Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-03-25
CAPT. CRAP0 HERE.
INTREPID MARINER CROSSED THE
ATLANTIC IN A YAwL-BoAT.
HIS WIFE ACCOMPANIED HIN.
The Hero of the Fooihnrdy Expe-
dition of 1877 i'm This City-He
Tells the Dispatch Reporter of His
Experiences.

Early yesterday morning lheIe an
chored Mt the foot OF Nineteenth street
I'm the dock a square-rigged vessel, load
a with ice. and in charge Of her is
Eaptain Thomas Grape, one of the best
advertised men in the world. 'who won
his Iaurels by rather foolhardy trip
with his wife across the Atlantic ia a
yawl-boat.
The Captain is a peculiar character,
and when visited yesterday afternoon by
q Dispatch reporter, who clambered over
the side Of his vessel, there fioated from
the masthead flag, on which is print
ed in bold letters. God Is My Banner"
Beneath this inscription is a star, with
a cross set in the centre.
CONVERTED ON A KEEL.
This, the Captain said, is the flag Of
the American Volunteers, Ballington
Booths army and in that army Grape
is a rear admiral. He is proud of his
connection with Booths forces, and says
he found religion on the keel Of boat
eleven years ago, after having been ship
wrecked in mld-ocean. He lays claim
10 some exceedingly thrilling experiences.
At one time, he says, he was a captive
among the EsquimauX, and was among
the South Sea Island cannibals at an
other time. He was adopted into the
Kings family, and was rescued by an
American whaler. He served during the
civil war in the United States army and
navy He was in the terrific lombard
ment at Fort Jackson and King Phillip.
near New Orleans, by the Western Gulf
squadron, under Farragut; the battle of
Pleasant Hill, and took part in the cam
paign Of General Banks. in the Nine
teenth Army Corps He was wrecked
off Hatteras In the schooner Gustie VIII
son. and was several days clinging to a
small boat but the most unique expert
ence of all that which, though voluntary
on his part, made him famous.
A TRYING TINE. INDEED.
This experience lasted forty-nine days
and nine hours. and consisted in cross
ing the Atlantic in small boat, less
than twenty feet long. This boat he
now carries with him all the time. and
il was shown TO the reporter yesterday
1t is hardly large enough for two peo-
pie 10 sit I'm comfortably, and isn't as large
as many of the rOw-boats on the James,
vet Captain Grape sailed from America
10 England in it, and his brave wife,
who is now i'm New Bedford, Conn.,, ac-
companied him.
After the reporter had inspected the
beat Captain Grape gave him the fol-
lowing account of the trip:
1--WE sailed from New Bedford, Mass,
at half an hour after noon on May 2S,
1871. amid the cheers Of the crowds on
Reaches Wharf and on the vessels at
anchor and salutes fired in our honor.
We sailed to Chatham, from which place
we made our real start at o'clock on
the afternoon of the I'd OF June. Ameri-
can editors and others predicted that |
should return within q week, beaten back
by the Atlantic, but l quietly resolved
never 10 go back TO the States, except as
IA victor over the elements or "dem'd
moist body" as one of the chaps in
Dickens says.
NO ICEBERGS BOTHERED THEM.
mo monster icebergs bore down upon
us: we sprung no leak worth mentioning;
In fact, nothing very disastrous happened
all the time The only little excitement
we experienced was when, upon one or
two occasions. we found ourselves in
shoal of whales, who spouted and blus-
tered a good deal at US. My wife was
particularly frightened by the whales.
Although the voyage was somewhat un-
eventful we experienced very rough
dime of it, Sometimes, for two days at
stretch. we had TO lay-to attached TO
What we call drng-What some would
.all buoy.
one Of the strange facts Of the journey
s that the tempestuous times were Just
hose when / got most rest. for when
favorable winds prevailed, i could not
leave the helm for a moment In fine
weather / never took more than four
hours rest a day. once l kept at my
post seventy hours, consecutive.y. with
out rest My wife scarcely got a good
nights rest during the whole voyage
which occupied forty-nine days; fer, as
visitors will see, we certainly had not
room TO fling a cat in the cabin. In
deed. so 'cabined. cribbed. confined were
we that real rest was almost out Of the
question.
"On the Dist we sighted Sicily; the next
day we sighted the Wolf Rock Light off
Lands End, and at $50 +. NJ. of that
day passed the light anchoring at II off
Newland, Penzance. At midnight ]
turned in for sleep. having been seventy
hours on duty"