The Packets : 243 



Mrs. HackstaflE went on to live out together a busy and successful 

 lifetime. 



The packet service made just as strenuous demands upon the ves- 

 sel as it did upon the officers and the crews. In the beginning there 

 was nothing except her insignia and her method of operation to dis- 

 tinguish a packet from any one of the better "regular traders"; in 

 fact, they were the same ships. But as time went on, the designers 

 and the shipyards of New York and New England began to special- 

 ize in a type of vessel whose design and construction were particu- 

 larly suited to the scheduled North Atlantic service in which they 

 were to sail. The chief demand was for strength and the ability to 

 keep sailing even through the stormy North Atlantic winter weather. 

 The second demand was for carrying ability which could be devoted 

 to fine freight, to heavy freight if this proved to be necessary and to 

 the carrying of passengers both of the cabin and steerage class. The 

 packet, therefore, had strong lines; she was built with relatively flat 

 floors and full lines amidships. The hull of the packet was about four 

 times as long as it was wide. A good deal of pains were taken to 

 refine the lines aft so that the vessel would leave a clean wake, and it 

 was here that some concession was made in the interest of speed. 

 In general, however, throughout the packet, the emphasis of the de- 

 sign was on durability, regularity of performance, and carrying capac- 

 ity; or to borrow a phrase from the aircraft designer, "pay load." 

 Even before the clipper emerged, designers and builders knew 

 enough to create faster vessels; but they would not have performed 

 as well, voyage by voyage and year by year. 



The packets were all three-masted, full-rigged ships with the con- 

 ventional sail plan that their name implies. They were vessels with 

 two decks. This gave them a hold for the storage of heavy cargo. The 

 space between decks was used for the living quarters of officers and 

 passengers aft; a special storage space for fine and fragile cargo in the 

 midships section; and the forecastle for the crew was in the bows. 

 The early packets were flush deck so that there was no visible deck 

 structure. They had an almost flat sheer line, and were finished with 

 waist-high bulwarks. This gave them a trim appearance, especially 

 contrasted with earlier vessels that had a number of built-up decks 

 forward and aft. 



The strength of the packet was largely protected by control of 

 materials during the course of its construction. It was heavily tim- 

 bered and all the diflferent woods that were used in its construction 

 were carefully selected and repeatedly inspected. Making for strength, 



