The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-04-02
A SHIPS LONG RUN OF LUCK.
What Has Been Brought to Mind by
the Threats of Another Anglo
Russian War.

Russian War.
From the Lewiston Journal.
A Bath shipmaster who has sailed into
as many ports as any Maine man that
ever trod quarterback is Captain S. T.
Woodward He retired a dozen years
ago and then had taken six new ships
out of the Kennebeck. He began to go
to sea when he was 12 years old and his
life is one continuous story of adventure.
He likes to tell of his voyages in the days
of fat freights and says the present dull
/ times in shipping are enough to make
departed shipmasters turn over in their
graves. lone of my best voyages, says
/ the captain, twas made at the time of
/ the Crimean War. | loaded at Philadel-
! phia for Liverpool at three-eights of a
penny. That was a miserable freight,
! but, however, let that be as it may,
when got to Liverpool they offered me
a stunnin' rate to Constantinople with a
cargo Of coal, right in the midst of the
war. l chartered and it soon became
noised around among my fellowship
masters what [ had done. I'll bet it was
said to me a dozen times that day,
You're taking big risk. The Russians
will light on you, you'll loose your ship
and be sent off to Siberia | had my
ship coppered and loaded her anil sailed.
1t was one of the best trips ever made.
l never took in my royals from the time
/ left Liverpool. The coal was resOld at
/ Constantinople on the condition that it
be taken to the Crimea in the same ship
to supply the English fleet there. So I
made up the Black Sea and laid Just off
Sevastopol four months | could see
and hear all that was going on in the
Crimea and kept posted on all the
movements of the troops. 1t was pretty
risky business. At the time of the Brit
ish repulse there was a good deal of sour
ryin' among the shipping. l stopped my
topsails with spun yarn and put springs
on my cables, so that [ could clear away
at short notice if the Russians should put
to sea after us.
but, however let that be as it may,
got back to Constantinople without any
trouble, settled with the English Govern
ment at a good figure and was ready to
take another cargo. l got $40 a day de-
murrage for the four months | was laying
off Savastopol. Well, then, took in at
Constantinople a load of French invalide
troops and landed them at Pert Vendre.
got $40, 900 in gold coin, all done up in
bags, for this job. | could not deposit it
at Port Vendre and so had to take it
, aboard ship with me. Then | didn't
know what to do or where to go. flip
ped up cent to see whether I should &c
to New Orleans or Liverpool. I said il
she came down tails twice l would go tc
New Osleans. She came down tails twice
and I cleared for New Orleans, where I
loaded with cotton for Liverpool at sew
en-eights of a penny.
81 got to Liverpool all right and loaded
with coal to Malta. After delivering it
filled up with French troops again. The
Crimean war was over. My wine ant
sangaree had procured good effec
on some French officers when I carried
the invalids to Port Vendre and they go
: me another good charter. was one o
> fleet of ships that landed 10000 troop
Marseilles in one day. put about 70
! home then. was just two years on thi
double voyage and had splendid luck.
didn't have occasion to take in my tgal
: liant sails in all that time. made fo
i my owners $75, 900 on that double voy
age. Those were the good old times
There are no such dividends now"