The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-01-18


vessel was careened. Took on board coffee and
dred and fifty bags of coffee on freight. Sailed
for Portland on the 18th of October. Oct. 31st
was chased by an English brig and was COM
PEELED to throw overheard 400 bags OF coffee,
the spare spars, and the two bow gums. Nov.
the chase continued and the Dash threw over
122 more bags of coffee, two more iron
guns, and all the wooden ones, ten in
number, which brought the brig into
proper sailing trim, and she escaped
after two days chase, saving all the cargo
belonging to the brig. The next day the Dash
was chased by 74-gun ship and brig, from
which she escaped by her superior sailing, and
arrived in Portland, Nov. 9th, 1918.
At the time of the arrival of the Dash the
townspeople we're fearful of an attack from a
British squadron which was lowering on the
coast, and the owners of the cargo of the Dash
had it carted to Gorham village for safety. The
coffee was divided into three lots aud was left
in charge of Nahum Chadbourp, Nathaniel
Gould, and Capt. Harding. This cargo of cof-
fee was returned to Portland and stored in the
Porters' warehouse ON Union wharf, and on
| the 22d of Jan. 1874, the block of four wooden
stores was burnt. In this fire the Porters lost
besides the cargo of Coffee which was worth
one dollar per pound, two gangs Of rigging for
new vessels. all uninsured.
On the 18th of Dec. 1918, Capt. Kelleran
again sailed from Portland in command of the
Dash for Port au Prince. To evaje the enemy's
cruisers was not the only care and anxiety of
| the navigators in winter passage on our coast.
There were then no chronometers, and the
vessel must be navigated by dead reckoning"
/ Besides they were frequently caught In
| storms on Les coast-no Publications being
then published day in advance This was
| the case with the Dash on the next day after
sailing. The day she sailed ended with thick
| snowstorm and there were no fog horns. give
the vessels log for the next day after sailing:
| Tuesday, 14sh Dec, 1913. Commences with
| stiff breezes accompanied with squalls of snow
| and hail. At 3 p. m. in foretop gallant sail
| and iib, and reefed the mainsal. AT 5 ia main
| topmast stAysail and close reefed the foretop
sail. a. 10 in mainsail, and scudded under
i the foretop sail aud fore sail. Wind hauled to
| the north Middle part hard gale with snow
| and sleet-a very bad sea; latter part a very
| heavy gale. AT a. m. reefed the fore sail,
| and at 10 sent down the topgallant yard ends
| with thick, squally weather"
The wind being off shore gave him sea room
to scud, else he must havs gone on Cape Cod.
The Dash arrived at Port au Prince Dec. 81.
| Sold and delivered cargo and gave the vessel
the usual soap and tallow bottom. Took on
board 10000 pounds of coffee, and sailed for
home in company with privateer schooner
| Flash of New York, on the 10Th of Jan. 1914;
same day saw an English frigate, and both veA-
| sells returned to port for protection from the
frigate, which proved to be the LeoDidss,
| which anchored in the outer roads. The two
| privatesrs hauled alongside of each other and
| kept all hands-at quarters all night to repel
any attack from the frigats's boats, although
it was a neutral port.
To show the lack of respect-for the laws of
nations by British naval commanders, it is
only necessary to mention the case of the
| privateer brig General Armstrong OF New
| York. She was Ia very powerful YES
vessel, with a daring captain (Reid). He
had boldly attacked and beat off an English
frigate supposing that she was letter of
/ marque, and captured the ship Queen of 16
| guns, with a.cargo invciced at 100000 pounds
| sterling. These daring acts had excited the
| hatred OF the whole British navy. On the &c
| of Sept, 1914, the Gen. Armstrong anchored
| in the Portuguese port OF Fayal. At sunset
| the same day the British naval ships Plantag-
| enet, Rota and Carnation anchored in The
roadstead. Fearing an attack the Armstrong
warped up under the guns of the Castle; yet
| she was twice attacked by boats from these
vesses-the last time by twelve boats. In
both attacks the boats lost 63 killed and no
/ wounded, with the loss of several boats. On
the 9th one OF the ships hauled in and COM
| menced a cannonade on the privateer. Find
ing that the Armstrong would be taken, Capt
Reid abandoned his vessel, after firing six
| pound shot down the hatchway and through
her bottom. This sinking gun was fred by
Capt. Thomas B. Parsons, who was sailing
master on board. He afterwards taught navi-
| gat on for years In Portland, and died here In
| 1870, aged 49,
i But to return to the Dash During tbs next
day the officers Of the frigate made some threats
| TO cut out the American vessels. The armed
| schooner Chancey of New York was also in
| port and hauled alongside of the other two
| vessels, and all three were moorsd and dashed
| together in the form OF cross, so that they
could fire in all directions in case of an attack
from the frigates boats. La this state, with
shotted guns, snd every man at his station,
| they waited in vain for the threatened attack.
| The frigate saw the preparation and made no
| demonstration, but sailed the next day. The
Dash sailed for Portland Oh the 22nd, in
company with the two schooners, and arrived
home in safety on the 18th of February, except
the cargo was shifted in a gale, but was re-
| placed the next day.
We must now take leave OF Capt. Kellersn
Il as commander of the Dash. He came here
from Georges river The psternal mansion
was to be seen high up on the bank of that
stream two years ago. He came to Portland
| early in the century. have before me
| newspaper of Dec. 1910 containing his arrival
| at Portland, as master of the ship North Amer
lean from Cronstadt, Russia, with iron and
sail duck to Asa Clapp." This was a twin
shio to the South America; they, with several
| others in tho Russian trade, were owned by Asa
| Clapp and Matthew Cobb. Within Is months
alter Capt Kelleran left the Dash the war
| was ended, and he went back to the Russian
| trade. Those who recollect the presidential
| campaign OF 1910 will recall Capt. Kelleran's
| jolly face and figure, which would rival Hack
| ett's personifcation of Jack Falstaff Singing
was relied upon as means of conversion in
that contest. as much as it ever was at camp
1
in years, and an enthusiastic Harrison man,
| with powerful voice. Those who took part
in that campaign will recollect his voice an
| appearance at the Wing meetings when with
his arm aloft he led the chorus in these closing
| lines
wen sing the Harrison songs by night,
And beat his foes by day."
| And then his ringing shout of "hip.hip-
hurrahi" after the English fashion. He was
then probably seventy years old, six feet and
more in height, and weighed $50 lbs.
On the fly leaf of the journal of his last voy-
age in the Dash is a stirring patriotic song in
his own handwriting.
| Hitherto the Dash had not been aggressive,
but had been sailed in the regular St. Domin-
| 60 trade and wasted no ammunition except in
self defence. Her next two cruises were made
| under the command of Capt. VIM. Cammett,
then % years old , and like his predecessor, al
most giant in stature. He had seen some
war service. He was first lieutenant of the
brig Rapid when she went to sea in company
| with the Teazer ito try her sailing" This