HMCo #52p Javelin

"[1879-07-28] Mon 28: Javelin [#52p]. July 28th 1879. Long Wharf to Bristol. Flood tide. Wind S fresh, about one doz[en] on board. At about 100 [lbs steam pressure] jet in stack used. 5 & 9 x 10 compound [steam engine]. 39in. grate.f, 1-17. Bishop buoy 1-26 1/2, 9 1/2. Sandy Pt. 1-57 1/2, 31. Beacon 2-14 3/4, 17 1/4. Wharf 2-19, 4 1/4. [Sum] 1h[our] 2m[inutes]. [This entry in space intended for April 26 and 27, 1878.]" (Source: Herreshoff, Nathanael G. Diary, 1879. Manuscript (excerpts). Herreshoff Marine Museum Collection.)

"K. K. H. [Katherine Kilton Herreshoff, J. B. H.'s daughter] + John B. H. [John Brown Herreshoff] + S. L. H. [Sarah Lucas Herreshoff, J. B. H.'s wife] went up Hudson river in ... as far as Poughkeepsie. also went to New Bedford & Block Island. 55 ft long. 9 [ft] wide. 4' 9" deep." (Source. Anon. (N. G. Herreshoff?) [Annotation on back of photo carte de visite of Javelin (Herreshoff Marine Museum Acc. No. 86.166B) in period ink.] No place, no date.)

"Javelin. 55 x 9 x 4' 9". 1879. Sold to the Government at Washington --- and placed in the river there at the Navy Yard." (Source. Anon. (N. G. Herreshoff?) [Annotation on back of photo carte de visite of Javelin (Herreshoff Marine Museum Acc. No. 86.166D) in period ink.] No place, no date.)

"Javelin (No. 52), steam yacht, of Bristol.
Built at Bristol, RI, by Herreshoff Manufacturing Co., 1879.
10.48 tons; 50.9 ft. x 8.6 ft. x 4.9 ft. [Register length x breadth x depth.]
No deck, no mast, plain head, sharp stem.
Surveyed and measured, June, 1879." (Source: U.S. Customs Department, Bristol, R.I. Custom House Record Book, 1870s to 1904 (Collection of the Herreshoff Marine Museum), s.v. Javelin.)

"[License issued to vessel under 20 tons. Pos. 122:]
Javelin, steam yacht, of Bristol.
Built at [blank] [HMCo].
10.48 tons; 50.9 ft. x 8.6 ft. x 4.9 ft. [Register length x breadth x depth.]
No specifications shown.
Previous documentation not shown.
Lic[ensed] ([as] yacht) June 26, 1879. Owner: Herreshoff Manufacturing Company. Master: John B. Herreshoff, Bristol. ([Record at:] C[ustom] H[ouse, Providence])." (Source: Survey of Federal Archives, Work Projects Administration. Ships Documents of Rhode Island. Bristol. Ship Registers and Enrollments of the Port of Bristol - Warren Rhode Island, 1941, s.v. Javelin.)

"U. S. steamers Mayflower, Captain Brown, and Standish, Captain Dickens, arrived here from a cruise on the 4th inst [August 4, 1879]. On board were about fifty cadet engineers, who landed and visited the Herreshoff Manufacturing Co.'s boat establishment, and other places of intorest around town, and then were treated to a sail around the harbor in Herreshoff's steamer Javelin." (Source: Anon. 'Local Notes.' Bristol Phoenix, August 9, 1879, p. 2.)

