The sun., 1897-01-31
YANKEE SHIPS AND CREWS.
<So OLD slLT sB<1rERs soMB TRl-
DIIIoNs <BoUT CLIPPERs.

Regard 10 tbe saiiinG R-sora fre- New
York TO sas Frnseiseo-Mers Was Due 90
Ysrkes Sailors thns 90 Ts.kee Models.
"Clew up . little OF that Spring your lun
and let hor sail bit nearer the facts, rhipmates
SSno~ thai craft very well. and ! talk by the
card In the pinnacle when I tell you the ship
Trade Wind never made such . passage a.
seventy five days from San Francisco. Fudge!"
The Captain was q tall. wcll-preservec man.
long past middle age. and straight as . main
nast--a deep water sailor. Tho " "shipmates ="
were sitting around q big circular table In
q saloon near tho corner OF South and
Wall streets. They wers obviously on good
terms with themselves. as most men arc who
have amassed snug little fortunes out Of COM
nsrce and shipping. Ther may be seen At the
saloon almost any day In tho hours Of the dog
watch. slipping toddy and spinning yarns.
They are hard-hesded, practical men. relies OF
the glorious days Of Yankee clippers- and when
they lament the decndcnce OF American chips
and shipping. as they often do. they carry on
sail until the atmosphere 10 blue.
That's the record. cap'n." answered re-
tired ship broker. as he knocked his glass on tho
table. "You can find IL published In the United
States census OF 1880. which says that tho Now
York clipper ship Trade Wind made the voyage
from New York to San Francisco in seventy
i've days"
what! Do you call that hard lot OF blundsrs
. record 2" asked the mariner. who had. nauti-
caliy speaking. "fouled the hawse" Of the CON-
vivial party.
But. ] say. shipmate," said an old-tims boss
ylgger. that may be blunder. although II has
the stamp Of Government approval. l know.
however. that the passage from this port to San
Francisco has been made In eiEhty-four days by
one Of our clippers. read IL In one Of our
magazines printed in 1882"
"You read q unique collection OF lies" said
tho Captain, with some warmth. Then he
tipped his hat to the CONF pany and added: Beg
pardon, gentlemen. but haul In and bclay this
what say: the sailing ship never noated that
could sail from this port TO San Francisco in
eighty -four days. You Just look up Lieut.
Maury's writings"
swell, well. remarked Q former boss mechan-
ic Of Brooklyn. ~ don't Know but We old hulks
do get In fog sometimes when We get turning
over things that happened 80 long ago; but one
thing do know" and he stared denantly at tho
newcomer. and that 10 that We Americans
have buiit the fastest ships that ever sailed In
snlt water. take 'em any way you like. on tho
days runs ur tho passages" and the old Brook
Ignite brought his huge fist down on the table
80 hard that the glasses ratified.
Let me como aboard you." said the deep
water sailor who had been CHALLENGED. He
drew q chair up to the table. rcmArking
pleasantly. Suppose We all kiss the baby"
Observing that he was welcome, he called
to the barkeeper, "Hii barkeepi set 'em
mp all around. And now. shipmate"-turn-
log to the choleric shellback who had last ad-
dressed him like your sentiments You
have the bitter end of the cable whom you
stand up for the superiority OF Yankee ships;
but remember this-only when they are called
by American sailors. Tho Yankee crew, of
which so much has been sung, made tho repu-
tation OF tho Yankee ship. SOC. you don't
like II, you old Chips; but don't kcel.haul me.
please don't. Name an instance ~hen an Amer-
ean-built clipper craft ever made one OF the
marvellous runs or short passages that have built
mp the reputation OF our ships for speed when
she was sailed by a foreign Captain and crew.
Many OF our swiftcst sbips have been owned
and sailed BY Europeans. British ssamen, too.
haze made some good passages in American
Lullt clippers. That acknowledge. But they
only beat tho earlier passages made by seamen
Of their own nationality. would not disparags
the skiil of American mechanics; but what
doesn't this great country owe 70 the Yankee
sailor? The species 10 noarly a. dead as tho
dodo. In the early days Of our history, gentle
ruen. the pick and flower OF American youth
incn OF high intcli .oncs. college grad uAtos and
rich mems SONS started In life making voyages
brfnr. the mast. What do they do now p"
Talk as much rs you like, retorted tho old
sailor had 10 have ave The ship in NV which lie to MAKE
th.,e marvellous passages, didn't heT
u.rss .Tae rue as as you say sir" replied the
that tho fastest vessels did not Away, make the
thortcst passages; In fact some Of the shortest
shipo not classed as clippers. And. again. old
Chips. stow this away in your nOddle: ocean
SIR sail the old mechanic, rising from his
chair doesn't history say that our baltimore
"apr,er, ,I beat tni the world And how about the
President Constellation, Essexl We're they
not all fast saiiers. and acs nowledged to DO so
tea2 Why. you cd croaker. tho frigate Alliance,
built at salisbury, Mass, In 1878, sailed fifteen
made. l think "-and as the excited old gentle
inan sat down, down went his toddy.
B"mor m.Sa Sppss but
They were OF Maryland stock. descendants Of
tho Ga,aliers aud they outranked ut that
!n the world. The builders aud mechanics
stayeI ashore. and IL you will consu! history, not
was very liirlc art and less science about ship.
buldihg;, Our first men;of-war you speak Of
tie pr"es. a"a ID. days IL:
speed WIS obtained by enormous sail plans.
The Essex. built in 1909. was only l49 feet
long on deck, and she mad an eighty. Ave foot
msinmast and carried an eight foot main ard.
No more than thirteen knots was ever claimed
tion WAS thirty -four feet longer than the Essex,
and no tree could DO found big enough TO make
her mainmast. They had to build IL In sections.
Her log Is In existence, and It shows that she
made l3ls knots ina quRrtering breeze with top
gallant sails set As for the fifteen knots made
by the Alliance when she was chased by o
British line "f battIe shl D. don't believe II;
Until we produced the Caliiorna clipper
ships no sailing craft. In my opinion; ever sailed
rneen knots through the water. Those shin,
had the essential element of length which
made such u speed possible"
IL agree with you, shipmate," said an old
merchant, ALLOW me Ia tell you n story-not
. yarn-that viii indirectly, perhaps. support
your views. | recollect as well as u IL were yes
tsrday when the clipper Flying Cloud smashed
the record OF passages between here and San
Francisco. When she arrived homo after that
passage her Captain, as was the custom then.
stayed ut the Astor House. The old host-lry
was n rendezvous then, In 1852. for merchants.
ship brokers, and captains. Crusy. that was his
name. was iiOnized by the clique that held out
there. and every day after dinner he held quite q
levce IN the office, telling stories about the per-
tormnnce OF his ship. IN response to question of
how fast his ship coua sail ho told this story;
I'VE were running down for tho line no
said, and tho sea was cOmparhtively smooth,
wien one day s9uall made up to windward,
swung the ship of u point OF two and settled
AWAY the royals to let her take II. The ship
was new to me. but I had confidence In
INV and Ily