The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-09-29
I5,OOO-M|LE TRIP IS
MADE BY ~L|GATSH|PS
Two Coast Vessels Safely Pr
Ioted from Sandy Hook
to San Francisco.
BY CAPT. ROBERT QUINTON
An Accomplishment Admittedly the
Most Daring Ever Undertaken
by an American Sea-
man..

From the Pioneer Press.
Tossing. bobbing. leaping. over tif-
teen thousand miles Of churnins seas,
two lishtships hay lately reached San
Francisco after one of the most re-
markable trips in nautical annals.
Ships they ale called here. but bot
ties would be a more accurate appella-
ton.
From Sandy look to the Golden Gate
is a long road even to the Stancliest OF
vessels. but for lightships. meant to be
anchored To reefs and dangerous places
on the coast, and never designed to
possess seagoing qualities. ii is a feat
little short of amazing. No American
seamen have ever surpassed it in hard
ihnod
The two vessels are known as The
Relief and blunt Reef" They We're
quilt in New York because firms there
bid cheaper than western builders.
But after their completion the gov
ernnent faced M problem of getting
them around to San Francisco. The
builders promptly refused to accept
the responsibility. for il was generally
agreed that project was a hazardous
one. and that it Was more than d fair
chance that the ships, at best only atl"
to do ten knots an hour. and that UNI
'iNl III" ~
wind and tide, might urn turtle.
In this predirament the government
was compelled to assign two Of its men
TO do the job.
Captain Robert Quinton vas given
command of the Relief" and by reason
of his greater familiarity With the
waters to be trayersed, was ordered to
keep his ship at all times in the lead,
and show the way to the "Blunt's
Reef" commanded by Captain Trott.
For ITO days lasted the long uncer-
tainty as to weather the race with
death would end in victory. There
We're adventures on land and sea, the
ong strain caused TWO of the men 20
attempt suicide, and only the magni-
ticent courage of the two commanders,
particularly Captain Quinton. enabled
the ships to reach San Francisco in
safety.
The following accoun of the hazard
Gus journey-one that will never occur
again. by the way. for Uncle Sam has
decided not to repeat the experience
is Captain Quinton's story of the
journey. He arranged it from his log
especially for his publication. 1t is
given here for the first time.
Our weak steaming power exposed us
from Ii start to the prospect of a
dangerous voyage. for the head winds
and currents. especially off Cape San
Rogue. Brazil. as well as The terrific
gales In the Straits of Magellan. meant
trouble. For this reason. the crew of
eighteen men allotted to each snip was
carefully picked.
We left Tompkinsville. Staten Island,
Feb. IA. mid the SHOWS of winter.
Spring had gone and we We're into the
heart of summer before we reached our
haven.
AS far as Porto Rica matters went
- S.-.-. l-~,,. - ~ rr ,,.,,
Barbados, l took the inside passagt
to avoid the heavy head swell Of the
open ocean. En- route we passed the
shores Of Martinique, close enough to
see that flourishing villages have al
ready grown up near the scene OF the
terrible earthquake. Mount Pelce Was
smoking ominously and the mountain
sides for miles We're covered with desc
late wastes of lava.
At BridSetown it took all our best
efforts to keep the thieving negroes
from robbing us of our ships fittings
We left Bridgetown March l.
1t was not believed that the vessels
could sail all the way around Cape Sal
Rogue. on the east coast of Brazil
against the strong head current which
sets to the ~northward, packed by frest
southeast winds. Hence l had been or
dered TO call at Para II l needed frcsl
coal. and from this point to make Pei"
nambucO.
But in spite of all obstacles we mad
our way against both wind and current
and at / a. m. March Is we reach
Bahia.
This part OF the trip had been n
easy Task. Our ships did pretty nearl,
everything but turn turtle. and tn
cOrkscreW motions often caused us t
be. thrown from our berths and made i
impossible to keep Doc on the table.
The heat began to tell on some mem
bers of the crew. and resulted in
drinking fracas. where q Japanese cook
defending himself against attack. Gu
up several Of my men badly.
The trip from Bahia to Montevide
lasted from March 10 to IS. AS W
went further south, the weather grey
colder.
Cape Virgins. or the north side .
the entrance to the Straits. wa
reached April 6. Captain Trott ran !
such force that his fine pet bull do
was swept overheard and drowned.
kept on under the lee of the land. Th
wind blew with hurricane force a
night, and great seas fairly Hooded u:
making it impossible to walk the hurri
cane.
i, When we rounded Dungeness.
seemed tha the fury of the gale mus
. overwhelm us. To attempt to anchc
was useless. and we had 10 reach tn
a weather shore In the teeth OF the gal
1t took US two days to get to CAP
Esperitu Santo in safety.
When l hauled up the anchor. I foun
that the pulling of the gale had cause
: a break in a link that had a flaw frol
which cause we lost our mushroom ar
Choir and forty-ive fathoms of chain.
We reached the Straits at the time
: the spring tides. which here rise an
: fall from SO to AZ feet, and the b tic
sets with the speed of a locomotiv
= With his to help us. we went throug
the First Narrows with lightning spec
= Securing a pilot to take us throue
. Smyth's channel. We rounded Cal
Froward. the southernmost point Of tf
South American main land, Cape Hol
: being on an island. The emery he
, surpasses in savage grandeur anythir
:. l nav seen.
Bad judgment on part of the pill
nearly dashed us to pieces on the rock
= but we managed to get u by "a vel
~ close shave.
( In Wide Channel. we passed throus
! several miles of floating Ice, and had
> use the utmost vigilance to escape II
9 larger cakes. Going through Chas
II Reach. the cliffs were SO close togeth
:. that it seemed almost impossible for