The Barque "Muskingum"

Marietta Intelligencer, January 30, 1845

The Barque "Muskingum," a single deck vessel of 250 tons burden, Custom House measurement, was launched from the Marietta Ship Company's Yard on the 24th Inst. The Muskingum is a beautiful modeled vessel, nearly one hundred feet in length, twenty-five in breadth, and twelve feet hold. She is built of the best quality of white oak and black locust timber. Her plank are of clear white oak, & her ceiling is also entirely white oak, three inches in thickness. Her wales &c. are of white oak, four by seven inches, sixty feet in length. Her treenails are locust, and she is very heavily copper fastened. The deck floor is of clear white pine. The three lower masts are of white pine, eighteen inches through, and her spars of hard pine.

The master builder, Capt. Ira Ellis, of Portland, Maine, was employed by the day, and his instructions to have her equal in strength and finish to the best vessels built at eastern ports, he has endeavored faithfully to observe. All the men employed in her construction have been hired by the day, and thus all temptation to slight any part of the work has been removed. The manner in which their work has been done, given gratifying evidence of their skill and fidelity.

Her riggers are Messrs. Francis & William Lowe of Boston. Her rigging is of the best domestic hemp, spun at Marietta and Pittsburgh, steamlaid.

The "Muskingum" will leave Marietta about the first of March, under command of Capt. William R. Wells of Portland, Maine. She will be freighted at Cincinnati for either Liverpool or Boston. 

The vessel is owned by some half a dozen business men of Marietta, and so flattering is the promise of a profitable return for their enterprize, that the Company contemplate building more, and perhaps larger vessels, during the present year.