Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-02-14
STRANGE EXPERIENCE
AN OLD SALT WHO NEVER SAW A
WRECK.

Has Sailed In Bering Sea, Round
Capes Horn and Good Hope and
Never Saw an IceberY-Born on a
Bank OF Oyster Shells and Has
Never Seen An oyster.
Tacoma News.
Captain Gammons. OF the American
ship Louis Walsh, which arrived at
the Old Tacoma Mill lately from Cal.
lao, and the vessel itself, are perhaps
as two interesting venerable travellers
of the sea as can be found in any part
of the world to-day.
The captain has followed the sea for
over 40 years. During this long life
OF the ocean wave he has never been
in shipwreck, and, what is more re-
markable for a seafaring man, has
never seen a wrecked vessel. How
ever this does not debar the captain
from the list of good story tellers, for
unusually fortunate experiences are
often quite as interesting as the most
hazardous ones. Captain Gammons
has made 10 voyages to the East
Indies via Cape Of Good Hope from
the Atlantic coast and eight voyages
from the Atlantic seaboard 10 the
Pacific American coast by way of Cape
Horn. He has also made numerous
other voyages, and he believes that he
has sailed far enough to have encir-
cled the globe fully 20 times. An
other remarkable episode in connec.
ton with his life on the bounding sea
is the fact that he has sailed in the
Bering sea and around Capes Horn
and Good Hope and has never seen an
iceberg. "There is nothing cold
about me-" said the jocular old cap
tain, as he made reference to the ice
berg.
al have had a remarkable ex-
perience at sea-" continued the cap
tain. "And what is more have
never seen a rock or reef where it
should not be; or, in other words,
where it was not expected to be.
al am a native of Damsriscotta,
Maine, and was born and raised on
the famous Damariscotta river, where
such remarkable deposits of oyster
shells were found and where no oys.
ters were ever seen.
"The oyster shells once lined the
banks of the river for miles and we're
several feet thick and 80 feet wide
They have now been all ground up
and used for fertilizer on worn ont
New England farms.
But, speaking of Shells" the cap
tain calculated, "I have something
here which beats the world in curious
things."
The captain took two shells from 6
locker. They were fiat, rough, brost
shells and about the size of saucer
They are of the quayhog variety, otter
termed the goeyduck or horse-clam
They are from Port Angeles, Wash
On the inside of the shell is the EN-
bossed outline or sketch of the harbo
of Angeles. The city OF Port Angelo
is situated on q bay which is almos
surrounded by long sand spit whicl
reaches out like an arm and makes
sheltering place. On the north Of tn
sand spit is the Straits OF San Juan d
Fuca. This peculiar resemblance
which is found on all shells of thi
variety in the harbor of Angeles, wa
first noticed by painter Of that city
who now paints the picture of the cit
on the shells. He follows the lines a
nature has made them and paints til
colors to suit his fancy. The outlin
in the shell is of clear white enamel
like substance and the whole resem
bles cameo in appearance.
A more perfect outline Of the hal
Dor of Angeles could not be made b
the most practiced sketch artist. An
no more beautiful birdseye view of tn
port could be painted OH any HAND
made outline than it is possible fo
one skilled in the art OF tho brush t
paint over this outline OF nature.
The chip Louis Walsh is q staunc
wooden vessel. She was built il
Maine in 1861 and has been on man
eventful voyages in her time. Sh
once sailed from Callao, Peru, to Va
encia, Spain, in 81 days, the tastes
record over that course.
"The Walsh" says Captain Gam
mons, has probably carried NOR
guano from the west coast and tn
islands along the west coast Of Sout
America to ports on the Atlantic sea
board than any vessel afoat. For tn
last five years she has been in the Pa
cific coast trade"