Posted inDaily News Engineering Iron & Steam Maritime & Naval History Ship Histories

Silvertown Has Finished

Cable laying ship CS Silvertown, seen from the starboard side at anchor

Work of Cable to Be Completed Tomorrow.

LANDING OF CABLE LAST FEATURE

Staff May Get Away for Home Next Week—Station Ship Now Under Discussion.

When, tomorrow morning, the cable ship Silvertown completes coaling and hauls over from the Hackfeld wharf to the Railroad slip for the purpose of finishing the transfer of the cable from the tanks of the vessel to the tanks ashore, the last portion of the business of the great steamer will be on.

The transferring of the 100 miles of cable which still remains in the ship will be a matter of interest, and will occupy the greater portion of the day. The ship will be laid alongside the Railroad wharf and the cable led across to the tanks which have been carefully constructed for the purpose of keeping the cable intact until it may be needed for the purpose of repairs on the line, should there be a break. The cable must be kept under water, and the tank is arranged specially for the purpose of keeping the materials in the best shape until a call for a length comes.

Posted inDaily News Maritime & Naval History

Nazi Cruiser Seizes Spanish Ship

German Commandant Refused To Surrender Freighter—Spain Must First Return Nazi Cargo

Warships of Many Nations Are on Watery Stage of Drama; Europe Is Watching Anxiously

GERMAN WARSHIPS ORDERED TO CONTINUE SEIZURES

Picture of the Spanish freighter "Marta Junquera"as seen from the starboard bow.

BY FRANCISCO FERNANDEZ

Santander, Spain, Jan. 4—(UP)—A Spanish coastal freighter and its captor, a grim German cruiser steamed together off the Bay of Biscay coast today, making history. Spanish loyalist authorities flashed a series of angry messages to the cruiser, demanding the little ship’s return.

Same Reply to Each Wireless

To each message, the German commandant wirelessed back imperturably that he would release the ship when Spanish authorities released the cargo and a passenger seized from a German ship, the Palos, during the Christmas holidays.

Europe Is Anxiously Watching

There seemed obvious danger of an incident that would necessitate all the coolness and resource of European chancelleries, now watching this situation anxiously, to prevent a spread of what is now only a Spanish civil war.

Posted inDaily News Maritime & Naval History

Gunboats Expected

Two Vessels Captured from Spain Nearing Washington

Image of the USS Sandoval from the port side.

The Spanish gunboats Alvarado and Sandoval, captured in the capitulation of Santiago, and now flying the stars and stripes, are expected to arrive at the Washington navy yard some time this afternoon, one of them having passed Indian Head shortly after 2 o’clock. The steamers are coming here direct from, the Norfolk navy yard, where they arrived about ten days ago. They are In command of American naval officers who were prominent in the operations in the West Indies, one being Lieut. Blue of the navy, the first American officer to report upon the position of Cervera’s fleet in the then blockaded harbor of Santiago. The boats were in the harbor when the city surrendered last July, and a controversy arose between the army and naval authorities as to which had the right to the prizes.

Posted inAviation Maritime & Naval History World War 2

Our Navy Builds Flat-Top Mastery

By REAR-ADMIRAL E. L. COCHRANE, USN, Chief of the Bureau of Ships

By first punching the foe off balance and now smashing his last holds on the ocean, our aircraft carriers have proved modern speeders of Victory. Here “Buships” chief details how we’ve come from a mere seven to more than a hundred of these sky-sweepers.

Picture of an aircraft carrier from the side, showing rows of airplanes with folded wings on deck and sailors performing their work.

December 7, 1941, the United States had on hand seven full-sized carriers, the Lexington, Saratoga, Ranger, Yorktown, Enterprise, Wasp, and the Hornet, also the small escort carrier, Long Island. Of these the Lexington, Yorktown, Wasp, and Hornet have since been lost. For every one of those veterans lost, however, there has been built and are now at sea, nearly 30 replacements (including the escort carriers transferred to our allies).

In the two and a half years since Pearl Harbor, the number of carriers on hand (excluding the 38 transferred by lendlease to the British) has been increased to 90. totaling more than 1,400,000 tons. During this same period the combatant vessels of our Navy in all categories have more than tripled — going from 345 vessels, totaling 1,382,755 tons, to 1071 units, totaling 3,434,762 tons.

With the outbreak of war and following the heavy carrier losses in 1942. the desperate need for carrier strength in the Pacific and the growing demands for fighter transports pushed six vessels of the aircraft carrier program into top priority. With first call on the nation’s scarce materials and components, the inauguration of shift work, and the seven-day week, actual completions surpassed even the most optimistic forecasts.

Posted inMaritime & Naval History Ship Histories Shipwrecks & Nautical Disasters

Message in Bottle Tells of Shipwreck

Note Written in Dutch Found Floating in St. Lawrence Closes With “Adieu.”

By the Associated Press.

QUEBEC, November 2.—”Lost in storm. Written by one of the shipwrecked crew of the S. S. Aophard, Holland. Please be kind enough to forward this to Safekeeping. Happened October 25, 1925. Written by Ye Teolsa, Adieu.”

This message, countersigned by “Capt. Banderweevoen,” was found in a bottle in the St. Lawrence River near the lighthouse on Ste. Felicite, Quebec. October 27. It was written in Dutch, and, following its translation today by Abbe Desmet of Laval University, was sent to the Department of Marine and Fisheries at Ottawa.

Posted inBiographical Maritime & Naval History US Civil War

September 23, 1862 – Dismissal of Commander Preble

The telegraph has given the news of the dismissal from the service of Commander Preble, of the blockading squadron off Mobile, for allowing a vessel carrying the English flag to run the blockade, when he had power to prevent it. The people will not complain of any necessary increase of stringency in the Navy Department. An application of equal stringency to some other Departments would not be ungrateful to the popular heart. With reference to this particular case, however, we feel confident, as do the numerous friends of Commander Preble in this city, that when all the facts shall come to be known, he will be restored to his command. Commander P. is a Portland boy, was raised in this city, educated in our Public High School, and is known to be as true a sailor, as honest a man, and as loyal a citizen as ever stepped on shipboard, or obeyed an order. He is a nephew of the late Commodore Preble, and, like his old weather beaten kinsman, has seen hard and honorable service. His friends, we repeat, cherish abiding confidence that there must be palliating circumstances, which, when known, will cause his name to be restored to the service.

Posted inDaily News Maritime & Naval History Ship Histories

Majestic Sails Despite Strikers

Three Other Steamers Get Crews and Leave

Photo of RMS Majestic, a three-funneled ocean liner.

London, Sept. 2 (AP)—The situation in British home ports resulting from the official strike of seamen against a wage reduction was somewhat eased today by the sailing of the While Star liner Majestic from Southampton and the news that three steamers at Hull had finally obtained crews and would leave on time.

On the other hand there was little diminution in the seriousness of the situation in dominion ports as reflected in advices reaching London.