"Mr. Herreshoff, the famous blind boat builder of Bristol, hurled his Javelin into the heart of Providence, Saturday [September 13, 1879]; but withal with no unhappy effect on our great and prosperous city; for Mr. Herreshoffs Javelin is not like Cottewayo's. It is not an instrument of war, but on the contrary is designed to minister to man's pleasure. The Javelin is in fact one of those saucy little steam pleasure yachts in the building and fitting of which the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company has become so successful. She is a pretty little craft, fifty feet long and nine feet beam, and runs on an average at the rate of twelve and a half knots an hour, although capable of going fifteen. She is furnished with a compound engine, fed with steam from a Herreshoff safety coil boiler. In case of a break caused by collision or running on rocks, the Javelin would not sink being furnished with water-tight compartments which would provent the wreck from going down. Interiorly, the little craft is comfortably finished and furnished and those who have the pleasure of gliding over the water in her are among the people of this world who are to be envied. Mr. Herreshoff states that he recently made a trip to New York and a short distance up North river in her, and only a ton and a quarter of coal was required to feed the boiler, the whole distance going and coming. But the Javelin only seems to be one among many, for within the last two or three years he has built a dozen or more similar crafts. He thinks that he has so far perfected this style of boat that he does not care to look around for any additional improvements for the present. At his boat house now he has two little steamers [#57p and #58p Launches for N. Y. Coast Survey] in process of construction, to be used in the United States Coast Survey service on the Mississippi river. --- Prov. Daily Journal." (Source: Anon. "Mr. Herreshoff And His Pleasure Boat." Bristol Phoenix, September 20, 1879, p. 2.)

"... Mr. Morgan's new steam yacht, the Javelin [#164p], which Herreshoff is building, will probably go into the water this week. The boat is ninety-eight feet long. Her machinery and pilot house is completed, and when she is once floated she will be almost ready to go into commission. The Javelin [#52p] is also the name of a very fast steam yacht built by Herreshoff several years ago and now owned by the Government. At present she is on duty at the United States Naval Academy, where she acts as flagship of the fleet of small boats and steam launches. Her design is one of unusual beauty, and her speed for the first three years of her career was phenomenally fast." (Source: Anon. "A Fast Yacht Is Oweene." New York Times, July 19, 1891, p. 20.)

"N/A"

