Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-09-28
A TINY CRdFT.


was made in the year 1870 by tiny ves-
sci Which was called "The City of Ra-
g1sa. 1t seems almost incredible that
such toy should ever have dared the
lmretuous tempests of the great At
lantic.
In size this little bark was no larger
that an ordinary row-boat, her length
all over being only twenty feet, while
her beam was only six feet. She was
yawl-rigged, built entirely of wood half
an inch in thickness, and drew but two
feet OF water. Her depth was two feet
eight inches, and she had small cabin,
IN which, during her long voyage, her
crew rested as she drifted along, an in
hnltesmal spech on an infinite ocean.
She spread seventy yards of canvas, and
was fitted with two-blade auxiliary
propeller turned by hand, Her build
was clinker or lap streak, and she had d
ton of iron ballast.
The adventurous crew of this vessel
consisted of two men, the Captain and
one seaman.
The skipper was stout, swarthy
man, whose name was Charles John
Buckley. He was native Of Dublin,
and had been sailor since boyhood,
and at that time was about thirty years
OF age. He had served in the West
Indian and American services, and had
also been engaged on the English coast
for some time. In 1858 he was awarded
a silver medal by the Royal Humane
Society OF London for saving two lives
on the coast of Kent.
His companion was an old shipnate
of his, named Nicholas Primrouz, and
by birth an Austrian.
The various episodes of this miracu-
lous voyage are Of great interest. The
average speed was four knots. The
best days work done was 153 knots, and
the worst eleven knots in twenty-four
hours.
Capt. Buckley left Liverpool June 2,
and after laborins in the English Chan
mel for ten days, found it necessary to
put into Queenstown for repairs.
The ship" being made seaworthy-
if such craft ever could be made sea-
worth-she again set sail, and babe
farewell to land on June 16.
During the whole OF the early part of
the passage, the weather was so rough
that it was impossible to light fire in
the stove, and the Captain and crew
had to subsist upon raw meat and rice.
On the Fourth OF July, toast was drank
in honor of the great American Repub-
lie which they hoped to reach.
The incessant strain on the craft
caused her to leak to a dangerous ex-
tent, and the two pumps were kept
working nearly all the time. In some
places the hull showed signs Of warping,
but barnacles and grass grew in the crew
ices, and thus nature remedied what
would have been disastrous defect.
The course chosen by Capt. Buckley
was northerly, similar to that taken by
the Cambria. On one occasion he passed
shoal Of whales, and was so near that
he could have touched them with his
hand.
On the 2sth Of August he spied the
bark Ratcriffe, Of London, bound for
Quebec. Going alongside, he was Of
fered, and accepted, quantity of pro-
visions, including preserved mutton and
beans.
From another vessel he received a
supply Of coal, his original stock now
being exhausted.
| On their last Saturday at sea, these
intrepid sailors experienced the most
severe gale they had ever known, but
the noble little craft behaved finely.
At last, after ninety days passage
from Liverpool which has no parallel,
the gallant Captain reached Boston in
safety.
When asked what put the idea into
his head of crossing the ocean in such a
tiny ship, he replied that it was mere
whin. -GOhle11 Days.
AN ENGLISIIMaN'S TOUR OF THE
| WORLD.
among the most singular characters
/