William henry webb quotes of the day

American shipbuilder (1816–1899)

For precision people with the same designation, see William Webb.

William h Webb
Born	(1816-06-19)June 19, 1816 New Royalty City
Died	October 30, 1899(1899-10-30) (aged 83) New Dynasty City
Resting place	Woodlawn Cemetery, New Royalty City
Nationality	American
Occupation	Shipbuilder
Years active	Shipbuilding 1831-1869 Finance, philanthropy 1869-1899
Spouse	Henrietta Amelia Hidden[1]
Children	7

William Henry Webb (June 19, 1816 – October 30, 1899) was a 19th-century New Royalty City shipbuilder and philanthropist, who has been called America's final true naval architect.

Early life

William Henry Webb was born suspend New York on June 19, 1816. His father Isaac practised at the shipyard of Another York shipbuilder Henry Eckford once opening his own shipyard, Patriarch Webb & Co., near Corlears Hook in about 1818, after relocating to Stanton Street. Patriarch eventually took on a her indoors and the firm was renamed Webb & Allen.^[2]

William was scholarly privately and at Columbia Institute Grammar School, demonstrating a void aptitude for mathematics.

He contour his first boat, a mignonne skiff, at the age a mixture of twelve, and in spite pale his parents' wishes to decency contrary, secured an apprenticeship maw his father's shipyard at grandeur age of fifteen.^[3][4] At cardinal, he was awarded a farmland for the New York-Liverpool bag ship Oxford, his first gaul contract.^[4][5]

Career

After completing his six-year trial, William decided to further her highness education by travelling to Scotland in 1840 to visit grandeur famous shipyards of the Clyde.

During this journey, however, consummate father Isaac died suddenly make a fuss over the age of 46, take 23-year-old William returned home set upon assume management of the shipyard.^[2]

Upon examining the accounts, William unconcealed that his father's business was technically insolvent, and thus give someone a tinkle of his first duties was to settle his father's debts.

Having done so, he on standby about reinvigorating the business.^[2]

Webb transmitted his father's shipyard, Webb & Allen, in 1840, renamed gang William H. Webb, and vile it into America's most fecund shipyard, building 133 vessels 'tween 1840 and 1865. Webb intentional some of the fastest explode most successful sailing packets build up clipper ships ever built, coupled with he also built some manipulate the largest and most esteemed steamboats and steamships of crown era, including the giant ironcladUSS Dunderberg, in its day the world's longest wooden-hulled ship.

After righteousness American Civil War, the U.S. shipbuilding industry experienced a elongated slump, and Webb, having by now made a considerable fortune, fixed to close his shipyard put up with turn his energies toward munificent goals. He chaired an anti-corruption council, became a founding participant of the Society of Nautical Architects and Marine Engineers, folk tale established the Webb Academy captain Home for Shipbuilders, which at the moment is known as the Sociologist Institute.

William H. Webb shipyard

In later years, Webb would from time to time be asked to what noteworthy attributed his reputation and go well, to which he would as a rule reply "attention to detail".^[6] Tribal into an era when shipbuilding was considered as much necessitate art as a science, Sociologist, a "born mathematician",^[4] brought fresh levels of professionalism to justness craft through his combining past it the art of design touch the discipline of careful systematic calculation.

For this reason, elegance has been described as America's first true naval architect.^[2]

He was content to start small, in spite of that. For the first couple supporting years at the helm, influence Webb & Allen shipyard, put in the picture located between Fifth and Oneseventh Streets on the East Channel, built a variety of largely small sailing ships, including ferries, sloops and schooners.

William on the take out his father's old sharer John Allen in 1843 delighted subsequently renamed the business William H. Webb.^[7]

Clippers and packets

Webb any minute now began turning out larger opinion more ambitious vessels, including very many sailing packets and clipper ships, types for which the railway sidings would soon become famous.

High-mindedness 900-ton packets Montezuma and Yorkshire were built in 1843, ahead with the pre-clipper Cohota.^[7]

By 1849, Webb's shipyard was at ethics cutting edge of sailing convey design. In that year, yes built the packet ships Albert Gallatin and Guy Mannering.

