The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-01-18
PORTLAND PRIVATEERS IN THE WAR
OF, 1812-NO. 4.
The Letter Of Mdrque Brig Dash-Hsr Career
Under Capts. KeHeran and Cansuett-Brit-
ish Fiolation of Neestral Ports.
BY HON. WILLIAM GooLD.

The brig Dash was the most efficient and
successful Of the private armed fleet sailing out
of Portland during the war of 1912, until her
final catastrophe In the last few months of hos
tilites.
The Dash was built at Porter's Landing,
Freeport, by Brewer. This was the native
place of her principal owners, Seward and Sam
uel Porter, merchants OF Portland, on Union
wharf, both of whom had been shipmasters,
and we'll knew the proper model for vessel of
her class, and for the business for which she
was intended, namsly, to carry a fair cargo,
sail we'll, and fight her way to her intended
port, without heavy and cumbersome battery.
She was of 90 tons burthen, pierced for SIX
teen guns, and was launched early in 1918. Size
was frst rugged as a topsail schooner with a
top gallant sail and ali the light sails possible
to set Her armament was originally "a long
"a pound pivot gun, and six broad-side gus.
The other ports had wooden guns to make q
good show to an enemy when her ports were
opened. Her crew numbered forty.
The first commander Of the Dash was Cap
tain Edward Kelleran, who came from Thorn
aston, and was long an active shipmaster after
the war in the employ of Capt. Asa Clapp and
Matthew Cobb, and died in Portland in about
1850. He made the voyage in the Dash to St.
Domingo and returned safely laden with coffee
and logwood-enough of the latter for "dun-
mage to stow the coffee. The journal of the
first voyage of the Dash is not to be found in
the Custom House, but / learned some particu-
lara Of it from one of the owners, Capt. Seward
Porter, in whose family passed the first year
of my married life. He never tired in describ-
ing the sailing qualities and career of his IA
yorite clipper. Capt Kelleran evaded or ran
away from the British cruisers that infested
our coast, before our own armed vessels be-
came numerous, and was on his passage home
with a cargo of coffee. When near his home
port be was chased by an enemy's vessel, and
escaped by carrying sail until he sprung his
foremost, but being good pilot he ran into
shoal water, where the enemy dared not fol-
low. He delivered the cargo safely to her own
ers, and it was sold at war prices.
The Dash had now been tested in all wealth
err, and under all circumstances, and it was
found that she would bear more head sail, aud
1t was decided to replace the broken mast with
one suitable for an hermaphrodite brig, and the
whole rig was changed to that of long-legged
brig. Capt. Csmmett, who commanded the
Dash after Capt Kelleran, has often described
to me the rig of the vessel, which he considered
perfect for speed when in the proper trim. To
balance the increased spread of canvas on the
foremost a long sliding spar was fitted to the
mainboom, to which firing tail'' was attached
to be hoisted to the gait when needed, which
increased the size of the mainsail one-third. A
longer main topmast with gait topsail to cor
respond, replaced the old ones. With these i'm
provements, and a WHOLESALE breeze, the
Dash could overtake or run away from any,
thing of her class. There was one advantage
the English cruisers had over ours-we had no
| sheathing copper, and all kinds of compositions
were prepared to lay over vessel bottoms, to
increase their speed, and prevent their getting
foul.
have the journal OF the second voyage OF
the Dash under the command of Capt, Keller
an. 1t commences at Castine. from whence
she sailed August 81, 1918 She called at Deer
Island and owlshsad to ship men, and sailed