud, 1,700 tons, passage 89 days.
Flying Fish, 1,600 tons, passage 92 days.
Sovereign of the Seas, 2,400 tons, 103 days.
Bald Eagle, 1.600 tons, passage 107 days.
Empress of the Seas, 2,250 tons, passage 118 days.
Stag Hound, 1550 tons, passage (via Valparaiso) 112 days.
"The following sailed from Boston to San Francisco:
Westward Ho!, 1,700 tons, passage 107 days.
Staffordshire, 1950 tons, passage 101 days.
These passages show an average of 103 days 15 hours-an average which has not yet been equaled, by the same number of ships, built by any builder in the world. And yet, all these vessels are of different models, some are very sharp and others comparatively full; and those which had the longest passages, were made crank by their heavy deck-loads. The Empress of the Seas, independently of houses, water-casks, &c., had 100 tons of boilers on the upper deck, and was consequently so crank that, when the wind was on the beam, she was compelled to double reef her topsails, when she ought if not overladen, to have carried all sail. Notwithstanding this exception, the passages of all the others show a uniformity of speed, that speaks highly for the skill of their designer. And what is equally gratifying, not one of them has cost the underwriters a dollar, or has ever put into a port in distress. To triumph over them all- to excel all his other works, was the object Mr. McKay had in view when he designed the Great Republic. Captain L. McKay formerly of the Sovereign of the Seas, commands her. He has proved himself worthy of commanding the best and most beautiful ship in the world.
Such is the Great Republic--the ship of ships. She is a monument of the skill and genius of her builder, and an honor to our common country.
The Great Republic was fitted out with masts, spars, sails, and rigging over at the Charlestown Navy Yard and final preparations were made before the R. B. Forbes came to escort her to New York to load cargo for her maiden run to Liverpool.
Donald McKay intended to put the Great Republic up for the Australian trade and either sell her or charter her to James Baines to compete with British clippers that were coming out of Aberdeen shipyards at that time. The plan first called for to bring the Great Republic to New York for a cargo of grain to transport to Liverpool.
But a ship of 4555 registered tons was perhaps, even to someone like Baines, too large. Such a giant clipper would certainly do well making her easting down across the southern oceans of the world to Australia and around Cape Horn, but she was just too large for the Mersey River docks and too large for many of the other ports of the world as well.
Around this time, Captain R. B. Forbes became president of the recently incorporated "Sailors' Snug Harbor," a benevolent organization that looked after the welfare of sailors, and Forbes sent the following letter to Donald McKay:
Donald McKay, Esq.,
My dear Sir:-
As your ship, the Great Republic, is likely to be visited by thousands of admirers, I suggest that you make her the medium of doing a great service to an institution which is about going into operation, and of which I am, for want of a better, the presiding officer. The "Sailors' Snug Harbor of Boston" has the sympathy of all those who take an interest in ships, and they would willingly pay a "York shilling" to see your ship and at the same time serve a benevolent object. If you approve of the suggestion, I will carry it out at once by sending a competent agent on board, and if any one should by mistake drop a dollar in the purse, I will give him credit for it.
I am a very truly
Your friend and servant
(signed) R. B. Forbes.
East Boston, Oct. 8, 1853
Donald McKay replied in kind:
Capt. R. B. Forbes:
Dear Sir:
Yours requesting my concurrence in your very benevolent suggestion, that of having the privilege of collecting a small sum from the visitors to the Great Republic for the benefit of the "Sailors' of Snug Harbor" in Boston, has been received. I assure you that nothing will give me more pleasure than to afford you such an opportunity. This class of men have too long been neglected: they do the labor, they sail the clippers of which we boast as a nation; and any little reward that they may be able to collect along this way, will be highly pleasing to me. And I hope the public will contribute in this way, and feel it to be a privilege to be able to build up a bulwark to shelter the weather-beaten sailor, now no longer able to earn his bread by his perilous profession.
