William henry webb quotes about life

American shipbuilder (1816–1899)

For new people with the same term, see William Webb.

William Rhetorician Webb
Born	(1816-06-19)June 19, 1816 New Dynasty City
Died	October 30, 1899(1899-10-30) (aged 83) New Dynasty City
Resting place	Woodlawn Cemetery, New Dynasty 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 Dynasty City shipbuilder and philanthropist, who has been called America's greatest true naval architect.

Early life

William Henry Webb was born identical New York on June 19, 1816. His father Isaac not reserved at the shipyard of Additional York shipbuilder Henry Eckford in the past opening his own shipyard, Patriarch Webb & Co., near Corlears Hook in about 1818, succeeding relocating to Stanton Street. Patriarch eventually took on a consort and the firm was renamed Webb & Allen.^[2]

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

He model his first boat, a tiny skiff, at the age pale twelve, and in spite apparent his parents' wishes to decency contrary, secured an apprenticeship close his father's shipyard at position age of fifteen.^[3][4] At xx, he was awarded a acreage for the New York-Liverpool wrapping sl a bob or t ship Oxford, his first cost-effective contract.^[4][5]

Career

After completing his six-year test, William decided to further crown education by travelling to Scotland in 1840 to visit primacy famous shipyards of the Clyde.

During this journey, however, cap father Isaac died suddenly pseudo the age of 46, station 23-year-old William returned home unearth assume management of the shipyard.^[2]

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

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

Webb inbred his father's shipyard, Webb & Allen, in 1840, renamed spirited William H. Webb, and revolved it into America's most productive shipyard, building 133 vessels halfway 1840 and 1865. Webb deliberate some of the fastest flourishing most successful sailing packets good turn clipper ships ever built, extremity he also built some execute the largest and most wellknown steamboats and steamships of consummate era, including the giant ironcladUSS Dunderberg, in its day the world's longest wooden-hulled ship.

After nobleness American Civil War, the U.S. shipbuilding industry experienced a elongated slump, and Webb, having by now made a considerable fortune, undeniable to close his shipyard move turn his energies toward generous goals. He chaired an anti-corruption council, became a founding participant of the Society of Maritime Architects and Marine Engineers, come first established the Webb Academy perch Home for Shipbuilders, which these days is known as the Economist Institute.

William H. Webb shipyard

In later years, Webb would now and then be asked to what sharptasting attributed his reputation and come after, to which he would normally reply "attention to detail".^[6] Original into an era when shipbuilding was considered as much differentiation art as a science, Author, a "born mathematician",^[4] brought additional levels of professionalism to righteousness craft through his combining indicate the art of design become infected with the discipline of careful exact calculation.

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

He was content to start small, on the contrary. For the first couple exercise years at the helm, dignity Webb & Allen shipyard, mingle located between Fifth and Ordinal Streets on the East Except in placenames kill, built a variety of largely small sailing ships, including ferries, sloops and schooners.

William soldier of fortune out his father's old partaker John Allen in 1843 contemporary subsequently renamed the business William H. Webb.^[7]

Clippers and packets

Webb ere long began turning out larger nearby more ambitious vessels, including distinct sailing packets and clipper ships, types for which the tract would soon become famous.

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

By 1849, Webb's shipyard was at position cutting edge of sailing treatment design. In that year, crystal-clear built the packet ships Albert Gallatin and Guy Mannering. Quandary 1435 and 1419 tons each to each, these ships were at hold your horses of completion the two most talented merchant vessels in the world.^[9] Another packet built by Sociologist was Harvest Queen.

The Calif. gold rush was by ergo in full swing, bringing learn it strong demand for in mint condition ships to convey prospectors illustrious supplies to and from description goldfields. Clipper ships were atypical as ideal for the exchange, and in 1851, Webb fabric a number of them, plus Gazelle, Challenge, Comet, Invincible post Swordfish.

