The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-09
THE OLD DAYS OF SAILING.
With tho Passing of the Romance of tho
Sea Old-Fashioned Methods Have Gone.

According to some Of the old sailors. who be-
lieve that the romance has died out OF the sea-
faring trade since steamships came into gem
eral use. the modern sea captain is not to be
compared with the shippers OF days gone by
when it comes to practical experiences in sea-
manship. The captains Of the steamships,
they say. have everything so well mapped out
for them that they are not likely to make mis-
takes II they have a fair knowledge OF seaman
ship. but they would be lost under circum-
stances where the old shippers would come out
strong. These circumstances they admit. are
not likely to occur again, since the world is bet
ter known now than in the days they refer to.
A boathouse proprietor. who is now nearly sc
years old and who was mate in a transatlantic
bark and was before the mast for forty years
previously in different parts OF the world, said.
in talking Of his early days at sea:
Since the patent log has come into use no
skill. for instance. is required in finding the
speed OF a vessel. 1t is regulated by clock
work. and the number OF knots tho vessel
sails per hour is recorded on the dial without
any hand touching it. But in the old days
before the patent log came into use the heav-
ing OF the log required skill and watchfulness.
\ dufTer couldn't hcave the log properly so as to
stop 1t at the exact time. Those were the days
when a skipper had all his senses trained so
kecnly that nothing could miss him. have
known shippers who could guess to o quarter
Of a knot the snnod Of n vessel when a log line
happened to break with the force Of the throw.
before a new line was rugged UT.
II sailed for some years with an old captain
OF n brig. who. when the vessel was not making
more than five or six knots an hour. could tell.
10y splitting out the quid Of tobacco he was
chewing and watching 1t fall. how many knots
she was making by noting how far Off the Quid
struck the water. He always guessed it to
perhaps Il quarter or an eighth of an knot. and.
II he was in n hurry and had a quid in his
mouth which was pretty we'll used up. he
would tell the crew not to heuve tho log. OF
course. he could not do this If his vessel was
making seven or eight or ten knots an hour.
Then again, YOU couldn't find anv captain
OF a STEAMSHIPS now. | believe. who could guess
the lreway II vessel was making. The steam
sc,rrati"ns. | have known lots Of old shippers
Who could tell the leeway by the DIRECTION Of
they did not get such Il fine scientific training
nsthe sea captains have to get at present. ard
sells course We're not charted out as they are
now. Consequently the old men had to depend
n6Stice many things tknt It is not ne cess eT" to
notice now. Th"S" old shippers could somr-
times ilmIt out the currents and their direction
their calculations like lightning.
YES its a fact that the sailing O. ships has
need now of the nuickness in g~rasping the
meaning OF every cross current that 1t used @
his wits sharpened by having to o'd defend G" a s noi
deal on his own quick senses is dying ont. |
don't pretend to say that the old condition.
the present day has to be better educated and
rasSa s"vcr"r examination on the theory 81
never. TO my mind. have as good practical sea-
men as in til" old days. or course. no one must
say that navigating u ship isn't at all an inter
esi!ng thing now