William T. Hart

Mariners' Museum, Uncurated Search Results

Type: Schooner

Year: 1883

Builder: John Agnew Co.

Location: Alexandria

Eastern Shore
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These records are found in the online catalog of The Mariners’ Museum and Park in Newport News, Virginia. Uncurated search results are presented to give researchers and interested readers an idea of whether the museum’s archives contain information about this vessel and whether it may be worthwhile to visit the museum’s catalog search page for further investigation. Uncurated results may be inaccurate or incomplete.

Search mode: Exact Name. Search phrase(s): "William T. Hart"; "William T Hart". Results returned: 16. Results displayed in this table: 8.

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Fetch?	Row ID	Media	Date	Vessel	Place	Related Places	Inscription/Marks	Subject	Notes	Archive Number
	1								SHORT DESCRIPTION: Oil on canvas painting by William Pierce Stubbs, port broadside view of the four masted coasting schooner 'William T. Hart' off rocky headland, lighthouse at the right. Vessel flies jack from foremast, red and white house flag from #2 mast, red, white on blue pennant. VESSEL INFORMATION - VESSEL NAME: WILLIAM T. HART VESSEL TYPE: SCHOONER, FOUR MAST VESSEL BUILT: 1883 VESSEL DATES: 1883-1885 SHIP BUILDER: JNO. AGNEW & CO. BUILDER LOCATION: ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA VESSEL DIMENSIONS: 896 tons, 198 x 38 x 19.6 REGISTERED: SOMERSET, MASSACHUSETTS SHIP OWNER: JOS. F. DAVIS (Rec, 1884); JOEL BARLOW FATE: Foundered off Barnegat, N.J. December 6, 1885 while on a voyage from Baltimore to Providence with coal. VESSEL HISTORY: -National Republican, July 23, 1883, page 6: The schooner William T. Hart, of Somerset, just built at this port, was successfully launched Saturday morning at 9:30, without accident, in the presence of about 1,000 spесtators. The vessel was built by J. P. Agnew & Co. for Joseph Davis and others. She is the largest vessel over built at this port, being 203 feet in length over all, 35 foot breadth of beam, and 19 feet registered depth, with a registered tonnage of 943-33/100 tons "gross," which will give her a carrying capacity of about 1,400 tons. She is a single deck proper, but has a lower deck extending from forecastle to the forward part of the after cabin, without bulkheads at the ends. This deck is 6 feet below the upper deck. She is to be a four master. The spars were made here from square timber. She is supplied with a donkey engine for raising the sails and anchors, pumping, &c. The engine is an upright, and made at Newburyport. The engine house is located forward, and is 20 by 20 feet, with brick floor. The forecastle and galley are just aft the forward hatchway, and are fitted up with every convenience. Under the galley is the fresh water tank capable of holding 100 gallons of water. The after cabin has five state rooms, with stationary washstands, a saloon 12 by 15 feet, a dining room 12 by 16 feet, and a pantry. The woodwork is of oak, with black walnut trimmings, and gilt ornaments. The cost is about $50,000. This is the eighth vessel built at this yard, and the frames of the ninth are now up. The master shipbuilder, William H. Crawford, was very highly complimented on the day of the launch for the successful manner in which he conducted it. Joseph Davis, is the managing owner, will be the master of the vessel. -The Washington Post, July 22, 1883, page 5: Alexandria, July 21, The large foremasted schooner William T. Hart, built by Mr. W. J. Crawford at Agnew & Co.'s shipyard was successfully launched this morning in the presence of a large crowd of ladies and gentlemen. -The Washington Post, August 17, 1883, page 3: The four masted schooner William T. Hart was towed from Agnew & Co, ship yard, where she was built, this morning, to the American Coal Company docks, where she will take in a cargo of coal [1425 tons] for Providence. The vessel is finished all but the bending of the sails, which will be done by the crew after she is loaded, and is being towed down the river. -The Morning-Journal Courier, April 18, 1884, page 4: The schooner William T. Hart, Captain David, is one of the largest ever at this port. Her measurements are: length of keel 175 feet, length overall 205 feet and width of beam 38 feet. She has a carrying capacity of 1,500 tons and draws 17 feet of water. A seven horse-power engine hoists the sails and anchors, works the pumps and furnishes steam for heating both the cabin and forecastle. The schooner carries nine men all told and was built in Alexandria, Virginia, by A. P. Agnew. -Richmond Dispatch, September 19, 1884, page 3: Port of Newport News, September 18, 1884, sailed schooner William T. Hart, Davis, Providence, coal, Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Company. -The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 9, 1885, page 3: Marine Disaster, Sinking of the Schooner William T. Hart off Barnegat. Providence, RI, December 8, The schooner Henry Lippitt, Howes, for New Orleans for Warren, arrived here today having on board Captain J. T. Davis and crew of nine men, of the four-masted schooner William T. Hart. Captain Davis says he left Baltimore on Friday last for Providence