8.05  PIRATE SHIP BELL.  Genuine, 19th century ship’s bell marked “RED PIRATE.” This authentic old bell is cast of solid brass and is hand-engraved with the vessel's name along with a decorative flourish resembling a fleur-de-lis on a compass.  The bell is complete with brass clapper and produces a loud tone when rung.  The inside of the bell exhibits heavy green verdigris and evidence of marine encrustation, indicating it was submerged for a long period.  Whether it was as a result of shipwreck is inconclusive, as we have found no reference to any such wreck.  Nevertheless, this is an authentic ship’s bell with an intriguing name.  Additional research may well reveal a storied past.  8 inches in diameter by 7 inches high.  The real deal.  495

8.04  HEAVY TEAK & BRASS HELM.  Superior quality, early 1900’s helm wheel from a yacht or mid-size commercial vessel.  This exceptionally sturdy ship’s wheel is a classic 8 spoke design made entirely of ornately-turned solid teak with a solid brass hub and thick brass rims on both sides.  The hub has a ¾ inch arbor hole slightly tapered back to front, with keyway which aligns with the “King Spoke” identified by a turned ring on the handle.  28 inches in diameter spoke to spoke and 20 ½ inches on the wheel.  In testament to the quality of its construction, this helm weighs 21 pounds!  Outstanding original condition with a nice age patina on all surfaces.  None to found any nicer in this perfectly displayable size.  The best!  795

8.03   IDENTIFIED FISHING BOAT WHEEL.  Outstanding solid bronze helm identified with the vessel’s name “P-I-S-C-E-S” as marked under each of its six spokes.  This authentic high seas relic has a heavy cast bronze frame with hardwood handle grips.  The center has a 1 inch diameter arbor hole with a keyway aligned with the “King spoke” denoting rudder amidships.  On the arm of that spoke is the first letter “P” of PISCES.  This fine old ship’s wheel measures 16 inches in diameter on the rim and 23 ½ inches across from spoke tip to tip.  Excellent original condition noting minor age checks in the wood with a nice patina to all surfaces.  479

Pisces is the twelfth astrological sign of the Zodiac, considered a “water sign.” According to Greek mythology Pisces represents the two fish into which the goddess of love, Aphrodite, and her son Eros, transformed in order to escape the monster Typhon on the  Euphrates River.  The fish were then placed in the heavens in honor of their saving Aphrodite and Eros from Typhon.

8.01  BUILDER’s PLAQUE.  Authentic shipyard builder’s plate from the fishing vessel “EILEEN,” built just after World War II.  This very heavy, expertly cast solid brass plaque reads, “EILEEN TACOMA BOAT BLDG .CO TACOMA WASH DESIGNER & BUILDER 1947.”  It is a high relief casting of the finest quality which measures 11 by 17 inches, a full 3/8ths inch thick and weighs 18 pounds!  Outstanding original condition with lovely green verdigris.  795

The steam-powered fishing trawler EILEEN, official number 252749, call sign WA 4536, was launched by the Tacoma Boat Building Company, Tacoma, Washington in 1947.  She had a length of 79.4 feet, a breadth of 22.1 feet and a draft of 10.2 feet.  With a gross displacement of 138 tons (94 net), her steam plant produced 350 shaft horsepower.   She was operated by the Rainier Boat Company and home ported in Ketchikan, Alaska.

8.98  IDENTIFIED STATEROOM MIRROR.  Very, very scarce, actual ship’s watch officers’ stateroom mirror from the famous early cruiser U.S.S. SALEM as identified on an original label on the reverse.  The label reads, “Quartered White Oak, Berth deck.  Wardroom stateroom #9.  Watch officer.  One Sect. Bureau.  U.S.S. Salem.”  The mirror is of thick quarter-sawn white oak with a very heavy plate glass beveled mirror. The entire presentation measures 22 by 32 inches and weighs a substantial 21 pounds!   Of obvious value and significance is its provenance signified by the original old label on the back identifying what it is, where it was located, and of course the name of the ship on which it served.  Also shown here (but not part of this offering) is an original photograph of the USS CHESTER (CL-1) which was the lead ship in  that class.  

 USS SALEM (CL-3), Scout Cruiser No. 3, was a Chester-Class cruiser, the first U.S. Navy ship to be named for the city of Salem, Massachusetts.  She was laid down on August 28, 1905 by the Fore River Shipyard, Massachusetts, launched on July 27, 1907, and commissioned on August 1, 1908.