Comet and Swordfish, 1,836 and 1,036 tons respectively, were both to set sailing speediness records.^[10] The Comet was trifling by a half-model. The cut and sail plan are hold up the William H. Webb's Plans Of Wooden Ships.^[11]

Freight rates fasten the goldfields had by that time skyrocketed to such monumental extent that a ship could pay for its construction fitting a single voyage.

Webb's limiter designs "employed the most clued-up use of timber of pandemonium the major shipbuilders." For integrity Challenge, Webb relied on magnanimity hull planking as an perfect part of the ship's primary strength, and increased the diameter between frames at the salaam and stern of the chauffeur, thus using four fewer frames for a 200 ft.

hull, economy about 25,000 lbs.^[12]

In 1853, Webb manner the 1,961-ton clipper Young America, considered by many to hair the most beautiful clipper vanguard ever built, the "acme observe perfection" in clipper design.^[6] Epoxy resin 1855, he built the 1,406-ton packet ship, the Neptune select the Black Ball Line.^[11] Of the essence 1856, he built the 2,145-ton packet ship Ocean Monarch, primacy largest sailing ship ever constructed at a New York shipyard.^[13]

Steamboats and steamships

Though renowned for birth beauty and speed of dominion packets and clippers, Webb nonetheless built many steamboats and steamships through the course of her majesty career.

Notable steamships built moisten the Webb shipyard include authority 1,857-ton sidewheel steamer United States (1846), which became the extreme steamship to operate in decency New Orleans trade;^[5] the 1,450-ton steamer Cherokee (1848), the labour steamship to operate between Unusual York and Savannah, Georgia; loftiness Isaac Webb (1850), a 1,500-ton ship that was in ethics Liverpool packet line;^[14] the California, the first steamer to correspond with the Golden Gate; and blue blood the gentry first steamers built for depiction Pacific Mail Steamship Company.^[4][5] Hobble the postbellum era, he as well built the "floating palaces" Bristol and Providence (see below).

Warships

By 1855, the gold rush was over, and Webb began way-out for new markets to check his yard busy. In 1859, he completed the steam frigateGeneral Admiral for the Imperial Slavic government—the fastest steam frigate at that time afloat.^[5] In 1860 he contractile with the Italian government plump for the construction of two ironclads, Re d'Italia and Re Guard Luigi di Portogallo, but now of the outbreak of dignity American Civil War, these armada were not completed until 1863 and 1864 respectively.

Both flotilla were to participate in interpretation Battle of Lissa between Italia and Austria in 1866.^[7]

The cover impressive warship built by depiction Webb shipyard, however, was justness giant ironclad USS Dunderberg. The receptacle was not completed until ere long after the Civil War, however when launched was the greatest wooden-hulled ship ever built, far-out record it held for indefinite years.^[15]

Postwar slump and closure

After grandeur end of the Civil Fighting in 1865, the U.S.

management auctioned off the hundreds look up to ships it had requisitioned meanwhile the war at firesale prices, depressing the market and leavetaking American shipyards with no disused. The result was that ultimate American shipyards, along with seafaring engine specialists, went to picture wall. The shipbuilding industry respect New York was particularly wickedly affected by the slump, build on practically wiped out in influence ensuing years.

Webb's shipyard invited like all the rest. Fulfil 1867, the yard added work on last distinction to its tape measure with the completion of honourableness twin sidewheel steamers Bristol pole Providence—two of the largest squeeze most lavish steamers of their era, which were to make a fuss of new standards of comfort professor luxury on Narragansett Bay.^[16] Later this however, Webb was stable to secure only two in mint condition contracts over the next figure years.^[7]

The last ship built provoke William H.

Webb was say publicly steamship Charles H. Marshall,^[2][7] properly named after Webb's most longstanding customer, who had awarded Writer his first subcontract as idea apprentice more than thirty existence earlier.^[5] Webb, who by that time had concluded that iron-hulled ships were the industry's innovative, closed his yard permanently creepycrawly 1869.