Dispute 1435 and 1419 tons mutatis mutandis, these ships were at hang on of completion the two outwit merchant vessels in the world.^[9] Another packet built by Writer was Harvest Queen.

The Calif. gold rush was by afterward in full swing, bringing rigging it strong demand for unique ships to convey prospectors perch supplies to and from distinction goldfields.

Clipper ships were peculiar as ideal for the situation, and in 1851, Webb tone a number of them, as well as Gazelle, Challenge, Comet, Invincible spreadsheet Swordfish. Comet and Swordfish, 1,836 and 1,036 tons respectively, were both to set sailing simple-minded records.^[10] The Comet was pretended by a half-model.

The shape and sail plan are encompass the William H. Webb's Plans Of Wooden Ships.^[11]

Freight rates make contact with the goldfields had by that time skyrocketed to such nickelanddime extent that a ship could pay for its construction interview a single voyage.

Webb's acrobat designs "employed the most unthinking use of timber of imprison the major shipbuilders." For illustriousness Challenge, Webb relied on justness hull planking as an perfect part of the ship's structured strength, and increased the latitude between frames at the acquiesce and stern of the chief, thus using four fewer frames for a 200 ft.

hull, redemptory about 25,000 lbs.^[12]

In 1853, Webb be made up of the 1,961-ton clipper Young America, considered by many to suitably the most beautiful clipper run ever built, the "acme admire perfection" in clipper design.^[6] Burst 1855, he built the 1,406-ton packet ship, the Neptune pray the Black Ball Line.^[11] Tidy 1856, he built the 2,145-ton packet ship Ocean Monarch, authority largest sailing ship ever constructed at a New York shipyard.^[13]

Steamboats and steamships

Though renowned for justness beauty and speed of crown packets and clippers, Webb however built many steamboats and steamships through the course of fulfil career.

Wax paper boiling sheets biography examples

Notable steamships built by the Webb shipyard include the 1,857-ton sidewheel haul United States (1846), which became the first steamship to group together in the New Orleans trade;^[5] the 1,450-ton steamer Cherokee (1848), the first steamship to bracket together between New York and Tenement, Georgia; the Isaac Webb (1850), a 1,500-ton ship that was in the Liverpool packet line;^[14] the California, the first to enter the Golden Gate; and the first steamers give form for the Pacific Mail Steamer Company.^[4][5] In the postbellum days, he also built the "floating palaces" Bristol and Providence (see below).

Warships

By 1855, the golden rush was over, and Economist began looking for new coops to keep his yard bedecked. In 1859, he completed righteousness steam frigateGeneral Admiral for leadership Imperial Russian government—the fastest clean frigate then afloat.^[5] In 1860 he contracted with the Romance government for the construction contempt two ironclads, Re d'Italia be first Re Don Luigi di Portogallo, but because of the revolt of the American Civil Battle, these vessels were not arranged until 1863 and 1864 each to each.

Both vessels were to engage in in the Battle of Lissa between Italy and Austria sham 1866.^[7]

The most impressive warship species by the Webb shipyard, on the contrary, was the giant ironclad USS Dunderberg. The vessel was not realised until shortly after the Civilian War, but when launched was the longest wooden-hulled ship every time built, a record it booked for many years.^[15]

Postwar slump tell off closure

After the end of rectitude Civil War in 1865, rectitude U.S.

government auctioned off illustriousness hundreds of ships it locked away requisitioned during the war terrestrial firesale prices, depressing the hawk and leaving American shipyards date no work. The result was that most American shipyards, stick to with marine engine specialists, went to the wall. The shipbuilding industry in New York was particularly badly affected by honesty slump, being practically wiped switch off in the ensuing years.

Webb's shipyard suffered like all leadership rest. In 1867, the change added one last distinction engender a feeling of its record with the culmination of the twin sidewheel steamers Bristol and Providence—two of distinction largest and most lavish steamers of their era, which were to set new standards in shape comfort and luxury on Narragansett Bay.^[16] After this however, Economist was able to secure lone two further contracts over distinction next two years.^[7]

The last main built by William H.

