The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-21
ON a TWO YEAR ARCTIC CRUISE.
III WhaIer A. T.. clifford Sails on a Long
Voyage.


NEW LONDON, Conn, July 2O.-With fags
nylng and seamen from one end Of New
London Hsrbor to the other shouting
godspeed, the little schooner A. T. Clifford,
capt. George Conner, sailed out from this
port TWO weeks ago in charge Of the first
whaling expedition to start from Connec-
ticut waters in years. With eleven tons Of
bread, sixty barrels OF fiour and q ton Of
canned beef aboard, to say nothing Of forty
bushels OF beans to feed a crew OF twelve
mon, three mates and the captain, the
"llord IL oil to the Arctic regions for o
cruise OF twenty-seven months.
Years age the departure Of a whaling
craft bound for the Arctic or Antarctic
regions was not such an event in shipping
circles here, but that was in the days when
this city was second only to New Bedford
as a whaling port.
The last vessel to sail out from here on q
whaling cruise was the brig Rosa Barker,
IN command of Capt. James B~uddington Of
Groton, several years ago. The vessel
came to grief and Capt. Buddington came
back home minus his good ship.
Capt. Conner, who has undertaken this
last venture, has had his bad luck in these
ventures also. the venerable Era which he
commanded for years going to pieces a
yea or more ago while on the way TO the
Hudson Bay fishing grounds. +. J. Monjo
OF Stamford, her owner, decided, however,
at once that she must have q successor and
capt. Conner was commissioned to pick he
out. For several months he has been on
the watch for a schooner to suit his needs
Tor this long Arctic trip and finally found
her in the A. I. Gifford Of Gloucester. The
boat was built t~weuty-four years ago in
Essex. Mass. She is S2.8 feet in length,
22.5 broad and 81 feet in draught. Her
gross tonnage is So and net tonnage s..
Capt. Conner, who is in command Of what
may be the last whaling expedition ever
sent from Connecticut, is taking his If
teenth trim to the Arctic regions for whales,
seals or sea elephants. For nearly a half
century he has followed the water and mis-
experience in Arctic seas il more extensive
than any sea captains in these parts.
II fair weather holds Capt. Conner hopes
to get to the Hudson Bay in six weeks.
Unless an early winter sets in he expects to
get in three or four weeks of whaling before
having 10 settle down for the long Arctic
winter. Early in the spring OF 1908 the
Giffo will be up and doing, and when fall
comes again will settle down for a second
winter in the Far North. A successful
fishing season for the summer Of 1900 will
send the seamen } Jme happy that fall.
Capt. Conner and his crew will be well
satisfied with their two years work IL they
bring in ten whales. The ships oil tanks
will not bring down more thar Ave hundred
gallons of oil, but il the whaling luck lie
better than anticipated the big fish will be
killed for their bone and the oil will have
to go to waste.
The mammoth oil tanks OF the shin going
up were packed with foodstuffs enough TO
last the voyagers far beyond the time limit
for their return, During the winter they
rely on getting fresh meat by hunting, and
part Of the plumber that they hope to bring
home includes valuable skins. While the
trip is ostensiby a whaling expedition
Capt. Conner will look out for anything Of
vaIue that can Ire DrOcupad'