The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-03-09
MARINE INTELLIGENCE.
CAPT. JOHN ii. CRAIG CELEBRATES
72D BIRTHDAY.

His Service as n Pilot in Forest City
Harbor Dates Back to the Time
When IA Feet at High Tide Was
the Channel Depth-VesseIs Arriv-
ing at New York During Febru-
ary-Matters of Interest to Ship
pers and Mariners.
Capt John H. Craig of the Savannah
Pilots Association received the con-
gratulations of numerous friends yes
terday on the celebration of his I'D
birthday. The captain was congrat-
ulated cordially on his attaining this
ripe old age in the full possession of
all his faculties, being now in active
service as a pilot, and about as nim-
BILE as any who mounts the bridge to
direct vessels movements.
Capt. Craig was born in Savannah,
and has spent all his life here. He
has seen service on the river when
vessels drawing over IA feet of water
could not come up to the city. And
in those days the work of a pilot was
by no means as easy as it is now. In
stead of a luxurious pilot boat. such
as the John H. Estill, now stationed
at sea, the pilots remained below on
sail boat. and during rough weather
were tossed about roughly. On Jan.
l, 1895, the pilots changed from sail to
steam craft, and now have a. boat
with every modern comfort and con-
venience. Capt. Craig has gone through
every branch of the business, and his
friends hope that he has many more
happy and prosperous years ahead.
Concerning longevity the pilots can
lay good claim to the record. The old
est pilot of Forest City harbor is
Capt. 7. l.. Hernandez, aged 80
years. For five or six years he has
been blind. He is still hearty how
ever, and has promise of living to an
even ripper old age. Among other old
pilots who are still in active service
are: Capt. w. T. Daniels, s., Capt. W.
H. Spencer, 67; Capt c. A Marmel-
stein,61; Capt. Fl. It. Earmelstein, "a;
Capt. Fitzgerald, Ga, and Capt. M. P.
Usina, Ga.
The sailing ship does not only die
hard. but it doesn't die at ALL 1t
SSciIio W Oe lIIlIIOTLdl. fOT the car
rying trade there is nothing to ex-
coed it. 1t goes slow, but it gets
there and at much less expense than
vessel propelled by steam. The
Standard Oil Company has had a
great deal of experience in the carry
ing trade and that company has re-
Gently abandoned its steam tank YES
sells and substituted sailing vessels in
it's Chinese and Asiatic service. For
cargoes where time is not an import
ant factor there is nothing afioat that
can compete with the many-masted
sailing vessel. These are carrying
trade days and it would seem that a
long life and great activity is ahead
of the ship that is propelled by sails
and the wind that costs nothing ex-
cept to catch it. In all of which there
is no bad news for our New England
shipbuilders.-Mari Journal.
During February the arrivals of for
eign vessels at New York were:
Steamers, 224; ships, A. banks, 6;
briggs, 3; schooners, II; total, 254 Of
these SO were American, 1O6 British
80 German, IA Norwegian, the rest
distributed among other flags.
Making fresh water from sea water
is regarded as one of the great
achievements of the present age. Sail
ors famished from thirst and boilers
of ocean vessels rendered powerless
from using salt water are but memo
Ties of the past on up-to-date vessels
equipped with evaporator and distil-
lers.