"[Item Description:] Handwritten notebook titled in pencil 'JAVELIN #52 Supplies' listing 'Supplies [delivered by HMCo] for st[eame]r JAVELIN (#52)'. Also 'No 48 [#48p Steam Launch] Supplies for 30[ft] Dinghy. Double 2 1/2 x 5 Engine, high pressure'." (Source: MIT Museum, Hart Nautical Collections, Haffenreffer-Herreshoff Collection Item HH.6.143. Notebook. Box HAFH.6.5B, Folder Supply List for Vessels. No date (1879).)
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"[Item Transcription:] Bristol, R.I.
July 26, 79
Dear Mother
I got along nicely the day I left you --- found Dr. Leach at his office & liked him very much too. This he is the most thorough dentist I have yet met. Owing to a little coolness[?] in my 2 teeth that needed filling & to his being previously engaged he only put a temporary filling in each & I have an appointment with him for Aug 13th. I shall try to see you then too --- I got all through so I took the 11.58 train to Fall River --- was an hour too early for Steamboat --- but it was very pleasant waiting in the saloon so I got home earlier than J. [JBH] expected me --- but it was so convenient to come that way & the day not being pleasant --- I decided to do so --- I feel quite indebted to Brother J[?] for directing me to so fine & pleasant a dentist who was also so near to you.
The next day Thurs. J [JBH] was going to Newport in the 'JAVELIN' [#52p] --- he prevailed on me to accompany him --- it was a pleasant day & we had lunch on board and a delightful sail --- stopped at Prudence Island for a friend of [daughter] Kate's --- who is here now visiting her --- the 2 children are very happy together --- Hattie Aldrich is a sweet child 2[?] y[ea]rs old. Yesterday John took his men to Rocky Point & treated them to a Shore dinner they were gone all the p.m. & had a fine time --- 51 went over in the 'JAVELIN'. Today is not very pleasant --- ask him to make some arrangement about your sides before he leaves --- I want you to have some pleasant drives, with love to all
Believe me aff & yours
Sadie
K[atherine] & I both send love --- I enjoyed my visit with you much & will try & come again. [Incl envelope with woodcut of #40p LEILA in upper left corner and printed text :] 'If not delivered in five days return to
Herreshoff Manufactur'g Co.,
BRISTOL, R. I., SOLE MANUFACTURERS OF THE
Herreshoff Patent Safety Coil Boiler,
AND BUILDERS OF
Steam Vessels, Yachts and launches.
Also Engines, Pumps, Propeller Wheels, Safety Valves &c. &c.' [Addressed in ink to:] Mrs C. S. Kilton, Stoughton, Mass. Care of Miss Harris. [C. S. Kilton was Catherine Sweetzer Kilton (1812-1880), mother of JBH's first wife Sarah Lucas Kilton (and grandmother of Katherine Kilton Herreshoff.] [Postmarked Bristol, R.I., Jul 26 (1879).]" (Source: Herreshoff, Sarah (Sadie) Lucas Kilton. Letter to Kilton, Catherine Sweetzer (mother). Herreshoff Marine Museum Collection Item LIB_2230. HMM Library Rare Books Room (Box 1), Folder [no #]. 1879-07-26.)
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"[Item Transcription:] [Advertisement by HMCo titled 'From An Old Plate Found in a Loft at Herreshoff Mfg. Co., Dec. 1931. Explanations by N.G. Herreshoff, Esq.' and showing 10 woodcuts with the following explanations:] 1 Represents the early Navy Launches that started in 1879-80. Commodore Isherwood of the U. S. Navy carried on an extensive program of tests and experiments with two of them, No. 62 [#62p] and 63 [#63p], and a Navy launch built in the Washington Navy Yard, in the summer of 1880, lasting over two months. The Board consisted of Com. B. P. Isherwood, Com. T. Zeller and 3 or 4 assistants from the School of Marine Engineers of U. S. N. The Herreshoff launches proved superior to the Navy built and designed launch in every way. Illustration does not do justice to the launch.
2 Represents a class of cabin launches, between 55 and 68 ft long-built in the 80's. JAVELIN, No. 52 [#52p] , was the original (1879).
3 Steam yacht GLEAM, No. 65 [#65p], built for Mr. William Graham of Baltimore in 1880. Length on deck about 115 ft; w. l. 105 ft.
4-5 The general type of steam engines, 1878 to 1885. No. 4 is a marine type compound engine with cut-off valves riding on back of main slide valves. No. 5 stations-type such as used in small shops, as our own machine shop and another for wood working machinery. This type was given up in 1885. Replaced by triple expansion engines with valves worked from side shaft.
6-7 Early coil boilers, given up in 1881 or '82. The vertical drum at side is a steam separator and a good one, but it is not correctly represented.
8 A poor representation of 4 or 5 torpedo boats in 1879 and 1880. One was built for the British Admiralty [#44p HERRESHOFF], two for Chili [sic, i.e. Peru #53p REPUBLICA, #55p ALIANZA (a third boat, #60p, was never delivered)], one for Russia [#64p].
9 Typical cabin arrangement of early steam yachts 80 to 90 ft long.
10 Steam yacht STILETTO [#118p] rated in her time as one of the fastest yachts in the world." (Source: Herreshoff, N.G. (creator). Advertisement Broadside. Halsey C. Herreshoff Collection at the Herreshoff Marine Museum Item MRDE14_01240. Folder [no #]. 1931-12.)
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Note: This list of archival documents contains in an unedited form any and all which mention #52p Javelin even if just in a cursory way. Permission to digitize, transcribe and display is gratefully acknowledged.

• Isherwood, Benjamin Franklin, Theo. Zeller and Charles E. DeValin. "Report of a Board of United States Naval Engineers on the Boiler and System of Machinery for Steam-Yachts, Steam-Launches, etc." Washington, Bureau of Steam Engineering of the U.S. Navy Department, 1880.
  Detailed descriptions of the boilers of four Herreshoff vessels (#43p Kelpie, #52p Javelin, #54p Dolphin, #57p Launch for N. Y. Coast Survey), testing results and procedures, praise of the lightness of the Herreshoff machinery and efficiency of the Herreshoff coil boiler.

