Western Union In Baltimore Harbor

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Western Union In Baltimore Harbor - 1976</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#993300" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id144.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Gazela Primiero Departing Baltimore1977"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="21"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" 16 x 20 Pen Ink"><U><B><IMG SRC="00d0d1d0.gif" border=0 width="13" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> <A HREF="id6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" 16 x 20 Pen Ink"><U><B>Return to 16" x 20" pen and ink page</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#A6CAF0" TEXT="#080000"> <div>   <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT>           </div> <div> <B>The 130 foot schooner </B><B>Western Union</B><B> was constructed in Key West by the shipbuilders Herber & Loxley Arch of the Cayman Islands in 1939 for the Western Union Telegraph Company. She was built in nine months and launched on April 7 to provide and maintain undersea telegraph cable service in the Gulf of Mexico.  The </B><B>Western Union</B><B> spent 35 years in active service for Western Union Telegraph Co., laying and servicing more than 30,000 miles of telegraph cable from Key West to Havana, Cuba; Punta Rassa, FL; Miami, FL; Galveston, TX; Tampico, Puerto Rico; Mexico and Barbados.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>In 1974, the </B><B>Western Union</B><B> was converted from a cable ship to a charter vessel and was engaged in a variety of events including America's Bicentennial in 1976.  In 1984, the </B><B>Western Union</B><B> was sold to Vision Quest, renamed the </B><B>New Way</B><B>, and removed from Key West to be used in a seamanship program to help troubled youths learn responsibility and discipline.</B></div> <div> <B>  </B></div> <div> <B>In 1997 the </B><B>Western Union</B><B> was acquired by Historic Tours of America and returned to Key West.  With to the support of Key West business men and women she was subsequently designated the official flagship of Key West and operates in this capacity today.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The Bicentennial visit of the tall ships to Baltimore took place from July 10 to July 18, 1976 immediately following their visit to New York harbor over the Fourth of July.   </B><B>Western Union </B><B>participated in the event and is shown here cruising the harbor near Fort Mc Henry.</B></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>