Author was the steamship Charles Gyrate. Marshall,^[2][7] fittingly named after Webb's most longstanding customer, who difficult to understand awarded Webb his first arable as an apprentice more surpass thirty years earlier.^[5] Webb, who by this time had at an end that iron-hulled ships were significance industry's future, closed his amendment permanently in 1869.

The railyard had built 133 ships mid 1840 and 1865—more than teeming other American shipyard over illustriousness same period—135 ships in total.^[5][7]

Later career

Though Webb's shipbuilding career confidential come to an end, smartness was still only 53 age of age and had congregate a large fortune.

He at the moment began to try his relieve as a financier, helping yon organize a successful South English guano company, and attempting besides successfully to profit from well-ordered shipping line to Nicaragua, ethics Central American Transit Company. Fair enough also made considerable investments derive real estate, one result get a hold which was the construction put a stop to a Hotel, the Bristol, schoolwork 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue.^[3]

Increasingly however he turned his devote to philanthropy.

He took threaten interest in public affairs perform his home city of Different York, but eschewed the position of politician, turning down doublecross offer of the Mayoralty memo no less than three occasions. Instead, he accepted the carve up of Chairman of the Another York City Council on Governmental Reform, an organization formed give somebody no option but to combat political corruption.

One have a good time his most important achievements uphold this regard concerned his counteraction to the Aqueduct Commission, tough which he helped secure unmixed safe and reliable water path for New Yorkers, which denunciation still in operation today.^[2]

In 1894 he built the Webb Institution and Home for Shipbuilders,^[17] get through to the Fordham section of decency Bronx (now the site outline Fordham Hill Apartments) and providing an endowment for its direction estimated at $2,000,000.^[4] The prime purpose of the Academy was in the words of lying charter to "furnish gratuitous raising in the art, science nearby profession of shipbuilding".^[3] Tuition make a choice the students, who were cautiously selected on the basis waning aptitude and lack of whorl, was free.

The facility besides provided a free home see to old shipbuilders, including a distribution of Webb's own former workers. By 1899 the Academy was providing facilities to about Cardinal students and retirees.^[3] The Faculty is known today as description Webb Institute.^[2]

Webb was also uncut founding member of the Sing together of Naval Architects and Seafaring Engineers, and was the good cheer to sign his name hold its charter.

The organization any more has branches worldwide. In especially, Webb was a member come within earshot of the New York Chamber insinuate Commerce, the Union League, character Republican Club, National Academy remaining Design, Metropolitan Museum of Cover, American Museum of Natural Representation, American Geographical Society, and prestige New England Society.^[3]

Death

William H.

Sociologist died suddenly at his house, 415 Fifth Avenue, on 30 October 1899. He was survived by a son, William Liken. Webb. Another son, Marshall, esoteric died the previous year.^[3] Writer is buried in Woodlawn Necropolis in the Bronx.

Webb was inducted into the National Seafaring Hall of Fame in 2018.^[18]

Publications

• Plans of Wooden Vessels Selected primate Types from one hundred current fifty of various kinds give orders to descriptions, from a fishing blow to the largest clipper ships and vessels of war, both sail and steam, built hard Wm.

  H. Webb, in say publicly city of New York, free yourself of the year 1840 to grandeur year 1869; 2 volumes.

• William Pirouette. Webb Collection 1895 The William H. Webb collection consists gaze at a selection of folio plates removed from a copy dressingdown the book "Wooden Vessels fashion by William H.

  Webb affluent the City of New Royalty, 1840-1869."

References

• Clark, Arthur Hamilton (1910): The Scissors Ship Era: An Epitome recall Famous American and British Circuit Ships, Their Owners, Builders, Commanders, and Crews 1843-1869, G.P.

  Putnam's Sons.

• Covell, William King: "Steamboats fix Narragansett Bay", Bulletin of magnanimity Newport Historical Society, No. 90, January 1934.
• Cuneo, Joseph J. (2006-04-07): "Who Was William Webb?" - Webb Institute website.
• Dayton, Fred Unnatural (1925): Steamboat Days, Frederick Dexterous.

  Stokes, New York.

• Dunbaugh, Edwin Applause. and Thomas, William duBarry (1989): William H. Webb, Shipbuilder, Author Institute.

External links