The Sailor’s Magazine of June 1835, p.
311 published the following surprising news item.“Mammoth Anchor. We learn from the Washington Mirror of
the 11th inst., that an anchor has been manufactured at the Washington navy
yard, intended for the ship-of-the-line Pennsylvania (1), now on the stocks at
Philadelphia. This anchor is supposed to be the largest in the world, its
weight being 11,669
pounds, exclusive of the stock. The chain cable to be
attached to this anchor, will weigh 25,500 pounds.”
Sources
The Sailor’s Magazine and Naval Journal,
published by the American Seamen’s friend society. New York, 1835. Digitized by
Google.
American Ships Of The Line.
Washington, 1969.
Note
1. She was designed by Samuel Humphreys who also built
her at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. The keel was laid down September 1821 and
she was launched 16 years later 18 July 1837. The USS Pennsylania is in those
years often compared with the Turkish Mahmoud, another enormous large ship of
the line. Many of the observers thought the latter was the largest ship.
However, the Pennsylvania is the largest sailing warship ever built to serve in
American naval service with her 4 gun decks, of which 3 were covered. Her
dimensions were 210 (between perpendiculars) x 56’9” (molded beam) x 24’4”,
with a tonnage pf 3105 tons. She was pierced to be fitted out with 136 guns and
to be manned with 1100 men. In fact she never served as a warship. Between 1838
and 1842 she was laid up in ordinary and became then a receiving ship at the
Norfolk Navy Yard. She stayed there until being burned to the waterline 20
April 1861 preventing being captured by Confederate forces.
