The ''Adams'' was a 19th-century

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

pilot boat A pilot boat is a type of boat used to transport maritime pilots between land and the inbound or outbound ships that they are piloting. Pilot boats were once sailing boats that had to be fast because the first pilot to reach the incoming ship ...

, built in 1888 by Moses Adams at Essex, Massachusetts for Captain John H. Jeffries. She was named for Melvin O. Adams, an American attorney and railroad executive. Her design was by

yacht A yacht () is a sail- or marine propulsion, motor-propelled watercraft made for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a ...

designer Edward Burgess, known for his

America's Cup The America's Cup is a sailing competition and the oldest international competition still operating in any sport. America's Cup match races are held between two sailing yachts: one from the yacht club that currently holds the trophy (known ...

defenders. In 1901, she was one of only five pilot-boats left in the Boston fleet. In 1912, she was sold to haul gravel to Boston, then sold again where she landed in the Portuguese immigrant trade. She was sunk by enemy action during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

Construction and service

Boston Pilot Boat ''Adams,'' was built in 1888 by Moses Adams at

Essex, Massachusetts Essex is a coastal town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, 26 miles (42 km) north of Boston and 13 miles (21 km) southeast of Newburyport. It is known for its former role as a center of shipbuilding. The population was 3,675 ...

for Captain John H. Jeffries and others. She was named in honor of the prominent Bostonian, Melvin O. Adams. Her design was by the American yacht designer, Edward Burgess, known for his America's Cup defenders,

Puritan The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to rid the Church of England of what they considered to be Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should b ...

(1885,

Mayflower ''Mayflower'' was an English sailing ship that transported a group of English families, known today as the Pilgrims, from England to the New World in 1620. After 10 weeks at sea, ''Mayflower'', with 102 passengers and a crew of about 30, reac ...

(1886), and

Volunteer Volunteering is an elective and freely chosen act of an individual or group giving their time and labor, often for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency ...

(1887). On September 24, 1889, the new pilot boat ''Adams,'' was launched and witnessed by a large gathering of people. Her dimensions were 88 feet in length by 22 feet in width, with 11 feet in depth; and 150 tons. She cost $13,000. On March 3, 1890, Captain Jeffries of the new pilot-boat ''Adams,'' No. 4, beat the Hesper, No. 5, in a race from

Boston Light Boston Light is a lighthouse located on Little Brewster Island in outer Boston Harbor, Massachusetts. The first lighthouse to be built on the site dates back to 1716, and was the first lighthouse to be built in what is now the United States. The ...

, to board an incoming steamer. Each captain wanted to earn $125 by placing a pilot on board the vessel. In 1900, Boston had seven pilots boats in commission. The ''Adams'' was Boston's pilot schooner number four. The other Boston boats included, the ''America,'' No. 1; ''Liberty,'' No. 3; ''Hesper,'' No. 5; ''Varuna,'' No. 6;

Minerva Minerva (; ; ) is the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. She is also a goddess of warfare, though with a focus on strategic warfare, rather than the violence of gods such as Mars. Be ...

, No. 7; and

Sylph A sylph (also called sylphid) is an air spirit stemming from the 16th-century works of Paracelsus, who describes sylphs as (invisible) beings of the air, his elementals of air. A significant number of subsequent literary and occult works have be ...

, No 8. On April 29, 1900, Captain Thomas McLaughlin, D. Kendrick, F. C. Lefray, W. S. Dolliver, and S. J. Treat were pilots on the ''Adams,'' No. 4.

End of service

In 1901, ''Adams'' was one of only five pilot-boat schooners left in the Boston fleet. She was withdrawn from the Pilots' Association service in May 1912. In November 1912, ''Adams'' was sold to Captain Frank D. McCarthy of East Boston man for $1,400. He used her to haul gravel from Maine to Boston. She then landed in the Portuguese immigrant trade. She was sunk by enemy action during

References

{{List of Northeastern U. S. Pilot Boats, state=collapsed Individual sailing vessels Schooners of the United States Service vessels of the United States 1889 ships Pilot boats Ships built in Essex, Massachusetts

Construction and service

End of service

See also

References