Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-08-11
Neptune Kind To Him

Verify a man may cross the Atlantic
ocean 202 times, traversing the while COZ, OOC
miles of stormy water, and his life dur
ing the period of fifteen years involved
may be practically uneventful.
Such a man is Captain Peters, of the
Dutch-American Oil company's steamer
| Rotterdam. On his latest arrival at this
port the other day Captain Peters COM
pleted his one hundred and first round trip
from New York to Rotterdam, Holland.
He has never been wrecked or injured by
stranding or collision, and Of the several
crews he has commanded in the Chester,
the Charlois and the Rotterdam, the YES
sells he has successfully steered abroad
since 1887 in the interest Of the STANDARD
Oil company, he has never lost a man OF
had one laid up with serious illness.
The seafaring man scarcely less than the
! landlubber himself, fights shy Of the ''oil
tanker" The prospect Of a voyage IN
one has too much Of Scylla and Charybdis
| in it-of death by fire or water. Yet Cap
tain Peters, seated comfortably in his
cabin aboard the Rotterdam, while the
/ liquid cargo Of nearly two million gallons
Of refined petroleum below us, said pla-
cidly:
There is no danger whatever. You
can see for yourself. 1 am pioneer cap
tain in this trade; have seen the oil
/ shipped by sailing vessel and be the tank
/
Chester, ninety-three by the Charlois and
four by this steamer, the Rotterdam
| BY the Chester and Charlois I took over
an average of about 100000 gallons each
trip. nine to the year; by the Rotterdam
| about 100000 gallons, eleven to the year
/ Multiply all that by one hundred and you
can see the millions of dollars worth OF
oil have taken to Holland-without los
| ing life or cent"
Captain" 1 said, ''1t is declared that
| vital statistics prove that fewer lives are
lost by accident at sea than on land"
Maybe" replied Captain Peters. 81
don't know. But you can say for me thai
/ feel safer on board the Rotterdam"
LOADED with oil?"
Yes, loaded with two million gallons OF
| II, than 1 would on board the best pas
! senger liner afioat."
Captain Peters was told of his fellow
craftsmen who recently committed suicide
because Of a sudden but trifiing accident
| to his ship, after years of smooth sail
ing. Captain Peters shrugged hi:
shoulders.
Very WELL" said he, "that was silly
He added, reflectively:
"It is true 1 have no thrilling story t.
tell of all these years and millions o.
miles 1 have been on the water, l an
most proud, you understand, of just that
| But there was q story about sea serpent
which hailed from this very vessel, the
Rotterdam. Maybe you remember II
Nor"
The captains eyes dropped over the lic
OF his stein.
why, before commanded her, yoJ
know, there was talk on trip abou
newspapers, and the first mate (his name
vas Leo, got mad because all Of the com
pany wouldn't agree that American news
papers were the best. He said you could
always rely on their news. Well, Lee,
said some one, when the reporters come
aboard, If they ask you whether you saw
the sea serpent, just say Yes" will you?
Lee said he would and he did. And wher
one of the newspaper men pressed him t
describe the animal, Lee said 1t was abou
one hundred and twenty feet long anc
looked like a corkscrew with a racing
gait on 1t.
1.-THE next day a paper had a column
article about it, with Lee and the Rot
| terdam and the sea serpent all done VI
beautifully. Some Of US almost believed
II was true"