The San Francisco call., 1910-01-23

~ all StatelIneSS could deserve the epllnel
OF "harpy OF the deep" however sordid and
Y abject were that ships later life Nothing
could deprive it of its pristine glory of slender
spars and snowy royals, and the minds eye can fol-
low the ship across the trades heeling slightly
its sails are wooed by the winds.
But that valiant old fulrigger, the Success, falls
as nearly under the ban of opprobrium old time
windammer possibly The Success may visit
the shores OF the United States during the coming
summer and if it does It will furnish persons with
congratulatory thoughts that they did not live in the
days that brought all but dishonor the brave old
East Indiaman
And East Indiaman it veritably is in more ways
than one for not alone did this ship thread the China
in the earning of its daily bread, but 1t built
in the famous seaport of Moulmein, where the old
pagoda looks eastward TO the sea and the Burmah
girls are supposed be always thinking of you But
in its mild life the Success turned aside from the
pleasant trade in tea and spice and for year year
was given over the harboring OF convicts in Aus
traa and sank low from its high estate and dwelt
in the midst Of clamor and riot, prison ship the
massive walls of which re-echoed with mprecations
OF tortured unfortunates.
One hundred and twenty years have passed since
this stout old ship left the ways in the Moumein yard
the most wonderful specimen OF naval architecture
that probably ever spread canvas to the breeze In
actual size it is great ships 60 in these days
measuring only $50 gross tons. But it built
like ship of the line and its sides the bilges
2 feet @ inches thck-thrty inches OF solid, time
defyng eastern teak and the breast hooks like
the trunks OF the redwoods. On the quarter gal
eres spread exquisite carvings the fruits of the
fancies of Burmese artists, and gilded shields and
beaded fields of chiseled wonders shone along the
bulwarks. The golden balls that crowned the trucks
gstened in the tropic and the hgurehead OF
maiden smiled down at the blue
For many years this wonderful ship transported
from China to the British isles, and the eastern
these days infested with pirates of the
most bloodthirsty sort the Success pierced for
seven heavy guns, the evidences of which still may
be found about the decks 1t called for stout hearts
TO sail those turquoise seas that suddenly would
swarm with Malay miscreants, and many running
fight the old Success endured, with wetted sails
it courted the sluggish monsoon breeze.
Nor were eastern pirates the only foes the vessel
found. for this day its hull holds shot marks from
a French privateer in the bay of Bengal in 1875 while
the Iron Duke surveyed the slow destruction of Ma
poeon; while great dent in the mainmast-the
original spar-bears witness to the craftsmanship OF
the gunners OF Fort William at Calcutta. There
mutny OF the crew and confusion of signals, and
in the little bombardment from the fort one man
was killed and several wounded
NOW COMES DISGRACE
This seems to have marked the beginning OF
change Of e for in 1929 the Success was chartered
by the British admiralty to settlers to western
Australia, a very different livelihood from the con-
veying of tea and nutmeg and other grateful condi-
ments from the spice islands. Shortly afterward
though regular trading was resumed but in S47 pas
senger traffic was reverted and the ship carried
emigrants from Great Britain to Port Adelaide Aus
tralia This life suited we'll that the Success
descended further and carried convicts from the
dreaded Botany bay Tasmania in l84o, the days
of our California gold stampede Then the ship
sailed to England, only to return to the old wild
life of Australia; and entering Melbourne harbor
May a. 1852, it ended forever its merchant
ship.
AS wooden vessels go, the Success was then ap-
preaching old age, having attained the antiquity OF
upward OF 90 years But sound and scathless were
its timbers and planlNng that when it finally lay
moored fore and aft at Melbourne it was 90 years
young with less than half its life behind and is
nearly sound today when it first left the ways
in MouImein. Wrinkled, perhaps, but still game
and cheerful in SOUL the old ship chershes its youth
full grace, which. if all goes well, it will exhibit
us in few short months.
When the Success anchored in Melbourne harbor
in 1882 the gold mania had just developed in Aus
tralia Men were gold mad. They deserted their
homes and families in quest of the soft sulphur
coored nuggets that nestled in the sands of Ballarat
Murder and arson rioted together and human life
was cheap and doubtful Therefore when the Success
had let go its mudhoos in the harbor all hands voted
to abandon ship; master, men and passengers