The Standard Oil Company's new sailing vessel Astral, which arrived at Woosung from New York on the 17th June and is now lying at the Standard Oil Company's Wharf, discharging her cargo of oil, is probably the finest vessel of its kind that has ever come up the Huangpu river. Two interesting facts in connection with this versal are, that she is the first steel sailing vessel that has been built in America forthe Standard Oil Company, and therefore she is the first sailing ship of Noir fleet to fly the American flag, and the cargo of 136,500 cases, or 1,363,000 gallons, of oil which she lis brought to Shanghai on Us her first voyage, is the largest cargo of oil which has ever come to this port in a sailing vessel, The Astral is a four masted, Garque-rigged, steel ship of 8,206. 47 gross and 3,000' net tonnage. "She was built for the owners by the Arthur Sewall Company, at Bath (Mxine), and was Iaunched on the &th December last yenr. Her length is 882 feet, beam 49:3 feet and depth 26 feet, and she can carry about one and a-half million gsllonsof ai in 10 gallon cases. The masts are of steel, 135 fect long and fitted with double topgallant yards, all of steel, The lower yards "are 96 howerer, consoling to be told on feet in length and the royals 55 feet. The ship hias a spiked bowsprit: which is 58 feet in length, he has two full decks, between decks, and poop and forecastle decks, The forecastle contains hunks and sleeping accommodation for 24 amen. The forward deck house, which ix 44 feet by 18 feet, contains galley and cooks? room forward and donkey boiler room with berth for engineer in the after section. The capstan and winch on the forecastle deck can be worked by hand or steam. The anchors consist of two iron stock bower anchors weighing 6,500 Ibs, one stream anchor of G00 lis, one edge of 800. Ths, and 210 fathoms of 2,%, in. steel link B. chain cables, On each side of the forecastle is a steel lighthouse, 3 ft. 6 inches in height, which can be lighted from. below. Aumidships is n house containing mess room, petty officers' quarters, car= penter's shop and sail room. 'The' poop deck is 44 feet in length and covers the house in which are the cxptain's quarters, saloon, staterooms, etc. On the starboard side of the house ae the captain's room andi office, with large bath-room adjoining. The room is well fitted up with lockers and cupboards, and this and the other rooms are splendidly lighted and ventilated, In the centre of the house is the dining room, with stewards pantry aft. On. tie port side are the first and second officers' quarters, three staterooms for guests and lavatory. A stairway leads from the eaptain's quarters and the cabin to a chart room on the deck above. This apartment is well fitted up with a bed lounge, desk and chronometer stand. Both the cabin and the chart room are upholstered plush, with white walls and ceiling, and polished bard wood floors, Right aft is a commodious wheel house, 12 ft. by 15 ft. A narrow bridge extends the whole length of the ship, connecting the poop and forecastle decks. This is one ofthe novel and striking features of the vessel's construction and enables the captain, officers or passengers to walk the whole length of the ship. without coming in contact with the crew or interfering in any way with the work that is being carried out on the deck, and in. stormy weather will prove most useful for the crew when it ix unsafe to walk on the deck below. The Astral is commanded by Captain J. W. Danham, of Salem, Mass., this being his first command for Nie Standard Oil Company, though the Company's oil has for the past eighteen yeats been carried in ships commanded by him. Captain Dunham has held a master's certificate for 26 years and made 2 most excellent recurd during his long seafaring
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.