West Sea Company

SHIP RELICS

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8.13


8.13  EARLY SHIP’s REVOLUTION COUNTER.  Turn-of-the -century American, ship’s shaft revolution counter made by the “Jas P. Marsh Corporation, Chicago” for the “General Machinery Corporation” as marked on the brass dial.  This substantial, early solid bronze ship’s instrument  is 9 ½ inches wide in diameter and 13 inches wide overall and weighs a hefty 14 pounds.  It is a mechanical counter actuated by the lever on the left which rotates the 8 internal rotors that  register up to 99+ million revolutions of an old fashioned reciprocating steam engine.  The rotors themselves are brass with enameled numbers 0 – 9.  The case is heavy solid bronze in a bright finish.  It hinges open on the left to expose the complicated mechanism within.  The rear flange is provided with three holes for mounting to the bulkhead.  The handsome flared bezel measures 9 ½ inches in diameter and the case is 3 ¼ inches deep.  The rear flange is 10 inches in diameter and measures 13 ¼ inches wide inclusive of the actuating lever.  Excellent original condition.  Fully functional.  695


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8.12  SMALL SHIP’s HELM.  Very scarce, the first of its type we have seen, mid 1800’s ship’s wheel complete with steering gear box.  This rare, surviving example consists of a classic pinned and dowelled 6 spoke wheel with wooden hub attached to its spindle by brass screws.  The turned spokes are of oak and the body of the wheel is mahogany.  The wheel revolves on a hand-forged inverted “V” brace in brass finish, held by a large brass acorn nut on the hub.  The hub is attached to a stout brass rod running through the gear box, supported in back by a brass bearing and cotter pin.  The internal wooden spindle, with the rod running through it, would have taken several turns of line which connected to the rudderhead by a series of pulleys.  The arched top of the mahogany steering box is reinforced with brass straps and the entire piece is in its original old finish with nicely variegated surfaces indicative of its age and sea service.  The entire presentation measures 23 ¼ inches tall overall.  The wheel is 22 inches from spoke tip to tip and 16 inches in diameter on the rim.  The steering box measures 18 inches wide and 14 ¼ inches deep from the front acorn nut to the rear support.  Excellent original condition with good signs of use and no abuse.  The wheel is nicely balanced and turns freely.  A truly rare offering.  1595


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8.11  “OLD IRONSIDES” BOOK ENDS.  Scarce, matched pair of solid brass and copper bookends made from the original material used to construct the USS CONSTITUTION, affectionately referred to as “Old Ironsides”   These detailed bookends are cast in the form of old fashioned ship's helms depicting a port bow view of the venerable ship under sail within a medallion reading "OLD IRONSIDES Launched 1797 / 1804 Tripoli / 1812 Gurriere, Java / 1815 Cyane, Levant.  FRIGATE CONSTITUTION."   This is encircled by a rope border studded with stars.  On the front of the base, cast in relief, is the declaration, "THIS MATERIAL WAS TAKEN FROM U.S. FRIGATE CONSTITUTION 1927.   Each bookend is weighted with a lead insert on the bottom and measures 6 ½ inches high by 6 inches wide and 1 ¼ inches deep.  Outstanding original condition with wonderful age patina.  The Revere foundry in Canton Massachusetts produced all of the copper nails, spikes, bolts, pins and sheathing for the USS CONSTITUTION and many other early American frigates.  Accordingly the metal used to make these bookends most certainly was produced by Paul Revere.  345

U.S.S. CONSTITITUTION
is the oldest and without rival the most famous commissioned ship still in the United States Navy.  In modern times, when Somali piracy is a hot button International issue, it is interesting to note that in 1794 President George Washington approved the building of 6 armed frigates to protect the growing American merchant fleet against piracy.  Increasing attacks by North African "Barbary Pirates" from Morocco, Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli posed a threat to fledgling America’s maritime commerce, as did the increasingly aggressive British Navy.  CONSTITUTION was launched on October 21, 1797 and put to sea for the first time on July 22, 1798.  During 1803-1805, with her first skipper, Commodore Preble in command, CONSTITUTION  lived up to expectations by mounting 5 attacks on Tripoli. During America’s War of 1812 with Britain, CONSTITUTION under the command of
Isaac Hull, engaged HMS GUERRIERE 600 miles off the coast of Nova Scotia on August 19.  More than an hour into the battle the British ship was mortally crippled by CONSTITUTION fire. It was during this time that an American sailor purportedly saw British shot bouncing off CONSTITUTION’s side exclaiming, "Her sides are made of iron!"  This was the genesis of her famous nickname "OLD IRONSIDES."

