The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-06-28
TIE VIKING SHIP.
She Puts Into New London All Sound
and Well.
TIP VIKING.

After many days and nights at sea, wrest-
ling with storm, leo and current, the good
Morse ship Viking, modelled after the old
oaken ships OF the time Of "Eric the Red,"
reached New London Conn harbor in the
teeth Of a gray soutbeaster, and after return
ing salutes rode plac:dly at anchor under her
snugly folded sail. Hsr first officer, Gustav
Gurderson, q sailor OF great experience, told
this story OF the royaSe:
"Ws have had q very comfortable passage;
We left Norway with crew OF twelve men,
including six sailors, q cook, sailmaker and
carpenter. A temporary canvas awning was
erected over the bow from stem to stern, as
you see, for shelter. and we bent q jib On the
stay running from the masthead to the bows.
We called 1t the '1orassiL' There was no jib
on the viking boat. but we found that It stead
led our craft greatly and helped her speed. Al
together we spread about 200 yards Of canvas
in our mainsail and about eighty more In jib.
Our best days run was 211 miles. We passed
the Shetland Islands. and then sailed directly
for Cape Race. Newfoundland. We did not
strike Cape Race, however, because OF ad-
verse winds. The first land we made was
Becalieu Light, on the east coast OF New
.oundland, on the morning OF May 81, at 3
O'Clock, and that same day we spoke the
ocean rug Ingraham. On June fourteen
fishermen from tine Gloucester schooner
Br1nhilde boarded US of Cape Canso, and
seen since leaving Norway. On tho
18th Of June We sighted Cape Cod at
O'Clock In the morning, and the Captain,
called all hands aft in celebration Of the
event, Cape Cod being the famous vinaland,,
as We suppose, discovered by our ancestors.
From that time on ws have been saluted and
cheered by steam whistles and fog horns
| everywhere"
The vessel is perfect model Of en- old Vik-
ing ship unearthed from mound IN Norway
thirteen years ago. The Viking ship is built
of the very best oak. Her length Is eighty
one feet. width 1911 feet, and extreme depth
51s feet.
The Yikis, ship las only one mast, but
that is fifty-one feet high. She carries very
great area of canvas, her one square Sail
being thirty-two feet wide at the top and:
3714 feet at the bottom, the material out OF
which it Is made being red and white striped
duck. ~,
The standard OF the Viking ship is corspicu-
Gus and can be seen at Q great distance. II
| is made Of red felt and has emblazoned on 1t
q gilt lion and the name OF the ship. The
| banner of the ship Is also made Of red felt,
| on which is painted o huge black raven.
Eight shields, painted black and, yellow, are
| placed on either side. -
To cross the ocean in sucn fral craft es
| this required no ordinary skill and seaman
ship. TO make the snip more seaworthy she
was supplied with toaEing piers OF reindeer
skin, twenty-one decimetres In diameter
| The rudder Is placed on the stsrboard side.
| while there are two rows OF seats extending
| from bow to stern.
The Viking ship has no deck, her in
terror being just like an ordinary rowboat,
but in order to preserve the charts and IN
| struments she has four water and a.r-uShS
compartments made Of solid oak .4@......
During the voyage the crew had to uss the
seats for hunks, amt wrapped ID q reindeer
rug and couple Of woolen blankets were
compelled to make the best OF It. There were
twelve men on the Viking, captain included.
This is not enough, as she possesses fourteen
pairs of oars, and before she is brought to
Chicago additional Norwegian sailors must
be engaged to man her.
The crew are dressed In dark navy-blue
breeches, Jacket and cap and gray vest. On
the collar Of the officers jackets are en-
broidersd three, TWO or one gilt star, accord
ing to the rank which they bear. On the
front OF the cap is the name ''VikinS."
Every man aboard is a arst-class sailor.
When It was known In Norway that the VIZ
ins WAS bound for tho Worlds Fair, apphca-
t:oas for positions from all quarters OF the
country came in. BY a careful Weedlng-ous
process the most suitable candidates were
selected, and it may be- safely said that very
few ships that ever crossed the Atlantic
carried such a'spleldid lot ofseamen as did
Canta;n Maenus Anderson, the captain OF
the Viking and the man who first suggested
that the vessel should be brought to the
Worlds Fair, is as daring and as sk1llful u
sailor as ever trod deck.