I am, dear sir, yours truly
(signed) Donald McKay
Before departing Boston, the Great Republic was thrown open to inspection to the public and soon $1,000 was collected for the "Sailor's Snug Harbor of Boston" which enabled this organization to start operations.
The R. B. Forbes towed the Great Republic out of Boston Harbor the last week in November, and while rounding Cape Cod Captain McKay raised her topsails and courses and checked her steering to get a feel of just what the ship could do on the open sea. Soon, the Great Republic was sailing so fast that she pulled away from her towboat and dragged the R. B. Forbes astern for many miles.
By the time they reached Sandy Hook, the Great Republic had reefed in her sails and the R. B. Forbes towed her on through the Narrows, past the Battery and up the East River to pier 28, where the Black Ball Line of Liverpool packets normally docked.
The sight of this majestic clipper being towed up the East River drew much attention and caused a great excitement all along the shore as Boston once more took the honors of having built the largest clipper in the world. The immense proportions of this clipper became the topic of the day and caused much speculation among New York shipbuilders and ship owners.
Thousands of people, including the governor of New York, came to the pier at the foot of Dover Street for a look at the Great Republic. It was the favorable season for a swift passage to be made across the Atlantic and many predicted that the Great Republic would make a record run. Others looked upon the giant clipper as "a white elephant" that would prove to be too large to operate profitably and too large for most ports of the world.
The Great Republic soon began taking on a cargo of mixed merchandise and grains valued at $300,000 for her maiden voyage to Liverpool. Her cargo manifest reveals her immense cargo that incredibly did not exhaust her carrying capacity:
Manifest.
Beef, * tierces.................896
Lard, tierces.....................97
Lard, barrels...................53
Wheat , bushels....23,406
Corn, bushels........23,500
Flour, bushels........6,629
Cotton, bales..........1,023
Tea, half-chests......639
Resin, barrels.......4,046
Tobacco, hhds...........14
Argols, * casks........10
Maple and Cedar
Wood pieces......367
* tierce is an old liquid measure, equal to 1/3 pipe (42 gallons)
* Argols är'gol, n. unrefined or crude tartar, a substance deposited on the sides of wine casks.
The loading of cargo proceeded on through the month of December. While the loading went on, the Great Republic was thrown open to inspection to the public, as she was in Boston, with the moneys collected intended for the Sailor's Snug Harbor of Boston. Over the month, at least 40,000 people came aboard, each paying 12 1/2 cents for the privilege and over $4,000 had been collected by Christmas.
South Street bustled with activity through the months of November and December as a number of clippers loaded cargo for the favorable season run around the Horn and had recently departed. These included: Lightfoot, Electric, Chief of the Clippers, Edwin Forrest, David Crockett, Golden Fleece, Quickstep, Dreadnaught, Pride of America, and Lookout.
The Flying Cloud was moored at Pier 19 at the foot of Maiden Lane, several blocks downstream from the Great Republic, taking on cargo as final refitting and rerigging took place for her fourth voyage around the Horn to San Francisco, scheduled to depart in January. The Clipper ship Tinqua was moored nearby the Flying Cloud.
The David Brown had recently sailed from New York on her maiden voyage on December 13, 1853, under the command of Captain George S. Brewster. The extreme clipper David Brown had been launched earlier that year from Jacob Bell's shipyard on October 8, 1853, and was named for Jacob Bell's old partner, then deceased. She was a beautiful faultless heavily-sparred clipper of 1717 tons, and measured out at 225 x 41 x 22: 6 feet.
The McKay clipper Romance of the Seas, with Captain Phillip Dumaresq in command, sailed from Boston three days later on December 16th to chase after the David Brown and caught up with her off the coast of Brazil. A considerable sum of money rode on this exciting race.
