THE SPEEDY CLIPPER
Before the advent of the steamship, sailing vessels were developed to a high degree of efficiency. The speedy clippers of 1816 to 1845 used to cross the Atlantic at an average speed of 6 to 9 miles per hour and sometimes even better, which compares favorably with a common steam freighter of to-day. The largest sailing vessel ever built was the Thomas W. Lawson, a seven-masted schooner. She was launched in 1902, but foundered in 1907 off the Scilly Islands. This great ship was a steel vessel 395 feet long, with a displacement of 10,000 tons and a cargo capacity of 7,500 tons. She had a sail spread of 40,617 feet.