Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1910-04-20
Correspondence.
cracking Ship on Fire Island"
c,rAsoNpALE, Maze, March 3, 1910.

Cracking Snlp OH Fire Asianu."
GtEAsoNDALE, MAss., March 3, 1910.
m the Editor of the AMERICAN:
We have been friends for generation
ar more, in which have read and occa-
s;onslly contributed to your columns for
o,bers to read, and here have another arti-
,,s which trust you will spread before
corr readers in your valuable paper.
Some years ago / read q poem called
cracking Ship of Fire Island". The poet
wbittier thought 1t worthy Of a place in
h;s volume OF s'SonRs Of Three Centuries,
,rb;cb he edited and published in 1875. 1t
i gem, as it correctly, in evolutions and
orders, describes in pertinent sea phrases
taeking ship in the days Of square rugged
sailing ships.
Not knowing anything OF its author, l
supposed, as did many others, that it was
written by sailor or one familiar with
the sea and sea phrases, but have recently
,esrnel through reading that charming
hook. autobiography OF Seventy Years."
nv the late George Frisbee Hoar, Of Massa-
chusetts. which all fond OF good reading
sbould not fail to read, that the poem was
written by sslandlubber'', his clsssmate
in Harvard college, Walter F. Mitchell.
or him Senator Hoar has this to say:
ale was distinguished in college as
bright and accomplished person, and a
great iavorite with his friends. He
studied law, but afterward became a
CLERGYMAN and took orders in the Episco-
nal church. His poem, Hacking Ship of
Fire island is one of the most spirited
and perfect OF its kind in literature. You
can hear the wind blow and feel the salt
in your hair as you read 1t. once heard
It read, by Richard Dana, to the Phi Beta
Kappa society OF Harvard, and again by
that most accomplished elocutionist, E.
Harlow Russell. never read, nor heard
IL read, without q renewed admiration"
That was my first surprise concerning
the poem. A short time ago copied it
and Senator Hoar's criticism and mailed
them to friend in New Hampshire, where
Ispent the summers OF 1905 and 1903. A
few days ago / received an acknowledge
ment which was surprise number two, as
nv friend mistook me for Senator Hoar, as
hearing e. Harlow Russell read the poem.
He wrote as follows:
81 liked the poem 'Tacking Ship but,
captain, tell me, where is Fire Island?
suppose we landlubbers don't understand
some OF the phrases as well as you sailors.
You wrote OF hearing it read by z. Harlow
Russell, and am wondering whether you
know Harlow is one OF our neighbors. /
hardly think you do. He lives about a
mile and half from here toward Franklin,
the first house this side OF one you
thought at one time OF occupying.
"Elias Harlow Russell now lives in that
house, where he was born in 1895. He
studied elocution under Prof. William
Russell, of Lancaster, Mass, (surprise
number three), and became teacher Of the
Academic Institute, LIE Roy, N. Y, where
he taught for ten years, and for the last
thirty-iive years has been principal of the
state normal school, at Worcester, Mass.
he has always spent his July and August
vacations at Ssnbornton.
sat the close OF the 1909 school year, he
resigned his principalship and proposes
to spend the remainder Of his days on the
farm and in the house where he was
born. He is considered by all who
know him one Of the finest of men. His
father, like yourself, was a native of
Maine, born in the town of Bethel, in
$500. Harlow spoke at our town fair last
fall, and / wish you had renewed your
acquaintance with him."
Acquaintance! never saw him, except
at that fair, where I was introduced and
had few minutes conversation without
even knowing that he had been an elocu-
zionist or thought of him in connection
with the scene and reading "Tacking Ship"
as described by Senator Hoar. This much
OF Introduction, and now here is the poem
itself:
TAKING SHIP OFF FIRE ISLAND.
The weather leech of topsail shivers,
The bowlines strain and the lee sbrouds
slacken,
The braces are taut, the 1.-THE boom quivers,
And the waves with the storm-cloud
blacken.
open one point on the weather bow
Is theiighthouse tall on Fire Island head;
There's a shade OF doubt on the captains
brow,
And the pilot watches heaving the lead.
stood at the wheel, and with eager eye,
10 sea, to sky, and to the shore gaze,
TIL the muttered order OF "full and byl"
Was suddenly changed to full for stays!"
Inc ship bends lower before the breeze,
AS her broadside fair to the blast she lays,
And she swiftly springs to the rising seas
As the pilot calls out, "stand by for stays!"
II is silence all. as each in his place,
with the gathered coil in his hardened
hands,
ny tack and sheet, bowline and brace,
waiting the watchword, Inpatient stands.
ana the light on Fire Island Head draws
near,
AS trumpet winged is the pilots shout,
rom MIN post on the bowsprit heel hear,
with the welcome call of "ready, about"