The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-08-19
BROKE ALL RECORDS
ERsKINE M. PHELPS FINISHES
REMARKABLE RUN.
Sailed From Hampton Roads to Dia-
mond Head in 81 Days-Carried only
One Sailor in Crew

The four-masted American ship Frs !
kline NJ Phelps arrived this morning |
from Norfolk, Va, with 4634 tons Of
coal for the Navy station. The vessel |
made Diamond Head last evening af- |
ter one of the most notable trips in the !
history of sailing ships. She broke all
recorus for the voyage, accomplishing
the trip in the exceptional sailing time
of 80 Gays from ST. Charles Iight snip,
Hampton Roads, to Diamond Head.
The vessel was out 101 days from Nor
folk, but as she did not get under way
until four days after towing from Nor
folk, her sailing time establishes a new
record. This record is better than that
established about thirty years ago by
the German ship Wylie, the German
vessel making the trip then from Ltv-
erpool in lUl days
The record of the Phelps would be
good under any circumstances, but
when accomplished under the adverse
circumstances that characterized the
present trip of the vessel, it is all the
more creditable. In fact had it not
been for good luck and good seam9n-
ship on the part of Captain Graham
and his two mates, the vessel would
have had to put back from Cape Horn.
The cause of the trouble was the lack
of sailors. There were plenty of men
shipped as sailors, but with one exCep-
tion, not a single one of them had prob
ably ever gone alOft before they step
ped aboard the Phelps. There are no
deep sea sailors to be found in Norfolk,
Va, SO Captain Graham had to de-
pend on the shipping masters at Bal
timore to supply the crew. Twenty
sailors" were put aboard the vesse'
and of all the "rummies" that ever
signed articles, they were the worst.
From the statements of the officers of
the Phelps, it is safe to hazard a guess
that the most intimate acquaintance
the majority of them had ever had
with a vessel was steering a schooner
over a water front bar. They certain
ly knew nothing about steering a real
ship.
Captain Graham labored patiently
with them to try and teach the crowd
to steer the vessel and box the COM
pass. Regularly, six at time would
go to the wheel to be instructed. For
sixty days this performance was kept
up, but finally Captain Graham gave
the crowd up in despair. There was
one sailor in the crowd and three other
men who had some knowledge of the
duties required of them. They could
steer and be of some use
Captain Graham and the mate had to
go aloft however repeatedly and on one
occasion Captain Graham was nearly
killed. While he was in the mizzen
topgallant rigging, heavy block fell
and just grazed his head The sheet
struck the Captain across the right arm
and strained that member.
The vessel was very lucky making the
Horn. From so to so she crossed in II
days which is an exceptional passage,
the average being about 21 days. Sew
eral times Captain Graham was on the
point of having to give up rislIing the
passage on account of the incOmpetency
of the crew, and put back to- the Falk-
land Islands for sailors. The usual
heaVyweather did not strike the vessel
hpwever and she came through all
right
Captain Graham says however thai
the crew gave no trouble so far as good
behavior was concerned. They were
not surly and were simply incompetent
Captain Graham is accompanied by
his wife and daughter who is a pretty
young miss nearly years old. She
came aboard the ship Babcock her ia
theirs other ship, when she was eight
months old and has travelled with hel
father ever since, having been on the
Phelps for the last four years. The
young lady has gone around the Horr
twelve times.
Capt. Graham appears to have gotter
some work out of his landlubbers how
ever, for he brought the vessel into port
as spick and span as if she had come
from a short cruise. The vessel was
faultlessly clean. She docked at the
Naval wharf No. / and will probably be
gin to discharge coal today. Captain
Graham does not know as yet, whether
he will get a charter from here or not
The vessel is fitted with splendid ac
commodations for passengers and sh'
will probably take passengers If sh'
goes to San Francisco.