Thanks to the fact that nowadays more and more books are digitized we are able to read books that are some times for decades no longer available for the public for several reasons. That's quite a pity while these books contains useful information while the archives are destroyed, incomplete or nor accessible.
P. 144: “But, perhaps, the most remarkable work of Charles Wood was the construction of two sailing vessels, which those who recollect these times will remember as being the most wonderful things of the period. It occurred to Charles Wood to bring home timber from America, cheap, and in a vessel of an unusual size. We have seen how these vessels grew from 40 feet long up to the James Watt of 120 feet. You have now to hear what was the next stride they made. His idea was to build a timber ship 301 feet long, 50 feet 6 inches broad, and 22 feet 6 inches deep, having a tonnage—of what do you think ?—5,000 tons ! He accordingly went out to Canada and built a ship of that size called the Columbus. This ship came home full of timber.
[A Member : She was a mass of timber—a raft. Mr. Scott Russell: I will explain that in a minute]
In 1824 he made a successful passage from Quebec to London in the Columbus, the dimensions of which were what I have told you. The Columbus arrived safely at Blackwall, and having discharged her cargo was, against the advice of Charles Wood, sent back again to St. John's, and unhappily was lost on her way, the crew being saved. Allow me to explain to you the primary views with which these vessels were formed. It occurred to him that the cheapness of timber out there would make it worth his while to build the vessel in Canada there, and break it up here for the value of the timber. He accordingly went out and built this Columbus, filled her with timber, brought her home, and had the intention of breaking up the timber of which she was constructed for the value of it as timber; and you may conceive very readily that it was his object to render the structure of her such that the timber should be as little as possible damaged, and put together as cheaply as possible. These large vessels were built, filled with timber, brought home to this country, and the first made a successful voyage; and I am not sure she did not make a large profit.”
Source
E.J. Reed. Transactions of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects, volume 2, p. 144. London, 1861.
P. 144: “But, perhaps, the most remarkable work of Charles Wood was the construction of two sailing vessels, which those who recollect these times will remember as being the most wonderful things of the period. It occurred to Charles Wood to bring home timber from America, cheap, and in a vessel of an unusual size. We have seen how these vessels grew from 40 feet long up to the James Watt of 120 feet. You have now to hear what was the next stride they made. His idea was to build a timber ship 301 feet long, 50 feet 6 inches broad, and 22 feet 6 inches deep, having a tonnage—of what do you think ?—5,000 tons ! He accordingly went out to Canada and built a ship of that size called the Columbus. This ship came home full of timber.
[A Member : She was a mass of timber—a raft. Mr. Scott Russell: I will explain that in a minute]
In 1824 he made a successful passage from Quebec to London in the Columbus, the dimensions of which were what I have told you. The Columbus arrived safely at Blackwall, and having discharged her cargo was, against the advice of Charles Wood, sent back again to St. John's, and unhappily was lost on her way, the crew being saved. Allow me to explain to you the primary views with which these vessels were formed. It occurred to him that the cheapness of timber out there would make it worth his while to build the vessel in Canada there, and break it up here for the value of the timber. He accordingly went out and built this Columbus, filled her with timber, brought her home, and had the intention of breaking up the timber of which she was constructed for the value of it as timber; and you may conceive very readily that it was his object to render the structure of her such that the timber should be as little as possible damaged, and put together as cheaply as possible. These large vessels were built, filled with timber, brought home to this country, and the first made a successful voyage; and I am not sure she did not make a large profit.”
Source
E.J. Reed. Transactions of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects, volume 2, p. 144. London, 1861.
