USLHT Shubrick facts for kids
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Shubrick
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 .png){kind=small} United States |
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| Name | Shubrick |
| Namesake | William Bradford Shubrick |
| Builder | Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Cost | $60,000 appropriation; $75,000 (reported) |
| Commissioned | 25 November 1857 (LHS) |
| Decommissioned | 23 August 1861 |
| Recommissioned | 15 October 1861 (RCS) |
| Decommissioned | 24 December 1866 |
| Recommissioned | 24 December 1866 (LHS) |
| Decommissioned | January 1886 |
| Fate | Sold, March 1886 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Lighthouse tender |
| Displacement | 305 long tons (310 t) |
| Length | 140 ft 8 in (42.88 m) |
| Beam | 22 ft 6 in (6.86 m) |
| Draft | 9 ft (2.7 m) |
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The USLHT Shubrick was a special ship. It was the very first lighthouse tender steamer built for the United States Lighthouse Board. A lighthouse tender is a ship that helps take care of lighthouses. It delivers supplies and helps place buoys, which are floating markers in the water.
This ship was built in Philadelphia using strong wood. Its hull was painted black to protect it from buoys bumping its sides. It also had a white stripe, red paddle wheels, and a black bowsprit. This gave the Shubrick a unique and graceful look.
Contents
The Story of the Shubrick
Early Years: Helping Lighthouses (1857–1861)
The Shubrick was finished on November 25, 1857. Captain T. A. Harris was its first commander. The ship sailed from Philadelphia on December 23, 1857. It traveled all the way around South America, through the Strait of Magellan, to reach San Francisco, California. This long journey took 155 days, and the ship arrived on May 27, 1858.
For the next three years, the Shubrick worked along the Pacific coast. Its main job was to set up buoys and deliver important supplies to lighthouses.
A New Role: Law Enforcement (1861–1866)
When the American Civil War began, the Shubrick got a new job. On August 23, 1861, it was moved to the United States Revenue Cutter Service. This service was like a police force on the water.
The ship was recommissioned on October 15, 1861, with Captain William Cooke Pease in charge. For almost four years, the Shubrick helped with customs and law enforcement. It was based first in San Francisco, then moved to Port Townsend in June 1862.
The Port Townsend Incident
In August 1862, a new customs collector, Victor Smith, came to Port Townsend. He wanted to take over the customs office. However, the officer in charge, Lieutenant James H. Merryman, was worried. People on the Pacific coast were concerned about the Civil War. They feared that people who supported the Southern states might try to take over important places.
Lieutenant Merryman asked for proof that Smith was allowed to take over. Smith refused to show papers. Instead, he went to the Shubrick, got armed guards, and returned. He demanded the office be handed over in 15 minutes. Lieutenant Merryman then gave the office and papers to Lieutenant Wilson from the Shubrick.
Later, a warrant was issued to arrest Lieutenant Wilson and Victor Smith. But when the United States Marshal tried to arrest them on the Shubrick, Lieutenant Wilson refused. He sailed the ship away. About a month later, the problem was solved when both Smith and Wilson agreed to an investigation.
A Plot to Take Over the Shubrick
In March 1863, a ship called the J. M. Chapman was seized in San Francisco. It was planning to become a privateer for the Southern states. A privateer was a private ship allowed to attack enemy ships. Papers found on the J. M. Chapman showed a plan to capture the Shubrick.
Later in 1863, the U.S. consul in Victoria, Allen Francis, heard about another plot. He believed there was a plan to seize the Shubrick and turn it into a privateer. This plot seemed to involve Captain Pease himself.
Consul Francis had private investigators watch Captain Pease. They learned that the Shubrick might be taken over with the captain's help while it was in British waters. A new crew would then take the ship on privateering missions.
To stop this, Captain Pease and many of the crew were removed from the ship. Lieutenant Selden, who was loyal to the Union, was second in command. On the Shubrick's next visit to Victoria, while the captain and many crew members were on shore, Selden quickly sailed the ship away with only six men. Captain Pease did not try to get back to his ship. He sailed away, which seemed to confirm the plot.
Shubrick's Final Service in the War
On February 15, 1865, the Shubrick was temporarily given to the Navy Department. It helped with survey work in the Bering Strait for the Russian Telegraph Company. After this special duty, it returned to San Francisco and the Revenue Cutter Service. On December 24, 1866, the Shubrick was given back to the Lighthouse Board.
Back to Lighthouses (1867–1886)
On September 8, 1867, the Shubrick was carrying building materials for the Cape Mendocino Lighthouse. It ran aground (got stuck) about 30 miles south of the site. People thought the ship was completely lost. However, its chief engineer, Thomas Winship, managed to save it!
The Shubrick was rebuilt at the San Francisco Navy Yard. It cost a lot of money to fix. The ship was back in service in 1869. In January 1880, it moved to a new lighthouse district. The Shubrick continued to work for five more years. It was taken out of service in December 1885 and officially decommissioned the next month.
The Shubrick was sold in Astoria, Oregon in March 1886. Its new owner ran it aground again. They took off all the useful parts. Then, they burned the ship's hull to get out all the copper and metal fittings. This was the end of the Shubrick's long and interesting career.
