The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1877-08-23
n FEARFUL TOYAGE.
Mr.. and Mrs. Crapo,s Trim 4cross ,b
Ocean in an Omen, Rout


Mr.. and Mrs. Crapo's Trip Across the
Ocean in an Open Boat
lfenzance (Eng) Cor. London Daily Newsl
was startled this morning, just at the
commencement of church, to hear that
the boat which had left America for
England with only man and woman on
board, had arrived at Penzance. On
glancing along the promenade I saw
right away under Newlyn little boat
with two masts lying at anchor, while
surrounding her were cluster of Newlyn
boats, filled with spectators who had
come to see the wonderful little craft. It
is called the New Bedford, after the town
OF New Bedford, Mass, from which she
halls. The New Bedford is a boat of
about ten feet long, and of the registered
tonnage of 1.62, little over ton and
half. She carries two masts, one anchor
and drogue. She is built of cedar, and
is rugged as what is known as ga leg-of-
mutton rugged schooner" The name of
the owner is Capt. Thomas Grape, aged
35, who. with his wife, has SO bravely
crossed the Atlantic in such a tiny craft.
The voyage was commenced on May %.
when the vessel left New Bedford. but
by stress of weather she had to put into
Chatham, Mass, where she stayed until
the I'd of June, when the sails were again
hoisted, and the little pigmy left on her
perilous voyage with a fair wind. All
went well for three days, the wind being
southwest, and the sea calm. The wind
then changed to southeast, and it came
on foggy for four days, and continued
foggy up to the time when they reached
the Grand Banks, seventeen days out
Here most fortunate thing happened
for the navigators. The drogue which
they had brought with them was found
| to be of little use, because it was too
light. While off the Banks they saw a
key floating, which they were able to Sc
cure. Capt. Grape knocked off the iron
hoops, and with some canvas made new
drogue, which answered admirably.
When it is considered that at one part of
the voyage they we're obliged to lie for
nearly three days in great gale of wind.
| it will need no effort to imagine what a
fortunate acquisition the new drogue
was. After leaving the Banks, where
they lay to in a gale for fifteen hours,
the weather improved, and they sailed
on till the 21st of June, when another
gale was encountered While lying to,
the New Bedford spoke the steamer Ba-
tavia, from which assistance was offered,
and the offer was made to take them on
board, which was pluckily declined
After this incident they encountered a
series of gales, the only wonder being
that they survived to tell the story.
During the voyage, which occupied
forty-nine days, the rudder broke, but
happily there was spare oar on board,
which was used until the first could be
repaired. The seas were running mount
ain high, and, during all that time, even
when lying down to rest, they had to lie
on wet clothes-everything being wet on
board. On one occasion the Captain
was for seventy hours steering without
relief, the weather being 30 frightful:
and on another he was eighteen hours
consecutively attending the drogue.
Capt. Grape says he could not have stood
another fifteen days; indeed, he had not
slept for seventy hours when he landed.
His average Of sleep while coming
across was under four hours a day.
Among the many extraordinary things
connected with the voyage is that it had
to be run by dead reckoning, as the New
Bedford was hot equal to chronometer.
Only on two occasions could they gel
their longitude. When speaking the two
vessels, Capt. Grape had intended tc
make for Falmouth; but the wind was
against it. Captain and Mrs Grape
seemed wonderfully well after the hard
ships they have undergone, though the
Captain has a bad hand, and when he
came on shore his other hand was firmly
clenched after seventy hours steering.
The house they stopped at was invaded
by persons eager to shake hands with SC
brave q couple.