Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1892-10-06
Capt. James q. Knowles.

Capt. James H. Knowles, the yetera
whale captain, died at his home 10 Surry
the 3oth ult., at the age OF So years an
~ days. Several weeks ago he went t
New Bedford to take command Of a ship
and was there taken very Ill. His wifi
and daughter Joined him and after fev
days succeeded in getting him home. A
one time 1t was thought he was improv
Ing, but he again grew worse, and died a
we have stated.
FoR a short time previous to his dealt
his mind seemed to be wandering at spells
One night just before his demise h,
reused up in bed, exclaiming: 1T is my
watch below, and there il no need OF my
having my clothes on" Suit,ng the actor
to the word he hastily pulled of his shir
and then lay down again.
There Is something In the career Of thi.
brave. resolute man. so full of energy ant
resources. which claims the admiration OF
the world. Many of the facts stated here
are gathered from an article published In
the AMERICAN Of Oct. 4, 1888, from the
pen Of Rural"
At the tender age Of ten years Capt
Knowles commenced his "life on the ocean
wave" by shipping as cook onboard the
schooner Star" on a coasting trip. Capt
Treworgy Of Surry, who is still living
was, we think. master of the vessel. A,
any rate Capt. Knowles went trip with
Capt Treworgy, when a boy OF about tina,
age.
In ls49, when James H. Knowles was a
boy Of about hfteen years Of age, he ship
| ped as seaman onboard the ship Bow
ditch for three years whaling cruise In
the Japan Sea. During the first season
his vessel passed through Boring Strait
into the Arctic Ocean in pursuit OF whales.
The Bowditch, and the other vessels which
! accompanied her, were the second fleet OF
whale ships which ever passed through
that Strait
Before young Knowles had attained the
age of nineteen years he was chief mate
onboard OF a whale ship.
In 1883 Capt. Knowles said to his inter
viewer:
have doubled the Horn ten times
at least, and have once passed around the
Cape of Good Hope; have sailed at least
thirty times through Boring Strait: have
been master OF whale ship since 1866 ::
have crossed the continent from ocean 10
ocean nineteen times, at least, crossing
twice at the lsthmus OF Panama. and sew
enteen times by Pacific rail, six of which
were TO and from Surry. Me, via San
Francisco 10 Honolulu, Sandwich Islands,
| have spent more seasons in the Arctic
Ocean than elsewhere, It being. everything
considered. the best oil-hearing ground,
for If whales were scarce, walrus were
plentiful
No shadow so darkens the sunshine OF
whslemsn's life. as the abandonment Of
ones ship hopelessly caught and crushed
10 the ice. In 1876. the united number of
men belonging to the fleet Of which nv
ship was one, abandoned in the ice, was
more than 400. In ISL, thirty-four YES.
sells out OF an Arctic feet of forty-oue-
We're caught and ground up In the ice
The long catalogue of whale ships crushed
by Ice Is an ample atteststion to the perils
Arctic whalemen are obliged to encounter
have not escaped my quota of the ship
wrecks and suffering incident 70 whale
fishing In the Arctic. | have lost three
ships In the Polar Ocean. The first, the
George Rowland" was caught and
crushed in Arctic ice, in Sept. 1871. Absn-
doned In the Arctic, ship st. George"
Sept ls7G. Aug. 10, 1855. In an Arctic
gale. lost the bark George and Susan"
and three men. Those OF us who were
fortunate enough 10 reach even an unin.
habited shore. were rescued by L. s.
revenue steamer. which landed us q, San
Francisco, sixty days after being ship
wrecked. To give some idea OF the fury
of the gale, my ship. one OF feet OF
thirteen. each furnished with that heavier
glouEd tackle in use in the Arctic, lay at
anchor between the Ice and lee shore and
at the height OF the gale, each OF the thir-
teen parted cable, and two Of the feet, the
ship Mabel" and the George and Susan"
were fated TO 90 ashore
Capt knowles was man answering In
courage and abundant in resources. ia
member of his ships crew was half dis
trscted' with the toothache, he was the
dentist who extracted the diseased tooth.
Did some unfortunate sailor fracture or
crush bone, as not unfrequently hap
pened, Capt Knowles was the surgeon
who reduced the fracture or amputsted
the limb. Was some poor seaman sick.
the captain was the physician who e1-
amined the sufferer and gave medicine for
his relief. Day and night, in the calm and
the hurricane, IN the frozen seas or under
torrid sky. he WAS the man who assumed
md
movement; and in doing all this he showed
wonderful ability.
Capt. Knowles was for many wears a
valued member OF Gate of the Temple
Lodge of Free Mssons, South Boston.
This Lodge, by telegraph, instructed Ly-
gonia Lodge of this city to take charge OF
the funeral. The obsequies were held at
Capt Knowles late residence and at the
cemetery. A large number of masons,
members OF both Lygonia and Esotsric
Lodges, went from this city, and were
Joined at Surry by several members of the
order. About fifty masons were In the
procession under the direction Of Marshal
d. l.. Fields. John b. Redman. Past
Master, conducted the services In a mas
terly manner and was ably assisted by the
Rev. Mr.. Campbell of Surry. acting in the
capacity of chaplain. A choir of singers
made most acceptable music at the house,
and everything connected with the funeral
passed of in very efficient manner.
Capt. Knowles leaves widow, one son,
two daughters and a host of friends to