The Washington herald., 1908-07-30
SAILS LS2OOO,OOO MILES
Capt. Seddon Has Adventures
in Many Chimes.
TOOK PART IN PERU REVOLT
After FOrty-fOur Years spent on the
Water Mariner still Loves the
Ocean Wave-NOx Visiting in Bal
timOre at Home of His Daughter.
Made First Trip Before Mast at I6.

Baltimore, July &-To have Travelled
more than 10000 miles BY water. aver
aging at least Is miles day for the
span Of forty-four years. and touching
at almost every country whose shores
are washed by the high seas. IS the re-
markable achievement Of Capt John sec-
don, who is making short stay in Bal
tinore at the home OF his daughter. Mrs.
William E Eckhardt, 1913 West Fayetts
street
Capt Seldom. who VIII be sixty years
old next Tuesday. has followed the sea
since his sixteenth year. and few SOL
diers Of fortune have ever been through
more varied experiences by sea and
land; but in spite OF his vigorous life
his strength shows no signs Of failure.
MS eye is as bright as ever, and his
ability 20 enjoy a strong black pipe at
all hours Of the day IS yet Undlminished-
He IS an Englishnlan by birth. his Ia
tive place being Manchester. His first
trip was made as a sailor before the
mast from Liverpool 70 san Francisco
around the Horn. q trip which then
meant 1s4 days He says he left Eng
land on February p 1854. and reached
san Francisco On July / Since then
Capt. SeddOn's life mas been one success
sion OF sailing or steaming trips. some
times as captain and sometimes as mate.
but ever On the 60. stopping at ports in
all parts Of The world and learning more
about this globe than was ever compassed
BY q grammar school geography. such
a career as il has been the good fortune
OF Capt Seddon 10 enjoy IS practically
I
derfuI adventures told IN such books as
Capt Marryat's tales Of the sea-
The first vessel Capt seddon sailed II
was the Atacama. Of sos tons snip
rigged vessel which carried so tons OF
freight. Today America is one Of The
worlds granaries- buc in 1854 after ure
] loading 1t san Francisco. the Aracar1a
set OF for Chile and returned 20 the
/ Golden Gate with q cargo OF -four Capt
/ Ssddon was away from England and his
I family fully seventeen months on this one
trip
In Days of Baltimore Clippers.
1 Those we're the days when the clipper
built ships were in their glory. and The
/ fame OF the baltimore clippers was upon
every seaman's tongue. says Capt sed-
I don In the harbOr Of san Francisco o.
I that first trip he saw some famous clip
/ pers. such as the Flying Cloud. the Great
/ Republic. and Young America or his
7 second trip out from England Capt. SD
/ don went from Liverpool 70 Australia.
from there 10 Chile 10 the Cape Of Good
{ Hope. and then back 20 London IN 1SSs
he went in his last sailing vessel 70
Burma. and since then all MS going has
been in steam vessels Twelve years ago
{ Capt. Seldom heard from his Old ship
! the A1acsma- she was stu sailing BE-
tween South American ports
The life OF Ths sailor Wzs a hard one
when Capt SedGon started out for the
old regime Of hard-Ssted masters was in
fun bloom even as late as the '5Js- In
those days the crews were generally q
hard Let 70 deal with. and master had
10 be vigorous IN handing his men.
For twelve years Capt Sedd0l was
with the South American Steamship
Company. cruising between ports on the
coast OF Chile and Peru Later he en-
tered the employ Of the great oil com
panies which have vessels sailing out OF
san Francisco. such as the Standard OIL.
Associated Oh and Union Oh companies
His last vessel was the ArgyU. OF the
Union OIL Company. and he VIII return
shortly 70 the Pacific Coast 10 resume
his life on the water
In Peruvian Revolution
While engaged on the South Peruvian
coast n IS0 Capt Seddon experienced
the most interesting time q his life \
revolution broke out IN that country.
and his vessel was bIockaded- Time was
heavy on the captains hands. so he re-
solved to travel into the interior The
government. hearing OF this. asked him
] 7t-~rr~-Hne
. Lacotera. the government leader After
delivering the letters be. by chance. met
| the insurgent leader Pierola. who in
confidence, asked Capt Seddon 10 con-
vey dispatches for him Thus The seaman
became the go-between for both sides
was wined and dined BY both sides. and
was given free access through both lines
without either side suspectinE the truth.
Had either done 50 the brave captain
would have been shot; but he SAYS he
was young and daring and he was willing
! 70 take a chance