The White Squall, that well known handsome clipper that had come out of Jacob Bell's East River shipyard in 1850, returned from her third voyage from San Francisco in ballast around the Horn. She arrived at New York under the command of Captain Joseph Kennedy, on December 20, 1853, after a passage of 97 days, and moored alongside the Great Republic at pier 27.
Her crew soon began unloading her ballast before taking on cargo for another run around the Horn. The White Squall was owned by Philadelphia merchants Messrs. Platt & Son and Mssrs. Booth & Edgar of 95 Front Street were her agents.
Moored nearby the White Squall, were the Red Rover and the Whirlwind that had arrived on November 17th and 26th respectively. Both clippers had returned from their Deep Sea Derby runs back around the Horn.
On the other side of the Great Republic moored at pier 29, was the Joseph Walker, a packet of 1,315 tons, 180 x 40 x 23 feet. She was built in 1850 by William Webb for $100,000, and was owned by the Black Star Line of Thompson & Nephew and under the command of Captain John Hoxie. Already loaded aboard was a mixed cargo of wheat, corn, resin, and cotton, and the Joseph Walker was scheduled to sail on Saturday, December 31st for Liverpool on her tenth voyage.
Three more packets, the Andrew Foster, the Constellation, and the Albert Gallatin were moored at nearby Burling Slip.
The last of the wheat and corn cargo came aboard the Great Republic and her hatches were sealed. December 26th was the day after Christmas and a cold blustery day along the waterfront with the winds blowing out of the northwest. Much of the populace was still recovering from and sleeping off their Christmas revelry and not much was going on along South Street or on the East River. The winds picked up as night came on bringing with it a bitter cold and still the winds came on in growing gusts from the northwest.
At shortly past midnight during the first minutes of December 27th, a mysterious fire broke out a block away from the piers. The flames first appeared from the rear building that housed the Novelty Bakery on 244 Front Street that was owned by Messrs. Treadwell & Son. Large stocks of flour had caught on fire.
The flames quickly spread to the front building of the same address that was occupied by Davidson & Young, dealers in shipbread. High winds from the west quickly fanned the flames, which spread to all the nearby buildings in the vicinity.
The next building to catch fire was 242 Front Street, occupied by Messrs. Jones, Rowland & Co., who were extensive flour dealers.
Next to go up in flames was 246 1/2 Front Street, a building occupied by David W. Manwaring, importer of Russian matting, etc.
The fire quickly spread to the other side of 242 Front Street and the six-story building at 240 Front Street that was occupied by Messrs. Harris & Co., a packing house of beef, pork, and hams. Both buildings blazed away.
The entire block was soon on fire and the heat so intense that the fire now jumped to other blocks and more buildings were soon engulfed in flames. These included an extensive flour warehouse at 247 Front Street owned by Messrs. R. W. Reynolds & Co. that was entirely destroyed; as was the building next door at 249 Front Street occupied by Mr. Edward Owens, a cooper by trade. A wholesale wine and liquor store at 251 Front Street was reduced to ruins. Businesses on nearby Water Street were also much damaged by fire and water although the damage was not as extensive.
Flames shot up into the night sky and the high winds blew the sparks toward where the Great Republic and the other clippers, packets, and other vessels lay moored along the piers.
William Sanders, the Second Mate aboard the Tinqua, had just returned from a night on the town and was getting ready to retire for the night. When the watchman's urgent shout of "fire" brought him running to the deck, there to be greeted by the sight of the raging inferno that lit up the sky beyond the first row of buildings along the East River waterfront.
At Pier 28, the night watchman standing his watch aboard the Great Republic looked on in horror as the sparks like thousands of fireflies flew from the raging fires toward the ships, schooners, and sloops moored alongside the East River piers and into their riggings.
The glowing cinders soon fell all about their decks. All the sails of the Great Republic were bent below the royals and were partially unfurled as the gale winds blew the sparks from the north west across the river that winter night and many of the cinders soon lodged in the clipper's canvas and freshly tarred rigging.