In December CONSTITUTION was again victorious over a British man-o-war, this time sinking HMS JAVA off the coast of Brazil.  In 1813 and 1814 CONSTITUTION operated in and out of Boston Harbor, defying the British blockade there.  On February 20, 1815 CONSTITUTION was victorious yet again, capturing HMS CYANNE and HMS LEVANT.  While en route her homeport CONSTITUTION encountered a large contingent of British ships which were able to recapture LEVANT.   But to her credit CONSTITUTION  managed to hold on to her CYANE prize which was later recommissioned USS CYANE.

Thus ended CONSTITUTION’s war service. Effectively she never saw battle again.  During the period of 1844-46 under Captain John "Mad Jack" Percival, CONSTITUTION circumnavigated the world, sailing 52,370 miles in 495 days.  The venerable vessel saw service as a training ship for midshipmen during the Civil War, a duty which she carried on until 1878.  Later that year, into 1879 she conducted her last cruise in foreign waters, visiting the ports of France and England. Upon returning to New York, CONSTITUTION  began the period of her last active Naval service as a training ship for naval apprentices until 1881.

Finally she was laid up in Portsmouth, New Hampshire as a barracks ship. The remainder of USS CONSTITUTION’ s long life has been as a good will ambassador and museum ship. Today she resides in Boston Harbor as the focal point of the USS Constitution Museum. In March 1925 Congress authorized a major restoration of CONSTITUTION, stipulating that funding was to be provided by "popular subscription." A National Committee was established to coordinate the fund raising effort, appealing to schoolchildren to donate pennies, nickels, and dimes in an effort dubbed the "Pennies Campaign."  The 1927-1931 restoration of CONSTITUTION was the first time souvenirs made from the ship's materials were sold to the public to generate the money needed for her restoration.   At the same time, the effort reestablished "Old Ironsides" as an important historic icon in the hearts of patriotic Americans.  An identical pair of bookends currently resides in the USS Constitution Museum.


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8.98  IDENTIFIED STATEROOM MIRROR.  Very, very scarce, actual ship’s watch officers’ stateroom mirror from the famous early American 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. 695 Special Packaging

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 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.  She 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  as 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.   Along 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.



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8.70 IDENTIFIED SHIP'S HELM. Handsome early 1900's ship's steering station made by "DONKIN & Co., Ltd. NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE," as engraved on the top cover. This helm is very desirable because of its unusually diminutive size AND the fact that it is identified as having come from the Spanish ship RIO PAS. It is made of heavy brass and non-ferrous metal. The heavy brass wheel measures only 23 1/2 inches in diameter. It has 6 spokes, with the "king spoke" prominently identified with a ribbed brass band. At its center, the hub is capped with a massive brass acorn nut. The wheel turns smoothly, rotating the rudder angle indicator on the top in the direction of the turn, marked "PORT" and "STAR". The graceful pedestal is a non-ferrous metal in white enamel paint, contrasting nicely with the original rich patination of the brass. The entire station stands 43 inches tall overall. The pedestal itself measures 35 1/2 inches tall with a base diameter of 11 1/2 inches. Excellent original condition evidencing real use at sea. 1995 Special Packaging

The S.S. RIO PAS was a 3-masted 433 foot cargo vessel of 7,092 gross tons built by Vickers-Armstrongs, Ltd., Barrow, England in 1941 for Spanish interests, Fernando M. Pereda. Originally launched as the S.S. SAN ANTONIO, she had a cruiser stern and low pressure reciprocating steam plant. As of 1950 she was no longer in service, but was being used as a storage ship. (Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1949-1950, Vol. II). This steering station was acquired by the original owner in Bilbao, Spain in the early 1970's, during the time the ship was being salvaged.


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8.02

8.02  WEST COAST HELM BELL.  Particularly nice 19th century sailing ship helm bell identified by maker.  This heavy, solid bronze bell is stamped on the top of the yoke on both sides “W.T. CARRATT & CO., SAN FRANCISCO.”  It is of classic 19th century form with a contoured yoke terminating in flat brass feet.  The bell is secured at the top by a lovely acorn nut finial.  The original iron clapper is secured to the inside of the bell in an unusual way – on a brass rod running across the inside top of the bell.  Attached to the clapper is the original cotton bell rope done in a seamanlike fashion with fancy knotwork terminating in a monkey’s fist.  As configured the bell stands 10 inches high and 12 inches wide.  The bell itself measures 7 ¼ inches in diameter at the mouth.  Excellent original condition with a lovely deep statuary bronze age patina.  There are numerous paint spatters indicative of a long life at sea.  A real gem of a shipboard bell from the days of sail.  995

This is the second such bell we have offered in our 35 years.  The first, offered 10 years ago, sold for the same price.

