Launch of Schooner Mary Copley

Watertown Daily Times

Thursday, August 21, 1873

                             The Chaumont Launch

                                  A Kind of a Fizzle

    Wednesday wasn’t much of a day for launches - although the railroad carried passengers at half fare and the weather was full fair.  Chaumont launches are peculiar - very- and the launch Wednesday so widely advertised was more so. There is nothing like a Chaumont launch except the kind which grows at Three Mile Bay.

    Several people went to Chaumont yesterday from this city - on business. One man went after some ciscoes for supper, another to inspect the stone quarry, another to see Lawrence Gaige personally, another to the dance at Reed’s, another to sell horse collars, another to take advantage of the half fare rate and to take a ride, another to see how large a place Chaumont is, and two others to get a man to subscribe for the “Bugle.” We have interviewed one of the latter and we get a few particulars.

    At 1:45 p.m. Conductor Tufts whispered in our ears “all aboard” and two coach loads of people stepped on the train, and after a brief stop at the Junction were on their way to the classic village of Chaumont. Arriving there, a carriage was found in waiting for the invalids, and a general stampeded occurred to the showers of the far-famed and beautiful bay. Fully two thousand persons were in attendance, and a better looking, better feeling crowd is seldom seen. The long stone bridge was lined with hundreds of joyous people. The bridge had a “draw” in it that is perfectly irresistible - which explains its attractions. With its many colored silks and calicoes it resembled a rainbow or a box of French candies, sugar-coated by beaux and belles to whom the launch was a matter of secondary importance.

                                                    The Ship

    Close by the shore, with its left side toward the water, with the stars and stripes flying, stood the handsome three master upon its foundation of timber, clothed in white, with red and green stripes on her overskirt, ready for the promised “ducking.” There was sound of hammer, and the rattle of iron, and the shouts of workmen, and the pounding of wedges, as the finishing touches were given her. The persistent interviewing of newspaper reporters brought forth the following facts.

    Her owners are Asa Wilcox of Three Mile Bay, Hiram Copley of Chaumont, and Capt. James F. Gilmore of Dexter. The first two named own each three-eighths, and the latter, who is to be captain of the craft, owns the remaining one quarter. Her length of keel is 127 feet - length over all 135 feet. Breadth of beam, 26 feet, 1 1/2 inches. Tonnage, 275. She is intended for the grain trade and her capacity will be about 20,000 bushels. The work of construction was commenced April 5th of the present year. She is well made and rated A No. 1. Her cost is reckoned at $20,000. It was constructed under the supervision of Mr. Asa Wilcox, Mr. Edward Birtrand, of Clayton, acting as ship carpenter.

    It is a novel thing in these parts to launch a ship sideways. The performance was carefully watched by the crowd with a great deal of interest. Finally a man was seen cutting away the “shore” or prop under the bow.  Whether he did it took quick or in advance of orders, we know not. But slowly, very slowly, the bow commenced to move and the timbers to crack - the heavy mass seemed to scent the  water, and she was making for it almost imperceptibly - then a bell was run and up went the pennant bears the name of the schooner, “Mary Copley,” which was a profound secret known by almost everyone long before the launch took place.

    The cracking of timbers grew louder and louder, and it was apparent that she was not long for dry land. Then it was discovered that the oaken prop under the stern had not been cut. But it was too late, the bow wouldn’t wait and away it went for the waves. The bow had gone a rod before the stern started, and went plunging into the water all by itself. This movement served to twist the stern around, the prop refused to yield in time, and the way or supporting timber underneath broke with a crash, and down came the stern of the schooner upon the rock, where she hangs with ten feet - her bow laying in the water and scaring the big fish. At one time all expected to see the ship go over upon her sided, and the people who were on deck set up a squealing for their lives - all of which were saved,

    Everybody looked at every other body, after the smoke had died away, and asked what they thought of the probable rise and fall of the Dutch Republic. Other people wanted to know when the bottle of wine was to be broken. It had already been broken at a private house. It was regarded as one of Asa’s best efforts, and far ahead of one of his Three Mile Bay launches, which required three weeks to finish.

    The performance commenced about 3:30 p.m. and it will be completed as soon as the schooner can be pried off. Probably the railroad will carry passengers at  half faire until the launch is completed.

    The failure to knock out the stern “prop” is regarded as the cause of the failure. It is due to Mr. Birtrand to say that he was obliged to leave his work about a week ago, and was in no ways responsible  for the first disaster to the “Mary Copley.”

    The schooner draws five feet, and it was said that it was to find seven feet when she struck the water, but it is the opinion of many that her bow struck bottom.

    It is said that the keel of a new schooner similar to the one just completed, is to be laid ate once upon the same spot. It is to be built and owned by Messrs. H. Copley, Hon. W. W.  Enos and Hon. A. D. Shaw.

                                                 LATER

                              The Launch Completed

                                                  Chaumont, August 21, 1873

   Correspondence of the Times and Reformer

        The  launch of the schooner “ Mary Copley” was completed last evening at 10 1/2 o’clock. She is all art “stem to stern” this morning.

                                                                             W. W. Enos

                              How It Was Done

                                                       Chaumont, Aug. 21, 1873

 Correspondence of the Times and Reformer

    “Accidents will happen in the best regulated families,” but “all is well that ends well.”

    To the disappointed ones who witnessed the failure of the boat launch yesterday, we can say this morning that the “Mary Copley” is now safely afloat. If the three or four thousand who were here had only remained, they could have beheld a launch by starlight. By the aid of pries in moving the stern, and by swinging the bow around with the anchors, it was ant last moved into the deep water and floated majestically in its proper element.

    On looking the ground over it seems better that did not go far when iti started. One boat load of people in front it might have been run  down and besides jammed, and as the road bridge was crowded with horses and carriages,  men, women and children, it could hardly have been possible le  but that some horses would have taken fright and made terrible work.