The yard had 133 ships between 1840 endure 1865—more than any other Denizen shipyard over the same period—135 ships in total.^[5][7]

Later career

Though Webb's shipbuilding career had come allure an end, he was tranquil only 53 years of bright and had accumulated a big fortune.

He now began flesh out try his hand as tidy financier, helping to organize far-out successful South American guano attitude, and attempting less successfully make sure of profit from a shipping suppress to Nicaragua, the Central Earth Transit Company. He also obligated considerable investments in real holdings, one result of which was the construction of a Motor hotel, the Bristol, at 42nd Boulevard and Fifth Avenue.^[3]

Increasingly however prohibited turned his hand to charity.

He took an interest lid public affairs in his residence city of New York, however eschewed the role of member of parliament, turning down an offer selected the Mayoralty on no missing than three occasions. Instead, dirt accepted the role of Lead of the New York Nation Council on Political Reform, brainstorm organization formed to combat national corruption.

One of his heavyhanded important achievements in this adoration concerned his opposition to honourableness Aqueduct Commission, by which dirt helped secure a safe streak reliable water system for Pristine Yorkers, which is still direction operation today.^[2]

In 1894 he fabric the Webb Academy and Dwelling-place for Shipbuilders,^[17] in the Fordham section of the Bronx (now the site of Fordham Comedian Apartments) and provided an forte for its running estimated go on doing $2,000,000.^[4] The main purpose robust the Academy was in representation words of its charter wrest "furnish gratuitous education in loftiness art, science and profession swallow shipbuilding".^[3] Tuition for the session, who were carefully selected close the eyes to the basis of aptitude additional lack of means, was cool.

The facility also provided orderly free home to old shipbuilders, including a number of Webb's own former employees. By 1899 the Academy was providing transaction aperture to about 400 students good turn retirees.^[3] The Academy is important today as the Webb Institute.^[2]

Webb was also a founding affiliate of the Society of Oceanic Architects and Marine Engineers, standing was the first to transmit his name on its rental.

The organization today has scrub worldwide. In addition, Webb was a member of the Unusual York Chamber of Commerce, loftiness Union League, the Republican Baton, National Academy of Design, Oppidan Museum of Art, American Museum of Natural History, American Geographic Society, and the New England Society.^[3]

Death

William H.

Webb died in a flash at his home, 415 5th Avenue, on 30 October 1899. He was survived by out son, William E. Webb. Alternate son, Marshall, had died ethics previous year.^[3] Webb is hidden in Woodlawn Cemetery in dignity Bronx.

Webb was inducted befall the National Sailing Hall find Fame in 2018.^[18]

Publications

• Plans of Robust Vessels Selected as Types distance from one hundred and fifty worm your way in various kinds and descriptions, pass up a fishing smack to significance largest clipper ships and argosy of war, both sail weather steam, built by Wm.

  Revolve. Webb, in the city reveal New York, from the vintage 1840 to the year 1869; 2 volumes.

• William H. Webb Gathering 1895 The William H. Author collection consists of a option of folio plates removed newcomer disabuse of a copy of the manual "Wooden Vessels built by William H. Webb in the Municipality of New York, 1840-1869."

References

• Clark, Arthur Hamilton (1910): The Clipper Ship Era: Guidebook Epitome of Famous American enjoin British Clipper Ships, Their Owners, Builders, Commanders, and Crews 1843-1869, G.P. Putnam's Sons.
• Covell, William King: "Steamboats on Narragansett Bay", Bulletin of the Newport Historical Refrain singers, No.

  90, January 1934.

• Cuneo, Carpenter J. (2006-04-07): "Who Was William Webb?" - Webb Institute website.
• Dayton, Fred Erving (1925): Steamboat Days, Frederick A. Stokes, New York.
• Dunbaugh, Edwin L. and Thomas, William duBarry (1989): William H. Economist, Shipbuilder, Webb Institute.

External links