Langley’s “San Francisco Directory” for the year 1881 lists W.T. Carratt Machine and Hydraulic Works at the corner of Fremont and Natoma Streets in San Francisco.  They were manufactures of steam-related equipment.

Bunting’s "Portrait of a Port, Boston 1852-1914" depicts a nearly identical helm bell on page 346 with the caption, “June 6, 1887, The ship Panay of Salem tows down the harbor.”


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8.06


8.06 VOICE TUBE. Rare, early 1900’s all brass speaking tube, probably from a World War II era or earlier U.S. Navy ship. This heavy right angle tube features a cast bronze elbow connecting two sections of 3 inches grass tubing. The end terminates in an angled cast brass opening fitted with a hinged cover. The ribbed cover contains a rubber O-ring which seats positively on the opening by means of a revolving locking lever. The speaking tube measures approximately 3 inches in diameter and is 17 inches long to the elbow and another 14 inches long to the open end. This substantial unit weighs 10 pounds! A very scarce ship’s relic.

The idea of the voice tube was simplistic in its design yet ingenious and very practical in its function. Believers in the KISS theory (Keep It Simple Stupid), early ship builders incorporated very basic systems into their production when possible. One of those was the voice tube which allowed communication within the ship from various key points such as the pilot house, engineroom, and navigation bridge. Another innovation along the same lines was the engine order telegraph of “E.O.T.” which used a series of cables to connect the pilot house with the engineroom to transmit speed changes.


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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


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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 Special Packaging


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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.


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8.91  SMALL CRAFT HELM.   Particularly handsome, authentic ship’s wheel from a  launch or small yacht.  This well-made steering wheel is of solid mahogany with classic pinned and dowelled construction and six decoratively turned spokes.  The “king spoke” which denoted rudder amidships, is marked with 4 recurring scribes.  The solid bronze hub with cover is mounted onto its original spindle which runs through the mounting flange which would have attached to the vessel.  For these purposes five screw holes are present for secure attachment.  This diminutive wheel measures just over 20 inches from spoke to spoke with a rim diameter of 13 inches.  The bronze mounting flange is 4 inches in diameter and is stamped on the back “MADE IN CANADA.”  Lovely condition throughout showing good actual use but no abuse.  The wheel spins freely on its spindle.   345

 

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8.90  SHIP’s BELL.  Genuine solid bell bronze ship’s bell from the turn-of-the-last century.  This handsome bell is of the finest quality made of thick wall construction which produces a sharp resonant tone of amazing clarity lasting more than 30 seconds when is rung!  Speaking to its quality the bell is attached to an exceptionally stout swan’s neck bracket capped by a very unusual knurled “Chinese hat” finial of early form.  This bell retains its original clapper which shows much use as evidenced by the continuous line of indentations on the interior rim.  The interior of the bell retains its original old red lead paint while the exterior has its original statuary bronze age patina.  The bell measures 8 inches wide at the mouth, stands 8 ½ inches tall and weighs a hefty 12 pounds.  This is certainly the nicest bell of its size and type that we have ever offered.  Hearing is believing!  375

 

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8.48 FIGUREHEAD. Authentic, mid-19th century American figurehead from a small coastal vessel or private yacht. This diminutive figurehead is realistically carved out of a single piece of pine in the form of a very stern looking American eagle. It is extremely well executed with the bold sure strokes of a professional shipcarver depicting the eagle's prominent beak, furrowed brow, eyes, and feathers. It exhibits great age with several coats of old paint in evidence and a deep age patina. A small portion of the eagle's beak has been lost to dry rot -- actually a very good sign of its long existence in a marine environment on a vessel's prow. This rare little carving measures only 5 3/4 inches long and about 2 inches thick. It is museum-mounted to a beautifully finished sculpted teak wall plaque which allows it to be displayed at the appropriate angle. The plaque measures 5 inches in diameter, with the entire presentation protruding slightly over 7 inches from the wall as so configured. A rare, genuine ship carving of manageable size and excellent value. 895

The American eagle was a very popular subject for ship carvings in fledgling maritime America. For similar carvings see M. V. Brewington's "Shipcarvers of North America," 1962, Barre Publishing Company, Barre, Massachusetts, pages 62 and 111.

 
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