The Republican journal., 1905-02-23
CAPT. STANLEY AMSBURY,

Captain Stanley Amsbury of Rockport
was born Aug. -, 1861 and died at Shang-
hal, China, Jan. 90, 1905, at the age of 36
years.
He was the son of Captain and Mrs. ]. A.
kedlands, California. He has one sister,
and his father is now on his way to Aus
tralia Aug. 2, 1892, he was happily welded
to Miss Frances &. Brastow, daughter of
Rev. and Mrs. I. E. Brastow OF Rockport
When quite young man he became his
fathers first mate in the ship William H.
Macy and SO efficient a seaman did he prove
himself to be that he was made captain of
the bark Adolph Obrig, in which he made
several successful voyages to and from the
far east.
In 1899 he encountered in the China sea
most terrific typhOon i'll which his ship lost
her rudder and left him helpless III the
hands of wind and waves. Two of his men
were swept overheard and lost. He and his
men expected every moment to lose both
ship and life. When the storm abated the
captain proceeded to rig a jury rudder to
difficult as it was dangerous. For hours he
| hung suspended over the stern of the ship
I rigging a jury rudder, while the seas broke
! over him continually. But by persistent
courage aud skilful endeavors he perform
| ed his difficult task and brought his ship
well as the New York papers declared his
| feat one of the most heroic and masterful
| pieces of seamanship ever known. But the
fearful nervous strains produced by those
terrific days of anxiety and sufferings in
the China sea left sad results. Ever after
| this he was not the same man. His natural
buoyancy of spirits and mind passed into
! periods of deep dependency His bright
! and witty remarks grew less frequent and
the good conyersationalist often fell into a
moody silence His friends, as they look
back to the last summer, can clearly see the
change now, which they then dimly felt
| Yet no one suspected the anguish of mind
he endured in silence. All me, how little
we know the burdens many of even our
| dearest bear.
When he reached New York after his
| last voyage he sold out his interest in the
Adolph Obrig. and was appointed master
| of one of the best steel ships of the Standard
| Oil Co., with a large Increase of salary and
fine outlook for the future. He was
greatly pleased with his future prospects
! Dec 5th he left home for New York aud
was ordered to go to llOngkong to take
command of the Acme. When he reached
San Francisco he got a telegram from the
| company saying that in case the Acme was
ready TO sail in December the captain of the
steel ship Atlas (sister ship to the Acme)
would take command of her and he was to
| proceed to Shanghai and take command of
| the Atlas. When he reached YokohOma he
i found his orders to go to Shanghai and take
command of the Atlas, the Acme having
! sailed, which he did. But during his voyage
| from San Francisco to Shanghai his letters
| show that he was suffering under great
nervous mental strain and dependency of
| mind, which he said he could not account
for and he felt bewildered and unutterably
sad His mental equilibrium was gone, and
when he reached Shanghai life apparently
| became more than he could bear Did not
the Fathers heart 60 ont to him then in
| infinite pity even as the hearts of his many
friends have gone forth since? 1t certainly
did.
He was a member of one of the Baptist
| churches in San Francisco. He joined the
Masonic order at Rockport last year and
had been accepted to join the Keystone
| Chapter, R. A. NJ, in Camden.
Captain Amsbury was young man CT rare
Intelligence and abilities His appoint
| ment to command one of the largest steel
ships of the Standard Oil Co. speaks highly
of their confidence in his seamanship and
his moral integrity as man. But his
bosom friends knew him best and loved
him best. He was popular with all, but all
his friends loved him for his own sake He
was an upright, clean, square, high princi-
pied young man, true as steel, big-hearted.
affectionate, trusty, kind and loyal to his
| friends and he could not deliberately
| wrong even an enemy In many a heart
in Camden and Rockport Capt. Stanley
AmSbury has warm and tender nook.
| and his memory will be sacredly held by
them. No particulars as yet have been re-
ceived.-L. ID. Evans, in the Camden Herald.