The sun., 1895-02-17
WAS SIXTY-0NE DAYS OUT.
MEMoRABLE TRIP or IHE STEAMER
DESPd TCH IN 1904.
Ike Ls GascoRns, SHE Was Disabled by n |
Comparatively Trivial Accident-A Long |
Diet OF Turtle y Fcature 0f the Voyage,


Comparatively Trivial Acctdent-A Long
Diet OF Turtie - Festure or the Voyage.
During the excitement over the delayed
French steamer La Gascogno last week, good
many "reminiscences OF overdue stcRmers and
unduy extended voyages came to light II has
been many years since any vessel OF the first
class has been unreuorted for so many days % La
Gascogne, but cases occurred fifteen or twenty
years ngo where ships were out even longer.
One OF these was a trip MADE by tho Despatch,
from Nassau TO London, In 1864, which con-
sumcd sixty-one days. IL was thirty-1vc days
before she made land Mt all, and then II was the
island OF Madeira at which she turned up, away
10 the southwark Of her proper course. She had
not sighted n vessel since a few days after she
got away from Nassau and the news OF her stay
At Msdeira didn't reach London until she took
II there herself She had been given up for lost,
and when she arrived the sensation created
was almost as great as that furnished on Mon
day by La Gascogne's arrival off Fire Island.
Her delay. like the French ships was due to u
comparatively trivial mishap.
ono of the passengers on the Despatch when
she made this famous trip was Edwin II. Low.
now steamship agent in New York, but at tnat
time a 1G-year. old boy on his way to school.
Mr.. Low lived at Wilmington n. c., and as soon
- he thought his appearance indicated n suta-
bic age for him to get into the Con federate army,
went OH ana cnllSteu. 1te HeRleCtCu u uOtlly
his parents Of his intention, and soon as he
was examined the inspector sa Y that he was too
young for soldier and he sent back home.
II was then that mis- father decided to send him
20 school in England. All the southern ports
were blocka AIDED at that time. and the Only way
for young Low to reach Liverpool was by run
ming the blockade to Nassau and taking ship
from there. HE experience in getting through
the lines OF the Yankee war ships was thrilling
one and good preparation for tho voyage on
the Despatch.
e" " e made the run one rainy night" said Mr..
Low in describing it to reporter. THE rain
boat down like hail. and. of course, we were
glad OF It, for 1t was better than the darkness in
covering our movements. The little steamer
wac just the build for blockade runner, lying
low in the water. There were only two lights
on board. Cne was in the engine room out Of
sight. The other was the binnacle light on deck,
aud that was kept covered There were three
OF us passengers who made tho run, and we
had to do our share of the work
Most of the night was stationed at the bin
nacle post with both clasped around
the tarpaulin which covered it to pre-
vent ray of light from escaping. The
rain came with gusts of wind and beat in my
face singing and smarting like so many hand
fus of shot thrown with force. The smallest
aperture would have let out ray of light which
would have shone forth in the inky darkness
like a flash from revolving light in light
house. and it would have brought q broadside as
sure as fate in no time at all, for the Federal
gunboats were all about us. Several times the
Captain had to consult the compass. and then
the danger was greatest. He bent himself over
the pinnacle To cover 1t as much as possible. and
then, putting one eye to the tarpauiin. opened
the tinest possible crack and took his bearings.
We all Dreathed easier every time no repeated
this operation successfully.
and darkness in our favor we managed to es-
cape the vigilance OF the Yankees. and when
was without incident. We had cargo Of cot
ton on board for the London market and, when
we got to Nassau IL was transfe to the De-
spatch. on which also We had taken passage.
The Despatch was a fine. large screw steamer.
masts, but she failed to justify her name on that
trip She had been laid up at Nassau for some
time where she had been sent to go into bust
ness as "a blockade runner. She was altogether
too large for that sort OF thing. and stood too
eIrd to o send her Back to 'f England There
were eight passengers booked IN the cabin,
seernse s m p% He MY y SIXTY shpmntss wn. IN the
Confederate Captain who had been struck by a
shell and was going to Germany to have deli;
Turtle, which was something OF n coincidence,
~ you will see further on. don't remember
the names OF the others. and have never seen
any Of the company, except the ships Captain.
lovely for about week. Then. during the night
of The seventh Or eighth day out there was
were stopped in a iiry. Several OF US were
thrown out of bed By the impact. and at first We
take long to find out What the trouble BE was. % The
propeller had three fans and one of these had
cracked ABOUT ait way & across: h Inc fan cropped
a. neatly as you please. The fan was jammed
into the keel plate with such force that it
earth could have turned that screw until
the broken fan was removed OF course, it vas
II until we could get into port. That could only
be accomplished by using the sails, which were
of about as much use as those on La Gascogne.
They were about the same size and were never
Intended to 40 much more than give steerage
and had to ' go with the Wind. 1t was blowing
toward the Bermudas then, but after bit
4 Sattsa Before we we tried Sa rg get Se
on the, back, track, the wind took a
new shift and began blowing from an exactly
course was more or less to the eastward, but for
aday az u tim tims We might be going north, south.
coinpar, son. We zigzaGged this way and that
Some mornings when we Went on deck the Cap
tam would tell US that had got back to the
same spot we had lert the day before,
I'VE knew we were in no particular danger.
The chief trouble was the awful monotony Of
the th.ng: There We're no books on board.
and in our desperation we rummaGcd about in
our trunks and dug ont packages which had
been done up, in newspapers. These scraps OF
The best, shoes could be bought and the most
reasonable boarding places; could be found.
drrted so slowly that chip thrown overheard
would bob along in the ships company for miles.
Every evening we had IL dance. We found
aeteward on board who played the concertina,
and as he had his instrument of torture with
him we drew him into requistion. Four ont OF
The eight cabin passengers would be ladies' one
day aud the other four the next. The ladies'
were distinguished by handkerchIcfs tied on
through the day. The gentlemen paid all man
ner OF attentions to the ladies' no received
them with becoming hauteur, and the next day
took their turn ut Offering them. This plan was
reisiously carried out for weeks, and II served
10 relieve the ennui To some eXteat,
"One of the most monotonous features Of the
whole affair was the diet on which we lived.
There Is o law. believe requiring steamers TO
carry forty days, provisions, but II hadn't been
followed by the Despatch, probably because she
was not Il regular lfner When the fresh pro-
visions ran out, ~ they did after n couple Of
weeks. we had 10 fall back on turtle We hap
pened tn bo carrying deck load N them, and
there was fabulous number in the lot. Well,
ia ~ a.