June 9, 1916. 
NORTH SHORE BREEZE and Reminder 7 9 
‘‘Bucentaur” Launched at Manchester 
Barge To Be Used In Technology Pageant Drew Crowds To Waterside Last Friday Noon 
Historic Setting—Building Back of Barge 200 Years Old 
EARLY 1000 persons, many of them coming from out 
of town for the occasion, witnessed the launching of 
the beautiful barge, “Bucentaur” from Calderwood’s boat- 
yard in Manchester last Friday afternoon. Among the 
number who saw the launching were officials and students 
of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for whom 
the barge was built. 
The barge slid from the ways at 12.55 p.m. Miss 
' Bella Cairns, daughter of Hugh Cairns, whose sculptor- 
ing adorned the vessell, christened the barge. ‘The craft, 
which will be used in the ceremonies of the dedication of 
the new buildings of the Institute of Technology, is nearly 
100 feet long and 20 feet.beam. It’s hull was designed by 
Swasey, Raymond & Page of Boston and built by Walter 
B. Calderwood of Manchester. One remarkable thing 
about the barge was that when it went into the water i! 
did not leak a bucketful in a day. The decorations were 
very elaborate and were all of white. 
The entire craft was designed in the style of the 
ancient barge of state of the Doges of Venice, “Bucen- 
toro.” The decorative proportions were ,the work of 
Ralph Adams Cram, senior professor of architecture at 
the institute. Hugh Cairns, instructor of clay modelling, 
designed the hundreds of ornamental figures, his.xdaugh- 
rer , Mis s Bella, being the model. Upon the forward deck 
is an heroic figure bearing aloft the torch of learning 1 
one hand and carrying a T-square in the other. On the 
bowsprit is a dolphin’s head and the prow bears the bea- 
ver, the symbol of the builder. The bow panels are Nep- 
tune, upholding the trident, Nereids and Amphitritons. 
Toward the stern the panels are dolphins, cupids, mer- 
maids, seashells, seaweed and fish. 
On either side of the vessel there are 25 openings 
just above the waterline. Through these will be pro- 
jected the sweeps which will be manned by 50 Technology 
students who have competed for the honor. Above the 
rear deck is a small canopied section, as highly ornament- 
ed with decorative panels as is the rest. 
The barge was towed to Boston this week and will 
take part in the big pageant on the evening of June 12. 
It will carry President MacLaurin of the Institute, offi- 
cials of Technology, of the City of Boston and of Massa- 
chusetts on an epochal trip across the Charles River. All 
of the valuable records of the Institute will be carried on 
the trip to the new buildings. It is estimated that the cost 
of the barge when completed was $12,000. 
Technology Barge as She Slid into..Water at Manchester 
