The Portland daily press., 1880-04-07
Ca plain William can,matt.

uohoe " Smith street at p. m. yesterday.
Inc close of the eventful life of this veteran
shlpn aster, who for half century and more.
was Identified with the commerce of Portland.
seen IS to call for, and the readers of the PRESS
wiz expect a personal history of one so well
hp own. feel incompetent, but a familiar ac-
g daintance of fifty years with the deceased,
and respect for his memory prompts me to
attempt to sketch the principal events of his
long life. No one could be long in his COM
| pany without becoming interested in his varied
experience.
Capt Cammett was the son of Thomas aud
grandson Oh Pa1l Cammert, the first of the
name who came to Portland, and who was
born in 1719. He followed the trade of
cooper and pump and blockmaker. He died
in 1876. Of his four sons the one best known
was Dudley, who lived and had wharf at the
foot OF Hancock street, where he pursued the
business OF his father. He was lieutenant in
the army of the Revolution.
The fourth son of Paul was Thomas. who
besides carrying on the traditional trade of
pump and blockmaker, was shipwright and
worked ON the repairs of the famous Indiaman,
Grand Turk" which was driven on to
Cushlng's Point in 1888, after being 14O DAYS
at sea. In 17S4 Thomas married Nabby.
daughter OF Madam Snow, who lived on the
west side of old King street, and was cele-
DRAFTED as having the gift of second sight. 1t
- certain that she had some uncommon gift as
all the Old inhabitants bore witness.
Ihomas CammeGt and his wife, Nabby
olo"' were the parents Of Captain William,
VINO was oorn On the east side of India street
Oh Inc 9th of August, 1855. He had three
you. ger brothers, Stephan, John and Dudley,
none of whom were below six feet and three
inches in height. Dudley was we'll known
pump and block maker, and one of his sons
continues the old family trade on Commercial
street and is of the fourth generation who has
pursued the same business in Portland.
Thomas moved his family to Freeport in 1888,
living ON farm and making blocks until
1901, when he returned to Portland.
The son William began his sea life in
coaster when he was 16, and soon after made
voyage to Guadalupe in the ship Mary for
cargo Of sugar. He had been five years a
sailor and had become man, when in 1906,
Great Britain declared the continent of
Europe from the Elbe to Brest, to be in a state
of blockade. In November following Napo.
leon Bonaparte, who had become the central
figure in the honorance of Europe, seated in
the palace of the vanquished king of Prussia.
issued his famous "Berlin decree" declaring
the British Isles in state of blockade.
Then followed the British "Orders in Coun-
cir. These retaliatory measures and restric-
lions disturbed the whole commercial world,
especially American commerce, which had
been doing large part of the carrying trade
OF the belligerentS.-
Young Mr.. Cammett mad become an officer
on shipboard, and was well acquainted with
all these complications and the subterfuges
and cautions necessary to practice to evade
seizure and confiscation. These were not al
ways sufficient, for it was during this general
war that the losses occurred known ever since
as the "French Spoilations." The French and
English blockaders of each other sscolonies
made it rich prize to run cargo out of the
West India Islands for European market
This state OF Europe was the means of produc-
ing in the Atlantic states class of clipper
built vessels which have never yet been ex-
celled for speed, and which became useful to
the United States in the war of 1872. 1t was
on board one of these vessels and under |
desperate circumstances that Mr.. Cammett OBJ
tanned his first command.
