Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1886-03-04
Bad Vessels Sent 10 Sea.


An old sailor asserted to a New York
Nail and Express reporter that unsea-
worthy vessels were still.allowed to de-
part on ocean voyages, and added:
There are several shipping men in
this city who had until about six months
ago been earning livelihood by buying
old and rotten vessels. The majority Of
these were built twenty to twenty-five
years ago, and being constructed of wood
naturally are not likely to keep fresh for
such long time. The manner in which
rotten ships are bought is something of
this pattern. After making fortune in
a vessel, and being told by the captain at
the end of a voyage that the crafts skin
was always covered with water, the
owner who has had her built looks around
for a purchaser, for his conscience will
not permit him to send her to sea again.
Then this vulture steps in. The craft
has seen two OF three decades of service,
he says to the owner, and as she's leaky
no more than 81, 900 or S., 5,O0O can be
paid for her. Finally he raises the
amount little and secures the vessel.
'sHis profits in transactions Of this
kind is great, for he does not expend a
dollar to have the ship repaired He
gets freight of say 2s. Cd. on barrel oil
to the United Kingdom or continent.
Now the ship carries, we will say, $500
barrels. That means 18, 75O shillings, or
about $4, 500 in all. Supposing even the
expenses Of the ship are So, 900, you can
readily see that it requires only two voy-
ages to repay the vulture. The ship is
not at all fit to go to sea, but still they
manage to get seaman to sail on her.
Sometimes they succeed in bringing her
to her destination, but invariably in
short time she is missing What gain
do the vultures get2 Why, they are
after the insurance, and they generally
get it. They are willing to pay from ff-
teen to twenty per cent. interest because
they know eventually the premium is
theirs.
II cannot say where our surveyors are
all the time, but think they are lax in
their duties. I will tell you the story Of
one craft that was semitic sea unlr, and |
know that if the man who sent her hap
pens to see my statement his conscience
will be smote, though he has no feeling.
Men have suffered death for less cause
than this man is guilty Of. Twenty lives
were sacrificed through his deyilish work.
can mention his name, and that of the
ship if I want to, but for various reasons
will not. She was an American bark and
was purchased down East. After COM
ing here she was chartered to load
kerosene at Bayonne, N. j., for Lon
don. She made water as if she was a
sieve from the moment Of reaching
Bayonne. AS is customary on American
vessels no sailors are taken on board until
the craft is ready for sea. Well, the
stevedore's men had to keep that vessels
pumps going night and day in order to
prevent sinking alongside the wharf. Her
master was a downeaster of about forty
five years of age. He had just married a
young lady and was going to take her on
the voyage. She objected to going when
she went aboard, and really think she
had some presentment Of what would
happen if she did. She begged her hus-
band to give up the command Of the yes
sci and remain with her ashore. | think
he would have followed her advice had
not the owner laughed her fears down.
'sAfterthe bark had completed loading,
crew was shipped, but no sooner did
they look about than they left. Then
second crew Of sailors were employed,
but they also did not care to help work
ing pumps throughout the passage, and
they left. Before going, the captain, in
hopes of retaining them, displayed sur
vevor's certificate. All the crew smiled,
and remarked that $40 note would buy
hundreds of them. Finally a crew was
obtained, and they carried the vessel over
the bar of Sandy Hook. That bark never
reached London and she never will.
There are plenty Of ships that I know
that should never be allowed to
leave port"