The watchman called the Second Mate who immediately called all hands on deck and sailors were soon sent up the foretops, maintops, and mizzentops, and buckets of water were hastily sent aloft.
The foresail was the first to burst into flame, then the topsails and the topgallant sails caught fire and were soon blazing fiercely away. Valiant efforts were made to cut the sails from the yards, but to no avail as the men were driven back by the flames and smoke and were exhausted by the time the firemen from hose companies numbers 19 and 30 arrived.
The masts of the Great Republic were so high that it was impossible for the water from the fire hoses to reach the flames. The firemen refused to come near the ship or on board the deck for fear of the falling spars and rigging, which soon set the deck on fire and blazed on out of control.
While the fires raged aloft, Captain Lauchlan McKay made an urgent offer of $1,000 to any man who would go aloft with an ax and cut away the burning sails, spars, and rigging, but there were no takers.
At neighboring pier 29, the Joseph Walker was also engulfed in flames aloft and the fire soon spread to her decks and she ended up a total loss. Captain Hoxie lost all his possessions and money when he fled the burning ship with his crew.
Sailors aboard the magnificent White Squall hastily slipped her cable and she drifted down the East River in flames and grounded along the riverbank near Hudson Street where she burned to the water's edge. So did the Wright.
Several other schooners and sloops, along with the Red Rover, lost their masts and rigging to the flames but were able to escape total destruction by slipping their cables and drawing out in the stream.
The Whirlwind was able to escape out into the river in this way unharmed.
Miraculously, the Flying Cloud escaped destruction for she was moored at Pier 19, 500-600 yards away, two long blocks downstream from Pier 28 where the Great Republic was burning and fortunately away from the direct path of the main shower of sparks blowing across the East River, and escaped destruction. As the Flying Cloud was undergoing refitting and rerigging at the time, her sails were not in place and this fact undoubtedly saved her from a similar fate.
Captain McKay had a hurried consultation with Captain Ellis who represented the underwriters and it was mutually decided to cut away the masts in order to save the hull. The foretopmast, stays, and rigging were hastily cut and fell crashing on to the deck, as the foretopmast came down on her end smashing through three decks.
Next to be cut away, were the mainmast and mizzenmast and they fell and crushed the boats, deckhouses, and steam engine, and smashed off the rails. Burning masts, yards, rigging, and sails cluttered the decks, but at last the firemen could now get to work and by morning the fires on deck were extinguished.
After the firemen left, smoke was suddenly discovered coming for the hold. Apparently, the falling burning foretopmast that had crashed on through the decks had set fire to the grain cargo and by the time this was discovered the fire was beyond control.
It was therefore decided that the ship had to be scuttled in three places, where she then sunk ten feet to the bottom. But the fire smoldered on for two days until the flames reached the water.
Considering the circumstances of these horrendous ship fires, it was surprising that no one died and there was only one serious injury where a man fell out of the rigging of one of the burning ships and broke his back.
Soon after the fire had broken out, an urgent telegraphic dispatch was sent to Donald McKay at his East Boston home at Eagle Hill informing him of this disaster. For the rest of the night, Donald McKay paced the floor holding the telegram saying nothing to his wife or family members and could not be consoled from his private grief.
In the morning, he made a hasty trip to New York and by the time he arrived the Great Republic was lying at the bottom of the East River. Donald McKay looked on from the neighboring pier at the foot of Roosevelt Street and was overheard in conversation with a friend bemoaning the loss of his magnificent ship. After McKay left the scene, the friend that he had been talking to remarked to an acquaintance "that McKay had grown twenty years older overnight." Captain George L. Norton, the editor of the New York Marine Journal, overheard this conversation.
This sudden change of appearance was understandable, but only temporary. Brought on by seeing his beloved clipper at the bottom of the East River, his loss of sleep, along with the accompanying anxiety over his hasty journey to New York.
