Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-10

4 short distance above Cape Charles
the Paul Paix overlook the monitor Ton
apah, the sister ship Of the District Of
Columbia naval battalion training shir
Ozark, bound from Norfolk to New
York. While the seas were not heavy.
the floating fort was rolling In a way
that looked disagreeable, and as though
the seas were washing across her low
decks at every roll. The monitor was
quickly left aStern and Winter Quarter
lightship passed. Abreast OF Assateasue
the lights of the village on the island
were dirnly made out, and az daybreak
next morning the ship was abreast OF
Five Fathom Bank lightship heading for
Cape Henopen.
Shortly before 6 an. Tuesday the pilot
who 10 take the ship up the Della
ware river was aboard. He. like the
other pilots. climbed from a rowboat up
the steep sides of the ship on swing
ing rope ladder. The big hotels at Cape
May could he made out dimly to the
eastward, and the barren stretches OF
sand al Cape Henlopen were plainly seen
on the western entrance TO delaware
bay. For eight hours the big ship steam
ed I'D Della ware bay and river. The pilo
never left the bridge even for his meals
constantly watching the reacherous
tides ard shoals.
Passing Delaware breakwater the sig
nal letters of the Paul Paix. II. y. X. r.,
in the international signal flags. wera
flown from the masthead OF the steamer
so that the marine observer there cocio
notify PHILADELPHIA that the steamer was
coming About $50 pm. when severa
miles below Philadelphia. the steamer VA
stopped by the customs boarding tug apd
tile customs inspector came aboard. Inc
necessary formalities were quickly com
piled with, and the inspector departed
TO board a ship that was just passing
Three big tugs of the Standard OH
Company by this time had hold or the
Paul Paix and were taking her up the
It'll rjx IN
Point Breeze to load How the tugs eve
made the big steamer negotiate tne
sharp turns in the little river is matter
of wonder, but they did it. and within
balf bour after taking hold of her the
tugs had the steamer made fast alongsloe
the loading docks.
While living al Point Breeze no Aras
were allowed on the steamer In boilers
or stoves All cooking had TO be done
ashore. and to run the lights on the
steamer her steampipes were connected
with a boiler ashore. II the men wantei
to smoke. they had to leave the vessel
and go to a bis of open ground away
from the oil pipes anG tanks.
Mosquitoes came in droves, in reEi-
ments in whole armies. They hit
through clothing until the men on the
ship were nearly wild. a supply OF Oh
of citroneIla was finally obtained. and
then the pests were less troublesome On
the way down the Potomac river and VI
the coast the crew OF the ship had been
hard at work cleaning out the big tanks
i'm. which the paving blocks haa been
slowed TO make them ready for the re1
ception OF the oil. They were nrst
cleaned with brushes, and then Washed
down with water and wiped dry with
'-swabs'' until every trace Of graf had
been removed. Hatches were boited
down. and Wednesday morning connec-
lions were made with the pipes ashore.
Before noon oil coming aboard.
and that night the big steamer was Load
ed and towed out into the Delaware ID
make fires under her boilers. get up
steam and sail Thursday she passed ou-
to sea and began her voyage across the
Atlantic. Aboard the steamer Is nearly
a million gallons of naphtha. besides al
most an equal amount OF other oils her
cargo is consigned to Paul PAX the
John D. Rockefeller of Frarce). after
whom she is named. At Calais. where
she will discharge. the no-flre regulation
is i'm effect, but in addition to this no
lights of any kind are allowed. The
men cannot smoke except at the risk or
arrest and a fine, and al night they have
TO feel their way about the vessel In the
darkness. 1t is safe to say the crew OF
the Paul Paix would much rather bring
paving block to Washington than oil TO
Calais, though there is one thing to be
said in favor of Calais-it is within rev
hours sail of England, the home, sweet
home of the Paul Parks omcers ana
men.
Capt Anderson. the master OF the Paul
Paix who met many hundreds of wash
ingtonians who visited his ship. is
Norwegian by birth, but has for many
years been a British subject. He has fol-
lowed the sea from boyhood. and for
over forty years has been in command
of big vessels trading in all parts OF The
world.