The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-04-14
and it is manifestly for our interest to
make Vermont favorite resort for sum-
mer tourists.
THE VIKING SHIP


There is to set sail early in April a
most unique and curious craft from the
Norwegian coast. From the single mast,
above the one large sail, will float flag,
square and blood red, with a black raven
in the center. This will be the Viking
ship which is to be feature of the In
ter-national naval review, and which will
afterward be taken through inland waters
to Chicago, where it will be moored
alongside the Santa Maria, the model of
the flagship of Columbus.
A thousand years ago just such ships
as this Viking ship sailed from the same
rough Morse coast, and the same blood
red flag hoated from their mastheads.
In those days, however, a sight of the
black raven of Morse Viking would
send the seacoast jewellers fleeing inland,
for plumber and pillage was the only err
rand of these craft.
The Viking ship will sail on a peaceful
errand, though. 1t is said to be an ac-
curate reproduction of one of the old
Viking ships of the early part of the
Christian era. The model from which it
was built was real Viking ship found
in a mound on the Norwegian coast and
estimated to have been built about 800
A. d.
1t is supposed that this was the ship of
GOdstod, in which, according to the old
Morse custom, the fierce and brave old
sea tighter was laid at rest. The ship
was unearthed about twelve years ago,
and now it is carefully guarded by the
Archaeological society in Christiana.
All who have seen it agree that it must
have been a beautiful craft. Even the
expert yachtmen of to-day declare that
81 IL,
old Viking would almost be able to com
pete for the American cup. 1t was in
such vessel doubtless that Left Ericsson
sailed when he found what he called
Vinland, but what was really America.
The model Viking ship is to be COM
manded by Captain Magnus Anderson, AN
intrepid Norwegian sailor himself and
. the originator of the enterprise. Seven
years ago he attempted to reach New
York in an open boat II feet long. He
got as far as the Newfoundland banks,
where he was forced to abandon the trip
and accept the aid of a passing steam
ship.
The crew of oarsmen has been selected
from $50 volunteers, and they are all
hardy Norwegians. Had they not been
the trial trip would have discouraged
them, for after the launching of the
Viking on February 4th, at Sandefjord,
the little seacoat village where the hull
was built, the boat encountered a genuine
Arctic storm while it was being toweu to
Christiana For two days the crew
suffered in the ice, a-d several men mar
rowly escaped being frozen to death.
1t is not likely that such weather, even
in April, will be encountered in trip
across the Atlantic.
1t is expected that the Viking will
make quiet voyage She will first
touch at Newport, R. L., and from there
she will be escorted down Long Island
sound. At New York she will be given
a rousing reception and her trip up the
Hudson to the Erie canal will probably be
made such a continuous ovation as the
old Morse vikings even when they came
back loaded with precious plumber, new
er dreamed of. The trip through the
great lakes to Chicago will afford many
thousands of people view of this strange
craft.
A picturesque sight she will be, too,
for besides the Viking war flag, the stars
and stripes will fly from standard in
the bow, the Norwegian flag at the
stern, and red flag bearing golden
lion on another standard. Then there
will be the long rows of flashing oars on
either side and the strangely carved fig
ure- head.
The Norwegians will be welcomed
from patriotic reasons also, for if we are
to believe Du Chaillu's recent theory the
old Morse sea kings, and not the Saxons
Franks, were our real ancestors,