The morning call., 1891-06-21
CHAPTER I.
TIKI DREADNAUGHT.


never come back again. But no such
thought as this bothered the heads of the
seamen who were busly engaged in getting
the Dreadnaught ready for sea Sn the morn
ing of March Is, 1873. On that day the
Dreadnaught John Aliaire master, was to
set sail from the pert of San Diego, Cal, on
. voyage through the seas of the Northern
Pacific.
Tie Dreadnaught three-master OF 800
tonnage, belonged to that type Of clipper
built ships which the Americans use SO adj
vantageously in their foreign trade, and
which in point Of speed nearly rival the best
steamers in their merchant marine. Such a
finely built vessel was the Dreadnaught,
and so admirably commanded, that not
man of her rev would have consented to
ship on any other vessel even with an
assurance of higher pay. Every heart
throbbed, every breast was filled with that
twO-fOId confidence based upon the GER
tainty of having shipped on a good vessel
under good captain.
The Dreadnaught was about to leave port
on her first voyage, excepting Of course her
trial trip for account of her owners, the
shippinc-house Of HOLSTER & Co. Of San
Diego Her port of destination was to be
Calcutta. which she was to reach by way Of
Singapore, with a cargo Of American manu-
featured goods, and upon her return voyage
she was 90 bring cons gnment of East In
dian merchandise for one Of the California
ports.
Captain John Allaire was a young man,
lust -. with an open, manly Countenance,
full Of force and decision. He was endowed
to a high degree with moral courage, SO
superior to physical courage the 1.-TWO
hours after midnight courage as Napoleon
called it, that is to say, the kind which can
calmly face the unforeseen and gather
strength In emergencies. 1t would be diff
cult 10 imagine a finer specimen of physical
manhood The fash of his dark eyes, the
rudjy cheeks, the broad shoulders and
arched chest the great strength OF his
hands. the Sprlngy, elastic tread, all betok-
ened the presence OF an iron VII inside OF
an iron body. And yet John AllaIre was
kind and generous to a fault, ready almost
instincts yelv @ sacrifice his life Tor fellow
creature. lie had so much OF the heroic IN
linn that II seemed only matter Of course
for him to perform a brave act and he had
given an earnest of this while still lad by
saving the lives Of several of his p8ymateS
In after years this instructive devotion
rIpened into a matter of faith with him and
set its iHdehbls impress upon the mans
character.
John Allaire had taken a wife a few
weeks previous TO the sailing Of the Dread
naught-a Miss Molly ManSOn-an orphan,
belonging TO one of the best families IN San
Diego. The young girls fortune was
modest one, but quite in keeping with the
Young mans position. that of a mate on one
of the HOLSTER fleet Of merchantmen. But
there was good reason TO assume that Molly
would some day or other inherit a large for
tune from rich uncle, Edward Manson,
who was a large land speculator and mill
owner in the western part Of Tennessee.
In the meantime there were two people TO
support; YES, three, for little NalteT-N alt
as pet name-had come into the world the
first year Of their marriage, therefore the
carain-and the captains wife agreed with
him-cOuldn't think Of giving up the sea
lust vet. Later he would determine what
would be- the best thing for him 70 do, either
after Molly had become an heiress or he had
grown rich I'm the service Of HOLSTER 81 Co.
ANYWAY, his career has been a brilliant
one and he now found himself captain OF a
splendid clipper ship at an age when most
Of his associates were nothing more than
first or Second mates. But the fact IS, his
splendid qualifications were universally con-
ceIed, and it would have been hard TO find
more popular man than Captain AlaiTe
either in San Diego or IN any other Caiif0T-
Mia port. The personal bravery displayed
bv him d rescuiug q SLpWTecked crew on
one occasion, and in his skill and tenacity
of purpose in effecting the salvage of a val
liable cargo abandoned by master and sea-
men had made his name known to mer-
chants and shippers all along the coast
The firm of HOLSTER 81 Co. offered him
the command Of the Dresd0aught which
was all ready to be launched. Allaire had
accepted without tie slightest hesitation,
for he felt that he was qualified 10 I'LL the
position, and had been thereupOn author
lied to pick his officers and seamen, such
was the perfect confidence the house had in
him. j was under these circumstances that
the DTeadnsught was about to make her
first voyage under the command OF Captain
John AlaTe.
Tie sailing Of this splendid new clipper
ship was quite an event The firm OF HOl-
lister & Co. very justly enjoyed the repu-
tatj0n Of being one Of the wealthiest and
most reputable shipping houses IN San
Diego. thanks to the wise administration OF
its affairs by William HOLSTER, a man re-
spected by his competitors and beloved by
his friends Every one was delighted when
il became known that he had put John Al
ldire 10 command OF the DTeadnaUght. 1t
was not surprising therefore that on this
particular morning, March 18th, vast con-
course OF people, many Of them personal
friends, and all OF them admirers OF the
young captain, should have collected on the
wharyes Of the Pacific Coast Steamship
Company to give him parting cheer.
The crew of the DTeadnaught was made
up of ten able-bOdied seamen and master
and mate. The sailors were all natives or
residents Of San Diego, experienced men
and glad OF an opportunity to serve under
Captain Allsire. The mate was an excel
lent officer, Roderick Shelton by name AL
though he was Alaire'S senior by five or
SIX years this fact didn't gall him the least
hit, nor did any enyi0us or jealous thought
ever enter his mind. He was the first to
acknowledge that A llaiTe was the man for
tie post. They had been messmates for
years and had learned to appreciate each
other. Besides, whatever William HOllI5teT
did was well done. Rod Shelton and his
men were devoted to him, body and soul.
Most Of the crew had already shipped on
some one or other of his vessels and officers
and men were really like one family.
So favorable, therefore, was the outlook
that but one thought seemed 10 be upper
most in the minds of the fathers and moth
eFs. wives and sweethearts, who cOngre-
gated on the wharf to bid g0od-by to these
fortunate Seamen, and that was. 1t would be
but a matter OF six months, flying trip be-
tween California and India, an excursion
from San Diego to Calcutta. and not one OF
those commercial or exploring expeditions
which keep a ship at sea for years. exposed
20 the most dangerous waters of both hem
lspheres. This crew knew what such eX-
pedItionS were, and their families had often
seen them sail away under conditions we'll
qualififd TO cause grave approximations.
The work of getting the Dreadnaught
ready for sea was nearly completed. The
ship was lying pretty well out in the
harbor, so that when the time should come
for her to weigh anchor she would stand in
need Of no tug TO tow her through the mar
rows. As a good breeze was blowing off
shore all she would have TO DO would be to
trim sails and get away. Captain Allaire
could not have wished for better weather,
or more favorable wind to carry him out Of
these waters which gstened in the morn
ing sun far beyond the Coronado Isles.
BY 10 o'clock every man was at his post
There were to be no more permits to 90
ashore. 1t might almost be said that the
voyage had actually begun. Several yawls
had come up alongside the ship at the star
board ladder to take off those who had gone
On board 10 bid friends or relatives a last
gOOd-by. Among these were Andrew Hol-
lister senior mariner of the firm Of Hnllisfer