The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-03-15
RBFITIED At SEA.
Remarkable Voyage Of the Ship
Frederick Billings.
Dismasted in a Gale and Five Members Of
the Crew Swept From Her Royal
Yards

when the four-masted American ship
Frederick Billings came into port yesterday
afternoon, after passage of 136 days from
New York. and looking as neat and trim as
if lust from the hands of the builder. no
one who saw her would dream that she had
been dismasted and virtually refitted at sea.
Yet such is the case and Captain Williams
deserves great credit for making such q
passage under such unfav0rable circum-
stances, as nine men out Of ten would have
returned to port to reft instead of cOntinu-
ing the voyage. In lis report Captain
Williams says that after leaving New York
all went well until the ship reached latitude
81 north, longitude 80 west, on November 6,
when the weather looked so threatening
that the ROYALS and other light sails were
taken in, Three men vent al0ft to farl the
fore royal and three TO furl the main royal.
but OF these six men only one lived to see
San Francisco. While the men were on
the wards rolling up the sails the wind
suddenly shifted and terrible squall struck
tile ship. lu an instant the starDOard mar
tingale backTOpe parted under the heavy
strain, and the next instant the foretop-
mast carried away at the cap, and the i'm
mense mass Of sparS, sails and rigging came
down with a crash 10 the decks. All was
confusion in an instant, and, before the
crew could realize what had happened, the
maintOpmast, relieved of the support of its
stays, also broke off at the cap, and with
its heavy t0phamper came crashing to the
decks.
The jibboom also carried away at the
bowsprlt cap, and thus inside of half q
minute the fine ship was tranfOrmed from a
thing of beauty to a diSmantled hulk. AS
soon as the officers and crew realized what
had happened their thoughts at once turned
to the SIX men who were on the royal yards
when the crash came. With one exception
they had disappeared forever, and were
doubtless killed by the mass Of falling sparS
and rigging
One man alone escaped. and he managed
10 seize the miZZen chain-plateS and drag
himself on board. Captain Williams
at once ordered the ship to be kept away,
and all hands went to work to clear
the wreck. Axes and knives were used
with a WILL and in spite of the heavy sea
that swept over the dismanted ship the
crew worked so well that IN few hours
the vessel was freed from the tangled mass OF
spaTs aud rigging that endangered her exist
ence. 1t did not take Captain Williams
long to make. up his mind what course to
pursue, ana he decided to continue his yoY-
age, in spite Of the fact that i've of his best
seamen were lost and his snip was almost a
wreck
The Billings was headed 10 the south
ward and kept on her course under
to work to get outnew Spars BY coed luck
there were enough spare sparS on board to
make good the loss and the work of prep airing
new maint0pmast was begun. All hands
worked like beavers, and by March Is the
mast was ready and was sent up. This
helped the ship greatly, as she had fair
wind, and then a new main topgallantmaSt
was started. Spar after spar was bio cked
out and sent up and when the ship crossed
the equator she was able TO spread every sail
she carried and crossed the line with her
three skysais set Every spar had to be
beWed from the rough, and so we'll was the
work done that only an expert could detect
any Inference liz the ship between her leay-
ing New York aud When She entered the
Golden Gate, except that her Jlbb0Om was a
few feet short and was not painted. Just
before the craft left New York frst-cass
donkey engine was put on board, and Cap
tain Williams says it has paid for itself a
dozen times over during the voyage, as
without it he could not have rugged the
vessel, as he was so shOrthanded, aud he
would have been compelled to return to
port to reft. On January ! another sad ac-
cideut occurred on board the ship. Will
liam Creighton, native OF New
York and one Of the best seamen
left in the ship. while at work in the
maintopmast rigging, lost his hold, and
was dashed TO death on the deck. The poor
fellow was Instantly killed, nearly every
bone in his body being broken. He was
buried at sea on the following day, just as
the sun was sinking below the horizon.
OF Cape Horn the ship had long spell Of
very bad weather, bat so we'll had the work
Of rehttng been done that no damage was
sustained. and she arrived in port without
further accident OF any kind.