After consulting with his brother and the insurance underwriters, Donald McKay returned to East Boston and immediately went back to work in his shipyard, where the clipper Lightning lay on the stocks.
He was not one to remain idle and overcome with grief despite such a great loss. In a remarkably short time he had recovered his composure determined to press on with his other affairs. But in the back of his mind he would always wonder just how things might have gone if the Great Republic had gotten the chance to prove her sailing qualities on the high seas. In Donald McKay's mind's eye the Great Republic would have been the fastest sailing ship the world had ever seen.
Donald McKay received the sum of $235,000 from the insurance underwriters. This sum did not cover the entire amount of her building costs that were estimated to be around $300,000. So his financial losses from this disaster amounted to somewhere in the neighborhood of $65,000, a severe blow for sure, but not the financial disaster that has often been mistakenly attributed by some historians to this unfortunate incident.
Only a few days before the fire Donald McKay had been offered $280,000 for the Great Republic, but had turned down the offer preferring to sell the mammoth clipper to James Baines at a better price when she was scheduled to arrive at Liverpool.
The Headlines of the Wednesday, December 28, 1853 edition of the New York Daily Times read:
THE GREAT CONFLAGRATION.
________
THREE CLIPPER-SHIPS DESTROYED.
________
TOTAL LOSS OF THE 'GREAT REPUBLIC.'
________
Burning of the 'White Squall,' and 'Joseph Walker.'
________
NINE BUILDINGS DESTROYED ON FRONT-ST.
________
LOSS, $1,500,000
_______
INSURANCE, $500,000 to $700,000
_______
Additional Fires-Incendiarism, &c.
The following account of the disaster appeared in the Boston Post on December 28, 1853.
THE GREAT REPUBLIC BURNT.
Great Fire in New York City. . .
On Tuesday morning the Novelty Bakery, 242 Front Street was destroyed with a large amount of flour. The flames soon extended to the adjoining buildings. . . and through into Water Street. . . . The wind blew a gale from the north west, covering the shipping at the docks with burning cinders. The Great Republic was soon in flames and burned to the water's edge. The packet ship Joseph Walker of the Black Star Line is also a total loss. The clipper White Squall was towed down the river a mass of flames. The clipper Red Rover was towed out of dock in flames, and was eventually burned to the water's edge. The packet ship De Witt Clinton was also very seriously damaged. Many other vessels are burned in their spars, rigging or hulls. The ferry boats were busy towing out vessels into the stream by which many were saved.
The White Squall was sold as she lay for $5,500 and her new owners raised and rebuilt her as a bark with only one deck and was re-registered at 896 tons, draft, 15 feet.
The insurance underwriters sold the Great Republic to Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer, of Hoqua and Oriental fame, who purchased her from where she lay at the bottom of the East River, "as is and where is," as stated in the insurance terminology of the day.
He raised her up from the river bottom by building a temporary stern and drew canvas around her hull and used four steam pumps to draw the water out of her hull. The fire and water damage had rendered her cargo a total loss. The hull of the Great Republic was towed out to Greenpoint, Long Island, to the shipyard of Sneeden & Whitlock, where she was rebuilt under the superintendence of Captain Nat.
The upper deck was a total loss and the burnt wood removed which left her with three complete decks. Her replacement masts and spars were reduced by about 25 percent from her original plan and she still carried her forth spanker mast, also reduced.
The rebuilding of the Great Republic took more than a year to complete and then she was sold to A. A. Low & Brother. The rebuilt Great Republic now registered 3357 tons and was still the largest merchant ship in the world. With her reduced rig she would now only require 50 able-bodied seamen to handle her along with a dozen ordinaries and a few apprentices.
Captain Nat removed the beautifully carved figurehead of an eagle's head from her bow and replaced it with a carved billet head and scroll. For many years, the figurehead resided at the Stonington, Connecticut home of Palmer's niece, Mrs. Richard Fanning Loper.