with 1500 tons of coal. He encountered heavy weather, and on Monday morning, when off Bargegat Light, the wind blowing northwest, and the course northeast, the schooner shipped a heavy sea, which washed the man from the wheel and buried the decks. The schooner lay to, and the ice made very fast. We could not get up enough sail to steady her. The pumps were sounded at nine AM, and found little water. Soon afterward the cargo shifted, and ten minutes later the decks burst, letting water down on the coal. The pumps were unable to free her, and it was evident the vessel was sinking. A schooner was sighted three miles astern and signals of distress made, and a boat cut away which left the Hart just as the schooner sank. -The Herald News, August 7, 1915, page 5: Capt. Joseph F. Davis commanded the schooner William t. Hart, built by him in 1883 at Alexadria, Virginia, which sprang a leak during a heavy gale and sunk off Barnegate, New Jersey, in 1885.	CL12829
	2	No image URL.							William T. Hart	P0001.011/01-3159
	3		5/19/1906	William T. Hart (Side wheel steamer : 1881).				Steamboats–United States.; Bodies of water–United States.; Ferries–United States.	Shows the ferry William T. Hart at pier.	MS0095/02-#1320
	4		Circa 1905	William T. Hart (Side wheel steamer : 1881).				Steamboats–United States.; Bodies of water–United States.; Ferries–United States.	Shows the ferry William T. Hart under way. There are two other ferries under way, but they cannot be identified. This is shot from a distance, overlooking a railyard.	MS0095/02-#1317
	5		5/19/1906	William T. Hart (Side wheel steamer : 1881).				Steamboats–United States.; Bodies of water–United States.; Ferries–United States.	Shows the ferry William T. Hart at pier.	MS0095/02-#1321
	6		5/30/1905	William T. Hart (Side wheel steamer : 1881).				Steamboats–United States.; Bodies of water–United States.; Ferries–United States.	Shows the ferry William T. Hart at pier.	MS0095/02-#1318
	7		6/14/1904	William T. Hart (Side wheel steamer : 1881).				Steamboats–United States.; Bodies of water–United States.; Ferries–United States.	Shows the ferry William T. Hart under way.	MS0095/02-#1319
	8	No image URL.							MODEL NOTES: Correspondence with vendor (whose husband allegedly had purchased the model ". . . in the early 1930s when the old Alexandria Ship Yards closed") states that the model had been measured, researched and authenticated by members of the "Richmond Model Builders" (Richmond Ship Model Society?) and by Dr. John Lyman. Letter of 09/25/1961 gives measurements of the model as 72" (This proves to include the bowsprit!), on backboard 75" by 14-1/4" (actually 75-1/2" x 14-1/2") and scale as 1/2"=1' (ltr. 09/14/1961). The latter gives dimensions of the HART as 198' x 38' x 19.6' (presumably register dimensions, now verified by David Dick vs. A.B.S. "RECORD"). It also reports model dimensions as: Length on deck, 260'0"; length between perpendiculars 240'0"; breadth molded 50'0"; deph of hold 25'0" (these are all obviously in error, possibly from another vessel of similar name, as those dimensions cannot be derived from the model by conversion at 1:24 scale, either). The 198-foot registered length, length on deck (205'), and length on keel (175') also do not agree with the stated 1:24 scale, but would be consistently and reasonably close at 1:36. Early correspondence referred to the vessel as having been built by "Alexandria Ship Yards." At some point, with no supporting evidence now in file, this reference changed to John Agnew & Company. While John Lyman was a well-respected researcher (and a professor of oceanography at University of North Carolina at the time of his death) there seems to be a puzzle here of unsupported and perhaps conflicting data. Possibly "Ship Yards" in the vendor's letter should have been "generic" (not capitalized). There were yards other than Agnew in Alexandria at the time - one of them, the Alexandria Marine Railway and Shipbuilding Company, actually became the Agnew yard, so that may have been the root of the "old Alexandria Ship Yards" reference. In any event, no other Alexandria yard built a four-masted schooner. In conclusion, there must be reasonable doubt as to the identity of the vessel and/or the scale of the model. Further examination of the model for marks (including mast lines on the centerline face of the hull) is in order. LABEL COPY: Four-Masted Schooner/ William T. Hart, (1883-1885)/ Half model, scale 3/8"=1', circa 1883/ Museum Collection/ 61.61/ The use of half models, which extended into the early 1900's, dates back centuries. In the absence of drawn plans such scale models provided the shipbuilder with the data neede to accurately construct the hull. Some, like this example, could later be used for decorative purposes. (label copy for Chesapeake Bay Gallery - September, 1989) VESSEL INFORMATION- VESSEL NAME: WILLIAM T. HART NATIONALITY: American HOME PORT: Massachusetts, Somerset VESSEL TYPE: 4-Masted Schooner VESSEL DIMENSIONS: 198' x 38' x 19.6' SERVICE DATES: 1883-1885 SHIPBUILDER: Agnew & Co., John SHIPBUILDER LOCATION: Virginia, Alexandria SHIP OWNERS: Davis, Joseph S. CAPTAINS OR OTHER RELATED PEOPLE: Davis, Joseph S. VESSEL HISTORY: Short! Document surrendered 12/12/1885; vessel reported lost at sea.	CL14662