The “Mayflower” in her prime. She is a big ship, displaces 2,650 tons and is 320 feet long over-all.
The Mayflower at Sea Again
For years she lay al the enil of a pier at
Wilmington, slowly disintegrating, but now’
she lias been reeoniniissioned and is ready
for duty in Iho war.
THE thousand)! of subscriber* to
The State are interested in
everything which pertains to the
commonwealth of North Carolina.
Many arc comparatively new resi¬
dents. Nevertheless they are always
triad to know about thing* of a public
nature, or to learn of points which
have brought North Carolina favor¬
able and helpful publicity. For this
reason they will undoubtedly be in¬
terested in knowing that the former
Presidential
у
a c h t. Mayflower,
moored for the past few years at the
wharves of the Rroadfoot Iron Works
in Wilmington, after initial war serv¬
ice in the Spanish-Amcrienn im¬
broglio of 189S, is again in service
of the Government in a fight against
a common foo and enemy. Completely
overhauled and refitted the beautiful
ship has recently been given a new
name. It is now called the Butte and
within a short time will Ik- actively
engaged as a Const Guard man-of-war.
From 1033 the former Mayflower,
was a familiar sight along the river
front of Wilmington. The ship about
that time, practically had been de¬
stroyed by tire at the Philadelphia
Navy Yard. It was bought for a
fraction of its value by Frank P.
Parrish, of Chicago. His intention
was to convert the vessel into a llont-
By LOUIS T. MOOKF
ing pleasure palace. Considerable
work had been accomplished locally.
Parrish then decided to sell the ship.
Fr* the following several years owner¬
ship changed several times. The ves¬
sel continued to remain at the port
of Wilmington. An end came to the
inactivity of the Mayflower when
war-time demand for ships and more
ships caused our Government to pur¬
chase the vessel for the second time.
The historical background of the
Mayflower is csjiecinlly interest ing
now to people of Wilmington and of
North Carolina. This is due to the
decade of time that the handsome
craft remained at our State's major
port. The ship was built by .1. & S.
Thompson, of Clydebank, Scotland,
in 1896 for -I. Ogden Goelet, a rich
New Yorker. The cost was 81,250,-
000. The length was 320 foot, dis¬
placement 2,696 tons, draft 21 feet,
ami width or beam 36 feet. With
the declaration of war against Spain
in 1898, Goelet ’s estate sold the vessel
to the Government. It was then eon-
verted into a light war-ship. The
Mayflower saw active Service in the
Spani'h-Aiuerican War and -cored
one hit against a Spanish cruiser with
a 5 inch shell.
In 1 902 the
.1/
ay flower was officially
commissioned as the Presidential
yacht. A large and adequate sum was
expended in refitting and refurnishing
her. Tin* beautiful ship then re¬
mained in official service during the
terms of Theodore Roosevelt, Taft.
Wilson, Harding, and Coolidge.
Roosevelt installed hath tubs, cut from
blocks of Italian marble. This added
to the already opulent interior of the
ship. legend *ays (which in itself
may Ik- a bit of badinage directed
toward President Taft's
ЗОП
pounds
and more of weight), that a large
crack appeared in one of the tub*
between 1909-1918. Taft was in office
during that |»eriod.
President Wilson (who lived in
Wilmington as a youth) u-ed the
Mayflower least of all of the five
Presidents, lie had tin elevator in¬
stalled on the vessel. This was re¬
moved by President Harding. Tin-
latter took many pleasure trips on the
ship. He once had Sunday paper*
onnt rni IU II nil in
М
1
ГГ>1-
1 • • t * t 1
««
.*
(lent ! ootnige loved I
'III*
Л‘П/"(/1Г<Т
more than any of the ot
her Presidents.
and he was the Iasi to use her. lie
(Continued on page twenty-six)
1
