The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-02-28
THE FLYING CHILDERS' FEAT.
HOW SHE RAN THE BLOCKADE
IN THE BALTIC.
Found It Hard to Get Into Cron-
stadt, but Harder to Get Out
Chased by the Colcssus-A
Plucky Captains Tactics.

Shipkeeper Francis Wallace had I'M
ished his work Of putting the Ola
United States frigate New Hampshire
in order after the drills of the First Ma
val Battalion had been concluded a Few
nights ago. He was seated in his quar-
ters smoking his pipe and surrounded
by several young amateur tars, who,
after drill. find pleasure in the stories
of the sea which Mr. Wallace tells.
Give US that story of the Flying
Childers.''
Mr. Wallace was one of the crew of
the Flying Childers. She carried arms
and ammunition to the Russians al
Cronstadt during the Crimean war
While running the blockade in the Bal
tie Sea she was chased by the whole
British fleet to almost within gunshot
of the forts at Cronstadt.
While many adventures have fallen
to the lot of Mr. Wallace, the cruise
of the Flying Childers has left the
greatest impression. Francis Wallace
is the man who steered the Monitor
when she met the Merrimac in Hamp-
ton Roads in 1862. He served in the
navy with distinction.
Here is the story of the Flying Chill
ders just as Mr. Wallace told it:
In the spring of 1850 1 shipped from
New York in the clipper ship Flying
Childers, with Captain Giles. Our crew
consisted of twenty-five seamen before
the mast We had, beside the Cap
tain, a first and second mate and a
bo'sen. Our cargo consisted of Sharp
rifles, Colts revolvers and fixed am
munition, all in cases, and stored both
in the hold and between decks.
A FICTITIOUS DESTINATION.
when We Gated anchor and We're
making ready to leave the harbor word
was passed that We were bound for Co
penhagen, and our papers were made
out for that port. We did not learn the
truth of our destination until we had
been at sea several days. We were
then told that we We're to sail 10 Cron-
stadt, provided we could get through
dhe blockading fleets.
"A day or two before we started
Captain Giles learned that the British
Government had revenue cutters and
small steamers cruising around the
chops of the British Channel on the
lookout for American vessels carrying
arms TO Russia; so We didn't trouble
that route any, but went to the north
and around the Orkney Islands, and
then cut across for the Great Belt
which lies between Germany and Den
mark The ship was well named, fol-
she was flyer We made a smart run
and reached the North Sea after being
out eighteen days from New York, ano
here we expected our trouble to begin
We managed to make the lighthouse
at the entrance TO the channel in the
evening. There we met the tugboat
that Captain Giles had ordered from
Antwerp. 1t had been waiting TO,
us at the mouth of the But 1t came
alongside after we had set our private
signal, and it wasn't very long before
our haw'ser was made fast, and we
Were passing Kiel. There q British
cruiser was lying at anchor. The bal
ance of the fleet was in the Baltic
watching the Russians around Cron-
stadt. We struck d fog and went past
the cruiser without her seeing US, and
we got into the Baltic all right
las there was nothing at all in sight
when we got out Of the channel, We
shaped our course along the German
and Russian Finland coast. The wind
was about west west, blowing
strong We could only carry all our
plain sails The staysails were kept
shifted. We We're in danger all the
time. You know there is scarcely any
night in these ATTITUDES in any but tbs
winter months, and we could see a.
well at , o'clock in the morning as al
moon. Watches were stationed every
where. and close lookout was kept
FALLING IN WITH THE FLEET.
Wen, we went along pretty well un-
nil midnight. The log showed that W.
Were making about fourteen knots al
hour. The Flying Childers had beer
built for the China trade and was
traveller. 1t was no sort of trouble fol
her to sail all around the Dreadnaught
and vessels Of her kind, and the speed
she made gave us any amount of con.
fdence in her ability to run slar
Through the allied fleet, just so the wine
held out and they didn't sink us
Next morning Captain Giles pass 6
the word 10 send a man TO each mast