The morning call., 1893-07-31
THE ACHILLES.
Captain Oscar Bartel Talks OF the
SChooner's Trip.

Captain Oscar BarteI Talks of the
SChooner's Trip.
almost everybody has had something
to say about the schooner Achilles. and
think it my turn now"
Tbs speaker was Captain Oscar Bartel,
master of that vessel, and what he said
was addressed to representative OF The
CALL.
'By this paper" continued the skipper.
who opened a copy of the Alaskan, pub
lIshed at Sitka on the 25th OF March, and
pointed TO paragraph. you will see that
when the Achilles reached Sitka she had
on board j. M. Ether of South Bend.
Wash, owner; Oscar Bartel, master;
Julius Bartel, mate; Grant C. de Groot
and F. A. Hammond That shows who
were On the schooner when she got to-
Sitka, don't it?
Now, the Achilles is forty-six ton
schooner. and five men who understood
Hammond and De Groot assured Us taat
they were frst-class yachtsmen, and OF
course il they had been such they would
have been seamen enough to manage the
schooner; but they were seasick nearly
the whole voyage. so my brother and had
to manage her. So you see II 1t required
only two men to sail her to Sitka why two
men were enough to run her down to San
Francisco.
Now III tell you about our trip. When
[ was in Seattle Ether told me that he
owned the schooner and that he wanted
me TO sail her to point Between 81 and IS
latitude and 1875 and 136 longitude. That
tere was an island there on which were
cached great number of sealskns. l
hot nat oil fn n
such cruise. but that / would clear Tor
SilBa. which | did. and we set sail after
the schooner had been pTovisoned by De
GrOot.
But, mind you, we didn't go direct to
Siika; We went 10 the spot indicated by
Ether and lay off the island for seven
days. We found the island, but did not
fl either the cache nor the skins. When
we got ready 10 raise anchor Elmer asked
what we would do. told him that as the
vessel had cleared for Sitka we would
have to 60 there and fit out for a sealing
cruise. and that we would probably make
some money.
cat Sitka he promised to fit out the
schooner and signed contract as owner
Of tue vessel agreeing ITO receive one-half
Of the profits OF the cruise. lie then. IN
company with the other two. left on the
City IT Puebla for Seattle, agreeing 10 send
up what was needed, but l waited three
weeks and as nothing came. l shipped a
crew-fiiteen in addition TO my brother and
myself-and after while we returned,
put into ST. Paul. where the catch was Sold
and paid off all hands, as you can see by
this"
The captain opened written instrument
almost as large as o horse blanket, at the
top Of which is written shipping Arli-
cles," and at the bottom is the certificate Of
b. j. Bretherlan, Collector OF Customs,
certi Wing that the men were all paid off in
his presence.
That certificate" continued the cap
taiE, knocks out tie story that there had
been mutny on the schooner"
Captain Bartel then stated that after
paying off all hands he had $1,000. draft
for That sum having been Civ, him, and
then set sail for Port Townsend; that the
schooner lay there for four days, during
which time he sent kilograms to Seattle
and South Bend to notify Elmer. so as to
be able 10 settle with him, but was unable
to discover him. so he set sail for this port
so he could have the schooner repaired, as
she is leaking badly.
NO" said the captain, in conclusion,
my brother and, l do not own the
schooner I've given you the true business
OF our trip and that's all there Is to it,"