The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-11-04
Cant. William COllagan.

capt. william COllagan.
Our brief record yesterday informed our
readers that Capt. Collagan had ceased to live.
But We cannot permit single line to termi-
nate the men,ento of one of the most accom-
plshed ship masters that ever sailed from
Portland. That indeed is high praise for we
venture to affirm that in proportion to its
number, no port either in this or any other
country, has contributed more able men to
this arduous and responsible profession than
Portland. And we need but mention the we'll
known names of the Prebles, the Crabtrees,
the Weeks, fuckers, Greelys, Woodburys,
Sturtevants, Knights, Choates, McLellans and
numerous others to verify the assertion. Capt.
Collagan shrinks from no comparison with the
most renowned of these. ts. --
His father bearing the same name was an
immigrant from Ireland, who came first to
Boston and then to Portland. He was an able
ship master commanding fine vessels in the
foreign trade, and lost his life by one of those
noble acts of disinterestedness and self-sacri-
flee which distinguish the hardy mariner, an
attempt to save the crew of shipwrecked
vessel. His son, born in 1893, was trained to
his fathers profession. Before entering upon his
apprenticeship, he received the rudimentsof a
good mercantile and seafaring education, and
lost no opportunity which native talent, indus
try and experience could give to qualify him
self for the highest position in his chosen pur-
suit. He rose rapidly from foremost man to
the command of ship; and for near forty
years he had the best employment which a
ship master in the merchant marine could OBJ
tain. He sailed at first out of this port and
afterwards from Boston and New York.
During many of his last years he was in the
service of j. ID. Bates g. Co., of Boston max
ing for them numerous voyages to India and
China and London, doubling the southern
capes of both continents many times, and con-
tributing largely to the wealth of that enter
prising firm. Nor was his attention confined
exclusively to the acc emulation of wealth for
his employers the cause Of commercial science
was largely indebted to him for his numerous
contributions to the National Observatory at
Washington. He was in constant correspon-
dence with 1t. Maury, then in charge of the
Observatory and furnished him facts and OBJ
servations which have greatly enlarged and
improved the navigation of the Atlantic and
Pacific Seas. In the archives of that institu-
ton may be found his log books, most beauti-
fully kept, containing not only full and accu-
rate observations, but illustrated with numer-
GUS and elegantly drawn views of headlands,
islands, birds, fishes and infinite other objects
and points of interest which occurred in his
various voyages round the world.
These are most attractive volumes, and may
be studied for their general interest, while
they convey information and ideas which one
would hardly expect to find in SO unpromising
work as common log book. Capt. Cola
gan pursued the track laid down by Maury In
his voyages to the Pacific, and actually made
quicker passages than that astronomer sug-
gested, from comparison Of the numerous
observations and communications of naviga.
tors on that subject So valuable had Capt.
Collagans services become to his employers,
and so urgent their demands upon him, that,
after he had resolved to quit the sea and spend
the remainder of his days on shore, he yielded
to their importantly to make one more voy-
age. He was hardly able to endure this hard
ship; he had worn himself out in the service,
and he returned in feeble health and with
Frustrated constitution. For more than two
years he has been a great sufferer, gradually
sinking under complicated diseases, until at
last the once manly frame, knit by honest toll
and patient endurance through half centu-
ry, gave way; and now
.Aftcr long storms and tempests overblown.
The sun at length his joyous face doth clear
and looking at his grave, this veteran captain
may cheerfully exclaim in the sweet language
OF the "Fairy Queen,'-
Here may thy storm beat vessel safely ryde:
This Is the port of rest from troublous toyle;
The worlde's sweet inn from paine and wearisome
turmoyle."
But his employers, the accomplished and
energetic merchants Bates and Thaxter whose
entire confidence Capt. Collagan possessed,
and whom he so long and faithfully served,
have preceded him to the tomb, one few
months since and now the ancient mariner
himself has Joined his unwavering friends in a
world where we trust he will find "the seas
forever calm, the sky forever Clear W.