• Javelin (HMCo-made index card)
• Javelin (MIT Museum-made index card)
• Note: The vessel index cards comprise two sets of a total of some 3200 cards about vessels built by HMCo, with dimensions and information regarding drawings, later or former vessel names, and owners. They were compiled from HMCo's early days until 1920 and added to in later decades, apparently by Hart Nautical curator William A. Baker and his successors. While HMCo seems to have used only one set of index cards, all sorted by name and, where no name was available, by number, later users at MIT apparently divided them into two sets of cards, one sorted by vessel name, the other by vessel number and greatly expanded the number of cards. Original HMCo cards are usually lined and almost always punched with a hole at bottom center while later cards usually have no hole, are unlined, and often carry substantially less information. All cards are held by the Francis Russell Hart Nautical Collections of the MIT Museum in Cambridge, Mass.

Name: Javelin
Type: Steam
Length: 54'3"
Owner: U.S. Navy

Source: Herreshoff Manufacturing Company. "A Partial List of Herreshoff Clients." In: Herreshoff Manufacturing Company. Herreshoff Yachts. Bristol, Rhode Island, ca. 1931.

• Javelin
• Note: The L. Francis Herreshoff index cards comprise a set of some 1200 cards about vessels built by HMCo, with dimensions and / or ownership information. Apparently compiled in the early 1930s, for later HMCo-built boats like the Fishers Island 23s or the Northeast Harbor 30s are not included. Added to in later decades, apparently by L. F. Herreshoff as well as his long-time secretary Muriel Vaughn and others. Also 46 cards of L. F. Herreshoff-designed vessels. The original set of index cards is held by the Herreshoff Marine Museum and permission to display is gratefully acknowledged.

Name: Javelin
Type: 54' 3" steam
Owner: U.S. Navy
Row No.: 316

Source: Herreshoff, L. Francis. "Partial List of Herreshoff-Built Boats." In: Herreshoff, L. Francis. Capt. Nat Herreshoff. The Wizard of Bristol. New York, 1953, p. 325-343.

Year: 1879
E/P/S: P
No.: 052
Name: Javelin
OA: 54' 3"

Source: Vermilya, Peter and Maynard Bray. "Transcription of the HMCo. Construction Record." Unpublished database, ca. 2000.

Note: The transcription of the HMCo Construction Record by Peter Vermilya and Maynard Bray was performed independently (and earlier) than that by Claas van der Linde. A comparison of the two transcriptions can be particularly useful in those many cases where the handwriting in the Construction Record is difficult to decipher.

"The Construction Record and HMCo-made index card report Javelin to have been equipped with a 5" & 8" bore x 10" stroke steam engine. However, a note in NGH's diary in the space for Friday 26, 1878 reports Javelin to have had a 5" & 9" bore x 10" engine. This seems more likely, given that a steam engine with identical dimensions was apparently delivered in 1884 for #188401e Satan. Note also a period photo (Maynard Bray collection) of a steam engine and stamped 'Herreshoff M'f'g Co. Bristol, R.I. Builders of Steam Vessels, & Steam Machinery' which was annotated by N. G. Herreshoff in March 1931 with 'An early compound engine 5in. & 9in. x 10in. in about 1880.' It appears that this photo shows the steam engine for Javelin or the one that Manning's Yacht List reported as having been fitted to Satan." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. June 5, 2018.)

"N/A"

"Date this vessel was finished was estimated as June 26, 1879, the date this boat was measured by the U.S. Custom House inspector as per the Survey of Federal Archives, Work Projects Administration. Ships Documents of Rhode Island. Bristol. Ship Registers and Enrollments of the Port of Bristol - Warren Rhode Island, 1941." (Source: van der Linde, Claas. February 9, 2020.)

Note: Research notes contain information about a vessel that is often random and unedited but has been deemed useful for future research.