THE LARGEST SAILING SHIP AFLOAT.

Evening Post, Volume L, Issue 42, 17 August 1895, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE LARGEST SAILING SHIP AFLOAT.

* Apropos of the attention which ia being directed to German shipping, in connection with tho opening of the Baltic Canal, it may be mentioned that the Germans have recently launched at Bremen the largest sailing ship afloat — viz., the fivemasted Potosi, built for a Hamburg firm. Apart from the great size of the Potosi as a sailing vessel*— length overall, 394 ft .; width amidships, 49Jft. ; depth amidships, 31ift ; 3,955 tons gross and 3,780 tons net register ; carrying capacity, about 6,150 tons — we may add that the only other five-masted " sailer " afloat is the Fr6nch ship La France, of Dunkirk, which is of smaller dimensions than the Potosi. The German mercantile marine haß, however, previously possessed a fivemaster — the Maria Rickmers— though she was a steamer, with auxiliary engines, and never returned home after her first voyage. The colossal Potosi is built of Siemens-Martin steel, in accordance with the regulations of the Bureau Veritas and the English Lloyd's for the highest clasa, and under the special survey of those institutions, and with extra stiffening arrangements, in view of heavy masting and enormous pressure -of the sails. Two 6teel decks run over the whole length of the vessel, the upper one being lined with yellow pine. The masts and the larger yards are also of steel, the height of the mainmast from keel to truck being 210 ft, and its diameter at the deok 34ft. The spread of canvas with all sail set will be about 5,000 square yards.