2006-06
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/31/2006
A fascinating grouping of three documents detailing the circumstances of three separate shipwrecks of the Whaling ship E.L.B. Jenney ,or simply the "Jenney", one of the wrecks occurring in 1853, and the other two at the same location and under nearly identical conditions, in 1857. The first document is a 10 page, large folio courtroom report summarizing the events leading to the Jenney's first wreck, an official assessment of her damages and the repairs made to correct them. The court also dictates how the costs to repair the Jenney were to be distributed among the ships many owners, the captain and crew, as well as to their many individually owned insurance companies. Whaling expeditions often lasted for several years and while profitable, were also an incredibly expensive and somewhat hazardous enterprise. Whaling ships often had as many as a dozen or more owners, who shared in the risks and profits of a given voyage directly in proportion to the amount they had invested in the ship. In situations where the ship or its cargo were damaged, matters became extremely complicated, because each of the ship's many owners were covered from loss by their own independent insurance policies . With so many active participants in the process, one can readily see how a major accident involving a whaling ship became an accountant's nightmare. Because of the large sums of money involved and the large number of participants being effected by any misfortune, it was vital that accurate records be kept of any mishaps affecting the ship, it's cargo, and of any corrective actions taken in these situations. Meticulous records of the costs of repairs undertaken while on the voyage were also necessary, as all expenses were deducted before profits were calculated. In his official statement the Vessel's Master William Marsh states that the ship was unexpectedly caught in a typhoon while anchored off the island of Guam.. As the visible damage from the typhoon appeared to be serious, the Captain enlisted the services of two ship's surveyors, both experts in determining ship's damages and the costs of repairs. Since Guam lacked proper repair facilities, the surveyors advised the Captain to make for Hong Kong, While in Hong Kong workers discovered that most of the copper plating lining the ship's bottom had been torn away. More importantly and unknown to the captain and crew, the ship's rudder had broken in half during the storm. With only a few pieces of the copper sheeting remaining to hold the rudder together, they had miraculously reached Hong Kong safely. When a maritime court found that the Captain and crew had played no part in the damages of the vessel, the Jenney was allowed to finish her repairs and completed the rest of her voyage without incident. The remaining two thirds of this report provides detailed records of the costs of the materials and labor used in repairing Jenney, and an assessment of how the damages should be paid out by the ship's owners and Insurance companies. LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE This file also contains a second report describing how the Jenney got caught in a SECOND typhoon under circumstances and with an outcome uncannily similar to those she experienced in the 1853 Typhoon. As in 1853, the Jenney remained under the command of Captain William Marsh, and on October 9 of 1857 was once again severely damaged by a Typhoon while anchored off the coast of Guam. In a lengthy statement the captain testifies that the storm came up without warning, and her crew soon found themselves desperately struggling to save the ship. A series of incredibly large waves struck the ship one after another in rapid succession, resulting in the near total destruction of the ship above the deck line. All sails and rigging were blown away, and every mast except the vital main mast broken. The total destruction of the deck cabin created a gaping hole allowing water into the ship's , interior, destroying much of her stores. At one point the ship's barometer fell to a low of 27.70. When the winds finally subsided, the vessel survived but was barely afloat. They had drifted during the storm, and from where they found themselves the best place to get repairs was at Manila in the Philippines. Having no single sail large enough to catch sufficient wind, the crew combined a number of smaller sails and masts which were found below decks. With these improvised sails and masts the vessel managed to limp into Manila. LIGHTNING STRIKES THRICE Almost unbelievably, the Jenney's problems were not yet over . Ten days after their very near death from the Typhoon at Guam, ANOTHER TYPHOON STRUCK MANILA, AND THE JENNEY FOUND HERSELF TRAPPED IN THE SHIP'S HARBOR! To make matters worse, a Chilean steamer anchored alongside the Jenney, repeatedly bouncing up and down due to the motion of the gigantic waves of the typhoon, repeatedly struck the Jenney like a giant hammer, ruining all previous repairs and leaving the Jenney in even worse condition than before. Nevertheless, when the winds subsided, repairs began once again and after extensive ( and costly) repairs the Jenney was once again declared seaworthy. As was the case with the 1853 report, this document provides an official and incredibly detailed listing of all repairs undertaken on the Jenney, with detailed records of the cost of every item used in her repair, including individual items valued at 25 cents! As such the report provides an incredibly detailed record of the prices of materials used in whaling, and when compared with the 1853 document, tells the scholar what changes in prices are taking place overtime. The Captain of the Jenney may have been unlucky, but, judging from his actions during these crisis situations, he was nobody's fool, and the last document of this lot is a notarized formal statement from the American Council at Manila agreeing with Captain Marsh's previous version of events, stating that he has seen the damage sustained by the Jenney, and that in the consulate's opinion the ship's captain and crew were to be held blameless for all damages caused by the storms at Guam and Manila. All this may be true, but it's a safe bet that once word got around, this captain would have great trouble recruiting future crews! Taken together, these fascinating documents provide a rare glimpse into the inner workings of one of America's most historically important and least understood major industries. Very good .
Click on a thumbnail above to display a larger image below
Hold down the mouse button and slide side to side to see more thumbnails(if available).
Click above for larger image.