Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-09-30
ADOT UPONTHE SEA.
Arrival at Boston of the Tiny Boat
City Of Ragusa--A Three Months
Voyage--History and Incidents.

Voyage--History and Incidents.
From the Boston Herald sept.9.
Ninety days ago, tiny boat, less
than twenty feet in length, and
carrying two men and dog, left
Liverpool, England, with the avow-
ed purpose Of crossing the Atlantic
to New York. The bold and haz-
ardous project was the subject of
much amazemcnt at the time, and
about five o'clock yesterday after
noon, the tiny craft was signaled
approaching our harbor. At six
O'Clock the Collectors tug started
down the harbor and met the ven
turcsome mariners at about eight
o'clock, opposite the lower light,
and lowed them to this city. The
boat which has thus accomplished a
voyage so hazardous and 50 altoge-
thcr noval is named the City of
Ragusa, is twenty feet in length
over all, six feet beam, and two feet
eight inches in depth, drawing two
feet of waiter; she is yawl-rigged
and spread seventy yards of can
vas; is fitted with two-bladed
steam propeller, worked by hand,
and her hull is of wood, the boards
being only one-half inch in thick
ness. In this miniature ship are all
the arrangements for cooking, etc.,
and capacity for carrying provisions
and water sufficient for the voyage
which has just been so successfully
terminated.
The crew consists Of two men,
John Charles Berkeley, the com
mander, and Nicholas Primoraz.
These are the two men who, actua-
ted as the former says by a ''mere
whim," were induced to make this
attempt which few could regard as
anything but toolhardincss, after
seeing the craft in which they
launched their destinies and hung
their lives by a mere thread. The
former had followed the sea from
boyhood, and has passed an eventtul
life. He saved two lives off the
cost of Kent on the sth of Scptember,
1868, for which he was rewarded a
medal by the British Humane socie-
ty. He is an Irishman, and has a
home in Dublin. His companion is
an Austrian. On Tuesday, June .,
these daring spirits launched their
frail bark, and, accompanied only
by a dog, left Liverpool. In ten
days they put into Queenstown,
where they were obliged to remain
four days in order to have some
caulking done on their boat, which
leaking, and left there on the 10th,
having on board one ton of ballast
and five hundred weight of coal.
They took the northerly route, the
same as that taken by the Cambria,
the prevailing winds being westerly,
and, for the first thirty-fve days,
they suffered 4 great deal, being
wet through continually. They
were almost unable to cook in the
first part of the voyage, and were
compelled to eat meat raw, which
added to their discomfort and help
ed to discourage them. After being
eighteen days out, they became
short of tircwood, with no means Of
getting a supply. At this time they
very luckily picked up = barrel con
tanning about four gallons of tar
which was perfect godsend, they
using tar upon the decks and tn,
barrel for fuel. On the 4th OF
July they celebrated ''thc day Of the
great Republic" drinking the health
of President Grant in some prime
Irish whisky, with which they were
supplied. On the evening of that
day there was heavy gale, through
which, however, they rode safely
On the 2sth of August they lost ono
of their crew, the dog, who died OF
scurvy. They had a great deal OF
heavy weather, but the little bark
bore herself nobly, and the men
themselves expressed surprise that
she rode the heavy gales so staunch
ly. She was leaking all the way
and the pumps, of which they have
two, were kept at work constantly
In the severe gale of last Saturday
they experienced the hardest time OF
the voyage, but suffered no disatcrs
save the carrying away of the .jiggel
boom. The largest number of miles
made in one day was 1853, which was
made in the first part of the voyage,
and the smallest, eleven miles. Tho
average speed was four knots al
hour. A number of vessels were
spoken on the voyage, among which
was the bark Radcliffe, on the 2stl
Of June, bound for Quebec; the shil
Maxwell, August Q, and the home
ward bound steamer Russia, August
"a. From the first two ofthesc they
took in supplies of provisions ano
water. Two whales were vel.
ncighborly off Cape Clear, coming
near enough to be touched with Tho
hand, and giving the voyagers some
alarm lost they should upset theil
frail ship. One of Mother Cary's
Chickens" attcnded~them from the
time they left Queenstown till they
passed Georges Bank. The men
say that they had the most perfect
confidence is the success Of their
enterprise, and in the roughest gale
could go to sleep with the greatest
composurc. Only the latencss OF
the season prevents them from re
turning home as they came. Then
original intention was to go dlrcc'
to New York, but they concluded to
put into this port, and will go from
here to the former place, and vii
remain this side the Atlantic an
other summer. They were toweo
to Long Wharf by the tug, ano
there can be seen this smallest ofal
crafts that ever travcrscd the broat
Atlantic.