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Show THE VERY OLDEST VESSEL. Built In Philadelphia in 1704 and Probably Still in Berviee in England. Speaking ot the life of ships the other day, George F. Sproule, secretary of the board of port wardens, said about the oldest vessel he knows of Is the True Love, which if she Is afloat to-day Is 149 years old, says the Philadelphia Phil-adelphia Record. The True Love was built In this city In 1761, and though she was only 06 feet and eight inches long, and of 26 feet beam, she was the largest ship that had been In these watery up to that time. Bhe sailed from this port ln 1765, and did not return until 187$, when she was 109 years bid. She me ln with a load of cryolite from Ivl-tut, Greenland, Then she sailed again and was nu longer heard of until discovered In 1899 in tho Thames river, England, where shorn of her glory, she was and possibly still is doing service as a coal barge. There was a proposal among shipping ship-ping men here to purchase her and bring ier over aa a rello ot bygone days and honest workmanship, but it ticver camo to anything, |
