Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-02-05
FIFTY DAYS OF DANGER.


Fine, arrived al her dock, Pier No. u North
river, yesterday. after a long voyage from
London having left that port Jan. 3. Among
her passengers we're Capt. Thomas Grape AMI
his wife, who made the memorable voyage
last summer across the broad Atlantic from
New Bedford, Mass. I'M whaleboat schooner
rugged. With ieg-ofmutton sails Capt. Crapo
appears 10 be man of IS years of age, is of
sturdy build. ana wears brown beard. His
face is weather beaten, but firm mouth de-
notes the resolution which enabled him To
carry into execution his daring plan. In his
speech the quiclt-witted Yankee is plainly
traced. and eye"y word has some shrewd,
practical meaning. His wife is, perhaps his
Junior by a yea. or two. healthy. cheerful
helpmect, and talks of her successful VOYAGE
with pardonable pride. The twain were
found in the freight agents Office on the
steamship dock. surrounded by group of ad-
mirerS. Who were listening 10 each detail of
the fifty days voyage with GREATNESS interest
The reporter was taken by Capt. Grape Ia
the smokng-roOm on the deck OF the Canada
and there the yarn was spun of the trip OF the
New Bedford.
why did run such risk? Wen. III tell
you. My first idea was a Yankee one-"hat is,
tn beat everything that had been done before.
Useless. was it? AS long as En- slishmen and
thei couSi nS are on earth you'll hear of their
trying their 'spunk' against each other. Had
! experience? Listen then. young man. |
sailed seven years i'll the service of MeSSrS.
Rumble 4 RamSdall, of Harrington, Me. and
although am not a Captain in the American
narine-l never got beyond first mate-l
should like to see the man that knows more
about ships than do. Besides I'm Captain
now-Captan of the New Bedford I'm
prouder of that. and what I've done with her
than if was commander on the quarterback
of one of Uncle Sans men-of-war." Here the
Captain paused and took a few pufls OF his
"When first got The idea of crossing the
ocean in the smallest boat that ever succeeded
in the tempt went right To work to design
the craft.-remem ber. | had made twenty-one
trips over the Atlantic and spent a good many
years whaling.-and when | commenced to
build the New Bedford people wondered what
on earth wanted such a craft for. My sea-
faring friends never doubted her qualities.
People said was a foo. but didn't care No
sir. knew the risk and the exposure and all
that, but went light on until the boat was
| lauHched.''
The Captain here became thoughtful. and
seemed to take good deal of comfort in
watsthig the cGHdS oS OF smoke that We're
Well captain, after the boat WAS
| launched?''
Why" he replied. zone thing kept bother
| ing me, for as the time of my departure grew
| nigh my wife declared she never would con
| sent to my going without her. Good stock
| SIT: shes Scotch woman. native of Glas-
| was born in NewcaStle-On- Tyne. l married
her at Marseilles. in November, 1872. on board
OF the Myronus, Capt. Higgins:
| We'll, finally | agreed to take her When
| got ready to start a meeting was held in
| New Bedford. my native town. to wish Us God
speed on our journey. The Rev. Mr.. Butler
| pass. ensign. water kegs. etc. were given me
! fUrthe voyage. The New Bedford is Schooner
| rugged, with two maStS. carrying icg-of-mut
ton sails. She draws only one foot OF water :
! her keel is thirteen feet: her total length
| barely twenty feet: her tonnage G2-1nl She
| is thirty four inches deep. We carried the
American ensign and our own burgee.
We sailed from New Bedford AT half-past
! Y. May -. amid the cheers of the crowd on
! Reach wharf. and all the vessels At anchor
hred sailltes IN our honor. We made oar real
CT 1T h,,tt-. . -
the afternoon OF june ,. As my vessel was
too small to have a marine document issued
Ia her got letter from Mr.. J. 4. p. Allen
Collector of Customs at New Bedford in which
! after describing my boat. he said: Il there
fore desire to make known To all whom it NAV
concern that Capt. Grape is well known here.
| and his purpose is entirely legitimate. and he
has the good wishes of this community that
his voyage may be successfully accomplished
| Once fairly out of sight of land we had
enough to do and to think about; Our chief
! diet was canned meats, fish. and fruit. Our
| bread was rather ''hardish. you may believe
! our provisions were calculated to last out the
! voyage, even if more than ordinarily delayed :
but the passage was SO baltimore like a
stormy. winter One-that if we had not got
from passing vessels fresh meat, bread. vege-
tables. and water, we should have persisted.
| On several occasions we found ourselves in a
| Shoa OF whales. who Spouted 4 good deal. and
| these frightened my wife. Sometimes for two
days at stretch we experienced such rough
weather we had o lay To. attached to what we
calla drag or buoy. At such times could get
a little rest. as when the winds were favorable
had to be at the helm the whole time Once
kept at my post seventy hours without rest.
My wife scarcely got a good nights rest dur
ing the whole voyage.
ION June - we spoke the English bark
Amtnlca iii a heavy sea. latitude i2 deg =
min.. longitude ID deg. 10 min. On the PSI we
spoke the steamer Batavia. bound from Liver
pool to Boston. There was a heavy ga:e blow
ing. aud my log notes that tended the drug
line eighteen hours at Il stretch On the 1GI a
swansea brig offered to tow Us into port hut
did not see il i'll that light. although the sea
was running mountains high. III II on the
morning of the 18th my wife and ] boarded
the Amphitrite. a bark bound from Bremen TO
New \ DIRK. and here we We're received with
great Kindness. and on leaving tile CAPTAIN
gave US provisions and a couple of bottles OF
VINE. The officers of good many other YES
SeiS we met between this date and july We're
also kind. On the latter date we were along
side the English steamer Denmark, from New
York to London. and were given provisions
and two bottles of brandy. On the 18th dur
ing gale, the German bark AStronOm spoke
us, and the Captain asked if We wanted as
SlStance. Shortly after our riIdder was
twisted off. but / rugged new one On the
list we sighted Scilly 1.-THE next day We sighted
Wolf Rock light off Lands End and AZ half.
past p III. of that day We passed the light
anchoring at II off Newland PenZamce. At
midnight turned in for sleep, having been on
duty Ior seventy hours, and the next morning
Sunday the misSuS' and l went ashore
And that, sir; is a true history of the trip of the
New BedfOrd''