The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1889-11-22
A peRlLous VOYAGE.
Capt. Andrews Relates HIS Experience OF
Crossing tho Ocean In Dory.

C"P@ Andrews Relates HIS Experience of
| Crossing tho Ocean In n Dory.
Perhaps few among the audiences
that nightly attend the performance
of = Dark Secret" know that the Capt.
Andrews who appears during the
fourth act Is the plucky sailor who at
tempted to cross tho Atlantic in his
dory the Dark Secret. A Mail re-
porter had very interesting conver-
sation with tho captain and asked him
for brief account of his attempt to
cross the ocean blue.
IL started" he said, lin the little
dory from Point Of Pines beach near
Boston, Monday, June Is. This is the
boat in which ] made my journey.
Il measures, keel IL feet, beam 8 feet,
depth 2 feet 1t was built under my
direction and supervision. Yes, I
started all alone, not even q dog or
cat on board. When, crossed the
Atlantic in 1873 IN the little dory
Nautilus my brother Walter accom-
panied me. That boat was four feet
longer than the Dark Secret. We
made tho voyage in tho Nautilus in
forty-ave days from land to land, but
wc had better weather than I expert
enced on the last trip.
Tho rigging and sail arc very SIM
pie. l had only ono sail, what is usu-
ally called lateen, or three cornered
sail, and the rigging consisted Of Just
three pieces Of rope. Yes, the Dark
Secret Is an excellent sea boat. She
behaved beautifully in the terribly
bad weather encountered. I made q
mistake in starting from Boston. The
weather ut Georges bank was awful,
and 1t was q month before got QUITO
the bay and into the northern cur
rent. After that did not have quite
so hard time of it. The longest time
| went without rest was forty-eight
hours during gale, and I didn't eat
much during that time, either. In
fact, all / did eat during the voyage
was crackers and canned provisions.
! had an alcohol stove with me, but It
became useless after the first day out
Living on crackers and drinking as
little water as possible evidently didn't
agrco, with me, for i weighed 20S
pounds the day I started. When
picked up tipped the beam at 125,
after eating hearty dinner at that.
THE Norwegian bark Nor picked
mo up about 1866 miles from my
starting point Aug. 81, after I had
been just sixty-two days out. Twas
indeed in sorry plight. / had lost
my drag, with which I held tho boats
nose to tho sea when I turned in, my
oiled clothing was completely worn
out, my provisions and water were
running. short, and the boat was in
bad condition.
How did sleepi I put tho craft
to, threw out my drag, and turned in
for brief periods only. My mattress
got wet during the first gallo and was
not keep mo from sleepise !sszaet ii{a yti{i
whom / got chance. Some nights
the boat drifted back SO far that il took
me from ono to three days to mako up
lost ground. During heavy gales !
used oil on the water. You have read
in the good book about. putting oil on
the troubled waters We'll, It works
first rate. let it triclle out, at the rate
Of ten drops minute. 1t has won
derful effect in reducing the waves.
"What started me ON such q tripf
Well, / have always been an enthusi-
ast on boating, and believe that small
boats can be built, if correctly mod
clcd, that will live through storms
that would sink an ocean steamer, and
my ambition has been to cross in the
smallest boat alone. think it is a
mistake to go alone, as ono man can
steer or cook while the Other. is sleep
ing. ."-Chicago Mail.