The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-29
A BOLD YANKEE SKIPPER.
Captain Pel1's Rescue of a Spanish
Ship From English Privatesrs.

There was recently discovered among
q mass OF old papers in a Bergen county
! farm house some interesting matter re-
| iatng 70 members of the Pell family.
| The Pells were among the early settlers
/ IN Connecticut, and came from North
/ amptonshre, England. The record shows
! that Thomas Pell arrived in New Haven
/ in 1888, and William PelI reached Boston
| the same year. The branch of the family
| 10 which the Jersey Pells belong had
! many seafaring members. among them
John B., William and William w. who
sailed from the port of New York in the
hrSt years OF the century to many for
eign countries, including Spain, India and
Cnlnt- Their gotngs and cOmings, with
the names of their ships. were recorded
on the margins of 'Hutchins' Almanack,"
ana the frequency of the entries Indicate
that they never remained long in port,
While their voyages We're prolonged. on
one occasion extending over q period of
forty-one months.
The paper of greatest interest relates to
another Captain William Pell, supposed
70 be the father of one of the foregoing.
He achieved distinction by an act of
sailor in all ages. In this particular case
the daring was in the interest of the
spanish corporation known as the ROYAL
company of the PHILIPPINES The narra-
i've, presumably written by Captain Pell.
SHOWS that he commanded the company's
snip Columbus, which left Bordeaux on
May ~. 1877. After a successful cruise,
ana when returning with cargo stated
10 be worth more than one quarter of
a million dollars. he was captured bv the
British privateer Vulture. 4 prize crew
OF an ofhcer and nine men was placed in
charge of the Columbus with instructions
TO take her to Gibraltar. The Yankee
skipper writes:
4 did not enjoy the position of a
prisoner on my own ship, and il was my
constant desire to regain that liberty
which had been so forcibly taken. But
II was many days before an available
pan was hit on TO Guido the pirates who
were IN possession of our rights. When
1t seemed that all hope was lost and we
must be taken to Gibraltar in ignominy
the chance Iell TO US most fortunate, one
sailor freeing himself from an imperfect
iron. which in providence enabled him
10 idd IN freeing the Others Thus il came
about that we fell upon the guard in a
body and placed him hOrs du combat be-
lore ne could cry out My men said they
would not waver at the grand final act |
and right bravely they kept faith Secur- |
ing the weapons of the guard and such |
other means of attack and defense as
could be found, we overpowered the |,
prize officer by surprise in his cabin and /
having thus gained possession of annie |
arms the men on deck were forced to /
surrender after a scrimmage that was /
Wei fought. with two lives and some /
wounds as the penalty. 1t was by the 4
CLOCK IN the morning when my men did /
this creditable work, and they did it so /
that l gave them just praise |
such as wisdom impels, and also served /
them with q full measure of groC. We
forthwith changed course, rejoicing in
our great good fortune to recover our
noble ship and wealthy cargo"
The modeSty of Skipper William Pells |
narrative Of his fight with the privateer-
ms prize crew was in a measure COM
for by the Royal company of
The Philippines. which not only gave the
captain and crew substantial recognition
= their fidelity to duty. but presented to
he Yankee captain a written testimonial.
CODY of this document, in clear pen
was found with the other pa !
9ers. II was evidently translated by a
Spaniard who had not acquired a com
9lete mastery of the English, but he
discharged his task with sufficient dis
inctness to convey the purpose of the !
Royal company in. expressing its appre-
'iation Of Captain Pell and its regret at
Osing his further service.