Paul
Palmer
George
F. Welt built the 5-masted schooner Paul Palmer in Waldoboro,
Maine in 1902. Paul Palmer measured 276 feet in length,
44 feet in breadth, and had a 24-foot depth of hold. Built for
William F. Palmer, the schooner was one in a fleet of large schooners
with white hulls that operated in the New England coal trade.
Paul Palmer operated successfully for William F. Palmer
until J. S. Winslow and Company bought all of the Palmer schooners
in 1911.
Historical image of the schooner Paul Palmer. Courtesy
of LARC.
The
Paul Palmer departed Rockport, Maine on Friday, 13 June
1913 without a cargo. Onboard were eleven crewmembers, Captain
H. R. Allen, his wife, and a female guest. The lighthouse keeper
at Highland Light observed the schooner on fire off Race Point
on 15 June 1913. Unable to quench the blaze with the Palmer's
own fire pump and the assistance of a tug, the crew abandoned
ship and were picked up by a waiting fishing schooner. The Palmer
burned to its waterline and then sank.
Advertisement for the Paul Palmer's owners who
operated the schooner as a coal carrier between New
England and the Chesapeake Bay. Courtesy of LARC.
In
2000, the sanctuary located the coal schooner Paul Palmer.
Since its discovery, sanctuary researchers have investigated the
site and captured detailed video and still imagery.
Side
scan sonar image of Paul Palmer's remains.
| The
partially buried remains of the Paul Palmer lie on
a flat sandy bottom at a relatively shallow depth. Portions
of the schooner protrude from the bottom around the perimeter
of the site, while sand has filled in much of the ship's center.
At the schooner's bow is a large steam powered windlass used
to raise its anchors. |
|
Fishing nets are entangled
in the windlass. |
The
sanctuary is continuing its efforts to document the Paul Palmer
and learn about the vessel's history. The Paul Palmer represents
a typical coal carrying schooner built at the start of the 20th
century prior to the dominance of towed barges. Much can be learned
about the role the coal schooners played in the growth of New
England by using the Paul Palmer's history and archaeological
remains as a case study in coastal coal transportation.
Remains
of the steam powered hoisting gear
used to raise and lower the sails.
|
) - please view our