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Hier noch eines der letzten US - Gtroßsegler: "THOMAS W. LAWSON"
Genaueres weis ich leider nicht über das Schiff
Gruß Kümo

Hallo Kuemo,ich hoffe ich konnte alle Deine Fragen beantworten.Gruss von Jurgen Hellmann....... The Thomas W. Lawson was a seven masted steel schooner designed by Bowdoin B. Crowninshield and built by the Fore River Ship & Engine Building Co., Quincy, MA, in 1902 for Coastwise Transportation Co. (John G. Crowley), Boston, at a cost of USD 258.000. The contract was signed on June 25, 1901, and the new ship was launched on July 10 1902. Her dimensions were 112,62×15,25×10,71 meters [369'3"×50'0"×35'2"], and with a tonnage of 5218 GRT and 4914 NRT.
She carried 25 sails in all, 7 gaffsails, 7 topsails, 6 staysails and 5 jibs, with a total area of 43.000 sq feet and with a weight of 18 tons. The sails were made by the sailmaking firm E.L. Rowe & Son of Gloucecester, MA.

The naming of the masts of the Thomas W. Lawson has been the subject for some discussion. However, according to a letter from her first master Capt. Arthur L. Crowley and preserved at the Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA, the seven masts were called Fore, Main, Mizzen, Number 4, Number 5, Number 6, and Spanker.

Although, originally designed for the trans-Pacific trade she was used in the coal trade until she was rebuilt in 1906 at the Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. for carrying oil in bulk. The topmasts were also removed at that time and the lower masts were used to vent the holds from oil gases.

Bound for London loaded with oil she was caught in a storm off the Scilly Islands on the 13th of December 1907. As she could not weather the islands it was decided to try to anchor, but during the night her anchor chain broke and she stranded on the Scilly Islands. Thirteen of the crew lost their lives.

Photograph from A Maritime Album: 100 Photographs and Their Stories published by The Mariners' Museum, Newport News, VA, USA.

Hallo Jürgen,
recht herzlichen Dank für deine Informationen. Dieser 7 Master war schon ein ganz ordentlicher Brocken. Wie mögen wohl die Segeleigenschaften gewesen sein. Die Besatzung brauchte da ja wohl nicht in die Wanten?
Spreche leider sehr schlecht englich und wünsche mir oft ich hätte da besser gelernt aber ich habe nie ein gutes Verhältnis zu Fremdsprachen gehabt welche Sprache auch immer.
Jedoch reicht es immer wieder, mir das aus dem englischen das heraus zu lesen, was ich gern wissen möchte.
Also danke und alles Gute, mein Lieber
Gruß Kümo