and later the sister ships Hercules, C.C. Thompson, and 

 Highland Light were built on her moulds. These 

 merchant ships were down-Easters. Vessels of this 

 type represented the highest development of the 

 American square-rigged merchant ship, combining 

 fine working qualities, speed, and capacity to an 

 extent not generally achieved earlier. The Oregon 

 was considered a superior vessel of the type. 



The half-model represents a large wooden ship 

 having strong sheer, straight keel with little or no 

 drag, moderately raking and flaring stem rabbet, 

 upright post, short counter with elliptical transom, 

 sharp entrance of moderate length, and a rather long 

 easy run. The midsection is formed with slightly 

 rising straight floor, hard bilge, and a slight tumble- 

 home above. 



The model is mounted with stub bowsprit and 

 masts, head and cutwater, keel, post, and rudder. 

 Gilded and painted as on the original ship. 



The Oregon measured 205.9 feet l:)etween perpen- 

 diculars, 30.9 feet extreme beam, and 24.01 feet 

 depth in hold. She was 1431 tons register. Scale 

 of the model is Vi inch to the foot. 



Given by William Rogers, shipbuilder, Bath, Maine. 



MERCHANT SHIP, about 1876 

 Builder's Half-Model, usnm 160150 



A wooden ship-rigged merchant vessel, name un- 

 known, was l)uilt on this model at Boston, Massa- 

 chusetts, about 1876. She was a down-Easter, a 

 class of vessels moderately sharp ended for carriers, 

 yet of good capacity. 



The half-model represents a vessel having marked 

 and graceful sheer, a straight keel with little or no 

 drag, a curved, raking, and flaring stem rabijet, up- 

 right post, short and light counter ending with an 

 elliptical transom; sharp entrance of moderate length, 

 and a rather long and easy run. The midsection 

 shows a slightly rising straight floor of some length, a 

 hard bilge, and a slight tumble-home in the topside. 



The scale of this model is stated in the Museum 

 records to be Ys inch to the foot; this gives a ship of only 

 172 feet moulded length at rail, which is very small 

 for this type and date. It seems probable that the 

 scale is '3 inch to the foot, giving a vessel about 202 

 feet 6 inches moulded length at main rail, about 35 

 feet 1 % inches moulded beam, and about 22 feet 5 

 inches moulded depth. 



Given by R. G. F. Candage. 



MERCHANT SHIP, 1884 

 Builder's Half-Model, usnm 76094 



This half-model of a Canadian sailing merchant ship 

 was exhibited at the World's Exposition at New Or- 

 leans in 1884-85 and represents a design of vessel 

 intended for the New Orleans-European cotton trade. 

 It closely resembles the general model of the American 

 down-Easters of this date and is also rather typical 

 of the ships built on the north shore of the Province of 

 New Brunswick for the ocean carrying trade. Ca- 

 nadian-built ships of this type were often fast and 

 rather sharp for their period, and many of these New 

 Brunswick built vessels were constructed on specula- 

 tion and sold in England, where they were very often 

 employed in the Australian or South American trade. 



The half-model shows a vessel having a rather 

 straight sheer, straight keel with little or no drag, 

 rather upright and flaring stem rabbet, slightly raking 

 post, a light, round counter, a short, sharp and some- 

 what convex entrance, and a long, well formed run. 

 The midsection has a slightly rising straight floor, 

 rather easy round bilge, and is wall-sided above. 



Mounted with head, cutwater, keel, post, and 

 rudder. Painted and gilded. 



The model scales 202 feet length on the load line, 

 40 feet moulded beam, and 24 feet 6 inches moulded 

 depth. Rise of floor is 20 inches at half floor. Regis- 

 ter tonnage would be about 1.650 and the dead- 

 weight tonnage about 2,200 tons. Scale of the 

 model is '3 inch to the foot. 



Given by W. Powers, shipbuilder, Kingston, 

 Ontario. 



MERCHANT BARK, 1836 

 Builder's Half-Model, usnm 76050 



Willicv/i Shroeder 



The bark-rigged merchant ship William Shroeder was 

 built on this model at Newburyport, Massachusetts, in 

 1836 for owners in that port and was intended for 

 the West Indian trade. The Shroeder was considered 

 a very good vessel for the trade, having the reputation 

 of Ijeing an easy-working ship, of sailing very well, 

 and of being profitable because of her rather large 

 capacity. She ran chiefly between New England 

 ports and Puerto Rico, carrying lumber south and 

 sugar and molasses on the return voyage. About 10 

 or 12 years after her launching the Shroeder was sold 

 to .Salem owners and thereafter was employed in the 

 Salem-Zanzibar trade. 



60 



