Maine Maritime Museum

Letter

Date: Dec. 31, 1898
Voyage: Dirigo (d. Tacoma )
Citation: MS-22 b285f5

Notes

None

Financial records

Mariner Rank Entry Date Entry Port Discharge Date Discharge Port Served P WPM WPR A S CA AA H SF F&F BD Notes
Buckler, J. J. Boatswain Dec. 31, 1898 Tacoma, WA - USA 25.00 Captain agrees, at the expiration of 4 months from date, to pay wages at the rate of 30.00 per month, for the balance of time he is on board vessel in current capacity.
Eagles, F. W. Second Mate Dec. 31, 1898 Tacoma, WA - USA 30.00 Captain agrees, at the expiration of 4 months from date, to pay wages at the rate of 40.00 per month, for the balance of time he is on board vessel in current capacity.
Watske, W. K. Mate Dec. 31, 1898 Tacoma, WA - USA 40.00 Captain agrees, at the expiration of 4 months from date, to pay wages at the rate of 60.00 per month, for the balance of time he is on board vessel in current capacity.

Abbreviations: P – Payment, the total amount due the mariner for the voyage; WPM – Wages per month, the usual way seamen were paid; WPR – Wages per run: occasionally, mariners took a set amount for a run between two places; A – Advance, the amount the mariner received in advance of the voyage, for signing on; S – Slops, amount for goods purchased from the vessel’s store; CA – Creditor allotment, amount paid to creditors if so listed; AA – Advanced abroad, cash advances the mariner received while in foreign ports; H – Hospital money, a small monthly amount deducted to support the marine hospital service; SF – Shipping fees, paid to shipping agents for their services; F&F – Fines and forfeitures, if so listed, including prison fees; BD – Balance due, after all of the above

The information given in this database is entered here as it is on the document or documents in the Maine Maritime Museum collections. The spelling of the mariner’s name may be wrong, the arithmetic may be wrong, and some descriptions may be thoughtless or not politically correct, but they are shown as found. We have attempted to standardize the names and descriptions of vessels and the spelling of place names. We have tried to include in notes fields important information that does not fit in the standard fields.