Great Republic

[shipstamps]

An attractive set of seven stamps from Cuba, depicting ships of various centuries, includes a 19th century clipper ship, which I (E Argyle) believe is the American Great Republic in her original rig. Built by the famous clipper ship builder Donald McKay, her 4,555 tons register, 6,000 tons stowage capacity made her the most famous ship of her time. Her mainmast, from deck to truck, was 228ft. long, the lower mast being 44in. in diameter. All other masts and yards were in proportion, so that she was able to spread 15,653 yards of canvas. She had four laid decks, with 8ft. of headroom between each deck. Her complement was 100 men and 30 boys. She was 325ft. in length, beam of 53ft., and depth of hold of 39ft. The Great Republic had four masts, the after one being fore and aft rigged. A 15-horse power steam engine on the deck was installed for loading and unloading the ship.
Launched on October 4, 1853, at Donald McKay's yard, East Boston, he had built her entirely at his own expense. Disaster struck the ship on the night of December 26-27, 1853. She had taken cargo aboard and was almost ready for sea when the top of her rigging caught fire from blazing cinders blown from some burning buildings nearby. Owing to the height of her masts it was impossible for the fire engines to play upon the flames and in consequence the falling spars soon set her deck ablaze. Some weeks after the fire the underwriters took over what was left of the barque. Her building and outfitting had cost approximately £300,000. McKay collected $235,000, the sum insured for her and her cargo. After her surrender to the insurance companies the Great Republic was bought by Capt N. B. Palmer for A. A. Low and Brothers.
In February 1855, under command of Capt Joseph Limeburner the Great Republic sailed on her first voyage to Liverpool, making land in 12 days and arriving in the Mersey 13 days out. Here she was unable to dock due to her great draft, and when she sailed round to the Thames there was not a dock in London deep enough to take her and Capt Limeburner was compelled to discharge his cargo into lighters.
She was used as a troop transport; being chartered by the French. First she went back to Liverpool, where she took on board 1,600 British troops, which she landed at Marseilles. It was not until the end of the year 1856 that the Great Republic returned to New York from her war service in the Mediterranean.
For the first time she loaded in the trade for which she was built originally, a Cape Horner, taking on 5,000 tons of general cargo for San Francisco. Before joining the Cape Horn fleet her jigger mast with the fore and aft sails was removed and she was converted into a typical American three skysailyarder. She was again used as a troop transport in February 1862, in the Butler Expedition to Ship Island in the North and South War. In 1866 she was bought by Capt 3. S. Hatfield of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Two years later, in 1868, she was sent across to Liverpool and made the run from St. John in 14 days. At Liverpool the Merchants' Trading Company bought her for £3,500, and renamed her Denmark. On March 2,1872, she had encountered a North-West gale which started a bad leak, and her end came when she was aban¬doned with 12ft. of water in her hold, not far from Bermuda, whilst bound from Rio de Janeiro in ballast to St. John, N.B.
SG1982 Sea Breezes June 1973

[john sefton]

more stamps

[Arturo]

Great Republic

Micronesia 1993, S.G.?, Scott: 172a.

[aukepalmhof]

Penrhyn 1983 36c on 30c sg310

[Anatol]

Great Republic 1855. The design stamp is made after painting of Cornelis de Vries «Great Republic 1855».
Republique Thad 2011;650f;SG?