the wooden propeller steamer "curlew", was built in 1856 by samuel sneden of greenpoint, new york for the commercial steamboat company of providence, rhode island. she was equipped with a direct-acting, two cylinder, vertical engine with a bore of and a stroke of . the boiler was on the main deck. "curlew" was rigged as a three-masted schooner as were many of the propeller steamers in this service. she was configured with a full length spar deck which was enclosed above the main deck.