The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1907-07-11
OFF FOR The ARCTIC
IN A TINY SCHOONER
New London's Last Whaler
Sails for Hudson
Bay.

END OF tWenty-seYen months, provided
no mishap to vessel sends them home
sooner, Captain George Conner, three
mates and crew of twelve seamen
sailed from New London Tuesday. All
the harbor craft saluted the vessel as
she worked her way out. Their craft,
the schooner A. T. Clifford, has been
prepared in all conceivable ways for
battle with the storms and dangerous
ice foes of the Arctic regions, and has
been amply provisioned for an even
longer stay there than the time plan
ned and above stated. The Clifford
and her crew are bound in search of
whalebone, whale oil, skins, furs and
any other valuable commodities which
the cold regions can be persuaded to
give up to them in return for their
skill.
New London was once a whaling
port second only to New Bedford,
which now is the only remaining place
which does steady business in the
fitting out and sending away Of whal-
ers, but in recent decades the New
London men have retired from the
whaling industry and but few vessels
have been prepared there for their long
cruises to Arctic or Antartic regions.
The brig Rosa Baker some three or
four years ago went out from that
port in command of Captain James
Buddington, Of Groton, but that ven
ture came to grief and Captain Bud
dington came back to New London
without his brig. Since then there has
been no vessel fitted out in this neigh
borhood, though the brig Sullivan,
now on a successful cruise to Antarctic
regions, is owned largely by Norwich
men.
The A. T Clifford which is now to be
sent out, is the successor of the famous
old schooner Era, in which Captain
Conner made many voyages and which
was lost something over year ago by
a storm which wrecked her while she
was on the way to Hudson's Bay hunt
ing grounds. That misfortune did not
daunt F, N. Monjo, of Stamford her
owner, and he had such faith in the
ability and general good fortune Of
Captain Conner that he commissioned
him to at once look about for another
ship suitable for the purpose and pur-
chasable at a reasonable price. Cap
search and was finally successful this
spring in finding the Clifford, The Gift
ford is a Gloucester craft, and though
not new boat, by any means, is of
staunch construction and of just the
size sought by Captain Conner, and the
work necessary to fit her for buffeting
of northern seas was less extensive
than might have been anticipated.
The Clifford was built at Essex, Mass,
in 1883, so is twenty-four years old. She
| is s2,6 feet in length, 22,5 broad and 81
feet in depth. Her gross tonnage is Sc
and net tonnage IS.
Captain Conner is particularly fitted
to be the commander of what may pos
sihly be the last whaling expedition
ever sent from New London. He is a
native Of East Haddam. His ability
on the sea brought him rapid promo
| ton and he soon rose to command, and
the present trip to whaling grounds
will be his fifteenth after either whales,
seals or sea elephants. AS two or more
years is the usual time of trip, some
idea can be gained of Captain Corners
experience In such business. This num-
Der Of voyages does not count in any
of his trips along shore, but simply his
deep-sea voyages. The value of his
experience in the eyes of the nautical
world is evidenced by the fact that
when New York capitalists this spring
planned dash for the pole under the
direction Of Anthony Fiala they sought
to have Captain Conner command their
ship, but he was already bespolsen for
this cruise.
1t is expected the trip from New
London to Hudson Bay will take about
six weeks, If good weather tavors. On
arrival there it will still be time to do
business with the whale for three weeks
or month, provided the cold weather
does not come Unexpectedly early The
search for whales WILL therefore, be
commenced Immediately on arrival,
and for the remainder of this summer,
all of next summer and the following
summer the cruise will continue, and
return will be made just ahead of the
setting in of icy conditions in the north.
Captain Comer's present intention Is to
bring his schooner back to New London
with her lading and will reach there,
according to present plans, about Octo-
Der l of the year 1909.
A catch of ten whales for a voyage
is considered a good one, but should
Captain Corners ship meet better for
tune and sight more, the work of cap
turing will not cease and after the 500
gallons of oil is tried out and packed i'll
the monster casks, and other whales
that come along will be killed for the
valuable whalebone and the oil from
those will have to go to waste The
big tanks for this oil are not so much
waste cargo on the trip north, as each
one is packed solid full Of some sort Of
provisions such as is needed for the
long visit in uncivilized regions.
The winter hunts will probably sup
ply fresh meat to a considerable extent
without some of which it is difficult to
prevent the appearance of the dread
disease of scurvy, but hreadstuffs and
the variety of food which the men are
accustomed to on shorter voyages, and
which is needful to keep them in best
of health, must be carried with the
ship from this port. A list of all the
provisions laid in might fill a column
or two, but some idea of the magnitude