In 1909 Deacon James Jewett and his
nephew Wm Jewett of Portland, employed
Moulton, who had shipyard where the Calf
block now is, to build them fast brig of $50 |
tons, to run the English blockade at Guada-
!oupe, but the island had surrendered before
her arrival there John Curtis was master
and Mr.. Cammett was first mate, then "A years
old The brig was appropriately named the
Rapid. VIM. Jewett, one of the owners was
passenger in the vessel, and wassdetermined to
make good voyage at all hazards notwith-
standing he had been disappointed in obtain
ing cargo OF coffee. He decided to purchase
cargo of cotton at Charleston, S. c., and to
have good market in Europe. On the ar
rival at Falmouth, Eng, he learned that cot |
ton cvua, tod Of ~,
per pound. The brig joined convoy of 700
sail OF merchantmen at Gottenburg, all bound
up the Baltic under British convoy of several
frigates and two line of battle ships, one of
which was the Victory, Nelson's flagship, on
whose deck he lost his life at the battle of
Trafalgar in 1905.
On the arrival of the Rapid at Memel in |
Nov. she was seized by Bonapartist officials, as
the city had few days before surrendered to
him, and guard OF sixteen French soldiers
was put on board. After several days'trial on
shore by Mr. Jewett and the captain, to have
the brig released, Mr.. Jewett came on board
without the captain and was much affected at
the loss of his vessel and cargo, which were |
port and Under British convoy. Mr.. jew
ett's state of mind excited Mr.. Cammett's
sympathy. and he proposed to him that with
his permission he would retake the brig and
run her out by the forts, to which Jewett
gladly assented, and the crew as gladly prom
lsed their assistance as they would lose their
wages if the vessel remained a prize to the
French. That day crew of pilots came on
board to take the brig up to town to avoid the
ice. The cook could speak French and was of
great service in the project The pilots at
tempted to weigh anchor hut found it foul,
when Mr.. Cammett proposed through the cook
to set some OF the lower sails which would as
sist them in clearing the anchor, to which
they agreed. The time to act had now arrived
The wind was favorable and the sails were set,
except the jib. When the vessel headed right
Mr.. Cammett told the men to point the lib
which the Frenchmen Etried to prevent, sus-
pecting the intention, and ordered the soldiers
to fire on the crew but their guns would not 90
off, as the faithful cook by Mr. Cammett's
order, had removed the fints. Mr.. Cammett
seized an axe from its hiding place and at one
blow cut the hemp cable on the windlass and
held the axe for future use if necessary. The
soldiers and pilots went over the side in their
boat, and with stiff breeze the Rapid ran by
the forts under fire, but without receiving a
shot, and thus Capt. Cammett obtained
command.
The Rapid wintered at Riga, in Russia,
where her cargo was sold large price and she
sailed for Boston by the way of London, MAX
ing the passage from London to Boston in the
unprecedented time sof fifteen days. Capt.
Cammett made cruise in the Rapid in 1912,
armed as privateer, in which he served as first
lieutenant under Capt. VIM. Crabtree, but the
cruise was not success. In 1914 he made two
cruises as captain of the brig Dash a priva-
4 u.
during which he took several rich prizes. He
left the Dash to take the command of a large
armed vessel belonging to the same owners,
called the "Tippoo Saib," which was at an
Choir in the harbor of Portland waiting a wind
when the news of peace arrived in 1916.
In 1878 Capt. Cammett married Miss Mary
Ryan of Gorham, and three years after he
purchased a farm and moved his family to that
town where they remained five years, when
they returned to Portland.
After the war Capt. Cammett continu ed in
the merchant service until 1882, when with z.
ID. Gardner he built the grist mill ON Stroud
water river and went into the corn and meal
business, but in 1886 he returned to the sea as
master and part owner of the ship Caledonia.
In 1850 he took command of Lemuel Dyer's
new ship Emblem in which he made his last
voyage at sea. He was member of the first
City Council in 1882, and an Alderman in 1884
and 1885. He was appointed inspector of Gus
toms under President Lincoln, which office he
held several years and which was his last ac-
tive business.
Capt. Cammett and his wife were members
of the Third Church-they were admitted un.
der the pastorate of DR.. Dwight in 1910. The
Captain had happy faculty of describing the
transactions and scenes of his eventful life,
and always had an amusing anecdote to relate
He was always listened to with interest hav-