The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1911-06-01
Another Veteran Mariner Gone
Capt. Jerome P. Tapley, Typical Example
of the Pluck of the New England Sailor,
Dies in his Seventy EIGHTH Year,

capt. Jerome +. dpley, typical Example
of the Pluck of the New England Sailor
Dies in his Seventy Eighth Year.
Capt Jerome P. Tapley died at his
home in West Brooksville, Me-, May
10th in the 18th year of his age. He
had been semi-invalid for several years,
and at the time of his demise life had
become more or less burden to him.
Capt. Tapley was one of eight brothers
of the well-known family of that name,
seven of which We're shipmasters of
prominence when the Civil War broke
out and afterward followed the sea until
retirement became necessary through a
natural desire for it or advanced years
The writer sailed in early life with Cap
tains Thomas, George, Abram, and Je-
rome Tapley, respectively, in the West
India trade, and their strict early train
ing prepared him to endure the hardships
of sailing-ship life cheerfully without
complaint, although there was many
''stunts" put up to US through strenuous
discipline that it took Drawn and cour-
age to perform.
One of the most hazardous, brain
racking, and soul-trying short voyages
was undertaken by the writer in the brig
Abner Taylor with Capt. Tapley (the re-
Gently deceased) a year or more previous
to the Civil War in the capacity of second
mate. After loading cargo of 'shooks
and slaves at Portland, Me-, for King
ston, Jamaica, We sailed on a winters
morning in northwest gale of wind
under reefed -topsail and foresail
That night while scudding under this
short sail sea struck the brig on the
quarter, she preached to- and barely
escaped going on her beam ends, shaking
her deckload off to leeward however,
after which she righted. After getting
her off before the wind and the wreck
cleared away, the pumps We're sounded,
and two feet of water was found below
deck. The pumps were started, and
from that time until the vessel reached
Kingston it took 1900 strokes of the
pumps per hour to keep her free. Capt.
Tapley and the first mate steered most
of the time after we had been knocked
down, while the rest of the crew pump
ed when not handling sails and obtaining
required rest,
After discharging our cargo, and it
was thought that the cause of the leak
had been discovered and stopped, the
Abner Taylor sailed for Black River, a
port to the westward of Kingston, and
there loaded logwood and pimento for
New York, which passage took US the
extraordinarily long time of sixty days
to perform and came as near being the
end Of the crig and her crew as it was
possible to be and escape. The first gale
we encountered the old leak renewed its
activity, which with adverse winds and
heavy seas, caused all hands to pump I'M
til they We're completely exhausted and
discouraged, and finally ending in our
being invited into the cabin by the cap
tain and there go down with the ship.
thereby ending our suffering with our
lives.
We had thrown ourselves on the cabin
floor in as comfortable position as pos
sible under the CO. ditions when Capt.
Tapley declar ID he would feel much bet
ter if he had chew of tobacco and be-
gan searching his stateroom for plug,
where hidden behind the drawers under
his berth he discovered several bottles
of Jamaica rum which he had forgotten,