Brass Capstan Cover - American Ship Windlass Co. c 1 (02/20/2011)...

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Brass Capstan Cover - American Ship Windlass Co. c 1900

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Brass Capstan Cover - American Ship Windlass Co. c 1900

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Sold Date: 02/20/2011
Channel: Online Auction
Source: eBay
Category: Transportation and Vehicles

20" x 20" Brass Capstan Cover - American Ship Windlass Co. (c1900)

From the PROTEUS Passenger-Freighter Sunk August 19, 1918 in Collision with the SS Cushing, 23 miles South of Hatteras Inlet.

AMERICAN SHIP WINDLASS COMPANY

American Ship Windlass Co. was a designer, and manufacturer, of Capstans, Windlasses, and other heavy ship rigging equipment. Established in 1857, in Providence, Rhode Island, the company became very famous for their extremely well designed, and crafted, Capstans & Windlasses.

The PROTEUS

4,836 Tons, 390ft Length, 48ft Beam, 29ft Deep

First placed in service in 1900 the Proteus was built by the Newport News Shipbuilding Co. The luxury liner Proteus was a very well appointed and modern vessel capable of making good speed on her trips between New York and New Orleans. The Proteus served on this run for many years carrying passengers in comfort and freight in her holds for the Southern Pacific Company. Contemporary reports on the vessel's accommodations lauded the fact the staterooms were elegantly appointed; toilets and bath rooms were available for all those aboard and she had spacious round and rectangular portholes to provide excellent ventilation as well as electric lighting throughout. This along with the fact that independent mess facilities existed for the crewmembers, steerage passengers and the first class made for "passenger arrangements that could not be improved upon".

On August 14, 1918, she left New Orleans for the last time. The liner made and uneventful journey until she encountered fog in the area offshore of North Carolina on Sunday, August 19th, causing Captain Boyd to order a reduced speed. The Proteus was also running without her navigation lights illuminated as was recommended during this period of World War I since German submarines were sinking vessels along the US coast. As the Proteus continued on her course towards the Diamond Shoals Lightship, 34 miles distant, the Tanker Cushing appeared. The helm was turned hard to port and the whistle sounded, but the Tanker collided with the Proteus, striking her starboard, amidships and creating a gapping wound below the water line.

Immediately after the collision a crewmember, who was a fireman, panicked and leapt overboard to be lost. He would be the only casualty, besides the liner herself. Captain Boyd ordered and coordinated a successful abandoning of the sinking vessel and was the last person to leave the ship. All 12 passengers and the 82 crew were aboard the damaged but still afloat Cushing within the hour. The collision occurred around 0200 in the morning and a short while later the Proteus went to the bottom in 125 feet of water almost 25 miles south of Hatteras inlet.