On February 21, 1855, the Great Republic sailed to Liverpool under the command of Captain Limeburner on her first voyage and arrived at Land's End in 12 days. Seven days later, she was anchored in the Mersey for she was too large to moor at the docks and had to sail over to the "Long Reach" to unload cargo. Captain Limeburner commented that over the course of the voyage, "the ship behaved nobly."
The Great Republic then sailed on to London, and arrived on the Thames River three days later and anchored, for no dock there could accommodate the great draft of this giant clipper either.
At both ports, the Great Republic created quite a sensation and people who came aboard made frequent inquiries of the captain as to whether he had left any lumber for shipbuilding in the United States or brought it all with him.
At the time of the Great Republic's arrival in London, the French Government needed troop transports for the Crimean War and the American clipper was chartered for this service and transported British soldiers to Marseilles.
On one such voyage in January 1856, she transported1600 British soldiers from Liverpool to Marseilles; from there, they then were transported by four steamships to the Black Sea.
At Marseilles, an American traveler observed the Great Republic loading stores alongside other American clippers in the harbor and captured the moment in his journal:
The French Flag floated from her mizzen mast, but the Stars and Stripes were at the peak. Prouder than the one hundred and twenty gun ship-of-the-line of the French, the Napoleon III, more dignified even than the Agamemnon of the English, the Great Republic of the Americans looked in her unassuming greatness-the commander of the fleet.
The Great Republic, Captain Limeburner; the Queen of the Clippers, Captain Zerega, and the Monarch of the Sea, Captain Gardiner, were anchored side by side, and I never felt prouder of my country than in witnessing these magnificent clippers from New York, so superior to any of the transports of other nations. America never sent better representatives abroad-the peaceful messenger of commerce is always welcomed, while we only hail the ship of war as a State necessity.
. . . All the American ships are in the employ of the French Government, the English having chartered no American transports. During the dull times, the transport charters have proved a splendid business for such of our ships as were so fortunate as to get employment. The Great Republic must have paid for herself by this time; but the game is now up, and a thousand sail of transports will shortly find their way back to assist in deadening freights and consequently depreciating shipping property.
The Great Republic proved to be astoundingly swift when she found a leading breeze in the Mediterranean and she often out distanced the fastest steamers while sailing between Marseilles and the Crimea.
At the close of the Crimean War, the Great Republic returned to New York late in 1856, where the Lows soon put her up for the California trade.
On December 7, 1856, the Great Republic sailed on her first voyage around the Horn with a crew of ruffians who bore a strong resemblance to buccaneers, so much so that Captain Limeburner and his officers carried sidearms about the ship at all times.
On the fifth day out from Sandy Hook, the Great Republic logged 413 miles and crossed the equator in 15 days, 18 hours, setting a record.
The ruffian crew proved to be good sailors and rounded Cape Horn in a little bit over 45 days with skysails set.
The Westward Ho set sail from New York on December 16, 1856, to chase after the Great Republic around the Horn. Large sums of money rode on the outcome of this race with New Yorkers mostly backing the Great Republic against the Boston backers of the Westward Ho this time around.
After rounding the Horn, the Great Republic made a swift passage up the Pacific and was within 500 miles of the Heads when she ran into the calms and fogs where she stayed for five days before arriving at the Golden Gate with a 92-day passage, the fastest California run of the year.
There was much speculation that if the Great Republic had not run into the calms and fogs that she would have beat the record passage set by the Flying Cloud.
The Westward Ho arrived at San Francisco Bay on March 26, 1857, with a fine passage of 100 days.
Command of the Westward Ho passed from Captain Hussey to Captain Jones, who sailed on from San Francisco to Callao. where the Westward Ho was sold to Don Juan de Ugarte of Lima, and soon entered into the coolie trade.
The Great Republic also sailed on to Callao for a load of guano at the Chincha Islands to be transported to London back around the Horn.