SALEM was also one of the first turbine engine ships to operate in the U.S. Navy.  She departed Boston on October 17, 1908 and underwent extensive sea trial testing along the Atlantic coast.  She then joined her sister ships, CHESTER and BIRMINGHAM, to form the Scout Cruiser Division in June 1909 and cruised the Atlantic, making one crossing to Madeira.  Placed in reserve at the Boston Navy Yard, SALEM replaced WABASH there as receiving ship on April 20, 1912, just days after the fateful TITANIC disaster. SALEM remained in Boston until October.  Reassigned to the Reserve Force, Atlantic Fleet, SALEM cruised to Gibraltar, returning to Philadelphia in late March 1913.  On April 23, 1914 SALEM was assigned to the Special Service Squadron for duty in Mexican waters. She cruised off the Mexican port of Veracruz supporting U.S. operations against the Mexican uprising there until September 19th when she sailed for Boston arriving October 1st.   SALEM relieved USS BROOKLYN as receiving ship at the Boston Navy Yard in March 1915 and served there until assigned to the Caribbean May 1916. Cruising off Mexican and Dominican ports, SALEM transported U.S. Marines, assisted in early radio communication links, and protected United States interests in the region until returning to the Philadelphia Naval Yard to be placed out of commission on December 2nd.
With America’s entry into World War I, SALEM was recommissioned on April 21, 1917 for duty as a receiving ship at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.  SALEM departed Boston Harbor on March 12, 1918 and joined a convoy force escorting submarine chasers across the Atlantic. From March 31 to June 15, she served as flagship of two such convoys to the Azores. Then on June 18, she became flagship of a flotilla of 12 submarine chasers assigned to Key West operating against German submarines.  SALEM continued in that duty through the remainder of the War.

After the force was disbanded SALEM steamed to the West Coast. Designated CL-3 on 17 July 17, 1920, she was decommissioned at Mare Island, California on August 16, 1921 and struck from the Naval Register on November 13, 1929.  With cruisers ALBANY and NEW ORLEANS, SALEM was sold to D. G. Seagraves of San Francisco, California, for scrapping in February 1930.  Interestingly, the prior owner of this mirror acquired it from the old Smith River Hotel in downtown Smith River, North of San Francisco.

8.95  TUGBOAT BUILDER’s PLAQUE.  Scarce, highly sought after, original shipyard builder’s plate from the World War II U.S. Army Steam Tug number 725.  This high relief, heavy cast brass plate reads”  “DESIGGED AND BUILT UNDER DIRECTION OF TRANSPORTATION CORPS U.S. ARMY S.T. 725 BUILT BY SMITH SHIPYARDS, INC. PENSACOLA, FLA. 1944”.  It measures 10 by 17 inches and is ¼ inch thick.  This plate is in beautiful, outstanding original condition with painted black background highlighting the embossed shiny brass lettering.   1195

Steam Tug number 725 was built at the Smith Shipyard, Pensacola, Florida and launched in 1944.  She had a length of 86 feet, a beam of 23 feet and a 10 foot draft.

As operational plans developed for the invasions of Europe and landings in the Pacific, the Army ordered hundreds of tugboats.  The ST’s generally had to be carried on the decks of larger vessels.  In 1944 two convoys bound for Europe experimented with towing ST’s with full crews aboard.  A mid-summer convoy had no trouble, but an early autumn convoy encountered bad weather which led to the loss of several vessels and lives.  The Transportation Corps operated a total of 746 tugs.  All types of tugs and towing vessels were sent overseas in large numbers.  At the end of the War there were 167 tugs in the European Theater and 171 tugs in the South Pacific.  A number of tugs were lost in both enemy action and in storms.  Sister tugs 721 and 731 were lost.

8.94 BUILDER’s PLAQUE. Very scarce pre-World War I American ship builder’s hull plaque for a commissioned U.S. Navy vessel! This high quality nickel alloy bronze plaque is hand-engraved, “NO. 466 BUILT BY THE AMERICAN SHIP BUILDING CO CLEVELAND HHIO 1917.” It measures 14 ¾ inches wide by 9 inches high with nice beveled edges and weighs a substantial 10 pounds. Excellent original, “as removed from the ship” condition. Builder’s plates for U.S. Navy ships are rarely available on the open market, particularly ones of this early vintage. 1295

Hull number 466 was launched at the American Shipbuilding Company’s yard in Cleveland, Ohio as “KIOWA,” owned by the Atlantic, Gulf & West Indies Steam Ship Line. KIOWA was commissioned on February 26, 1918 as the USS KIOWA (ID-1842).

She had a notable war record. Home ported in Norfolk, Virginia, her first duties were to transport coal to the fleet along the Atlantic coast. In April she loaded mines for the North Sea mine-laying squadron, arriving in Orban, Scotland on May 20th. Subsequently KIOWA made two more deployments carrying mines and equipment to ports on the North Sea before clearing Norfolk on December 6, 1918 with a load of coal for Bermuda. When the Armistice was declared, USS KIOWA returned to Norfolk and was decommissioned on January 16, 1919. Thereafter she continued service as a commercial cargo carrier under the names VALKA, KURZEME and ELIZETE. She had an unusually long career, remaining in service until 1960.

Specifications:

Displacement: 4,500 tons
Length: 261 feet Beam 43 ½ feet Draft 17 ¾ feet
Compliment: 62 officers & crew
Armament: One 5 inch and one 3 inch gun
Propulsion: 1200 HP reciprocating steam, single propeller

In 1916 the Great War was raging in Europe. The U.S. Navy began to acquire vessels from commercial and privately-owned sources to augment its patrol service in the event that the United States would be drawn into the conflict. "Section Patrol" (SP) numbers were assigned to these vessels in a series beginning with SP-1, ultimately extending to well over 4000. As the registration process continued, other types of ships and craft were acquired for duties other than patrol. These vessels were given "Identification" (ID) numbers similar to the SP series. Some vessels numbered with an SP prefix before 1918 later had their prefix changed to ID. The registry, and SP/ID number series continued into the early 1920s, even after the war’s end.

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