Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-06-19

Cant. Bosworth Saw thai with his
deep draft ship he was likely to meet
with trouble. so he went to the char.
terer and explained that if he would
purchase enough cotton to complete
the cargo the ship would draw about
two feet less of water and he could
then cross the bar about as quickly as
any of the vessels there.
The charterer did so, and the vessel
was towed down to the bar where
she was stopped by the blockading
vessels, and there she remained for
some weeks Eventually the Vigilant
was allowed to put to sea in June, and
she reached Bordeaux in July.
In the meantime the price of cotton
had been advancing by leaps and
bounds. and by the time the vessel
reached Bordeaux the small amount
of cotton was worth a small fortune to
the charterer. who was sorry then
that the vessel had not been loaded
wholly with it.
Capt. Bosworth returned to New
York in ballast, and while there the
owners chartered the Nigilant for n
West Indian voyage Family matters
would not allow Capt. Bosworth to go
in her, and so another captain was
put in temporary command, and she
proceeded at once.
About a month later Capt. Bosworth
was greatly surprised upon reading a
newspaper to learn that the Confeder-
ate cruiser Sumter, Capt. Scmmes, ar
irving at Cadiz in Spain, reported
having burned at sea the American
ship Vigilant, the bark Ehen Dodge
and the schooner Arcade. Semmes
took the captain and crew OF the Vigi-
them at Cadiz
you can imagine how l felt" re-
marked the captain to the correspond
ept. when | saw at q glance by that
para phi that all my earnings had
been swept away by that act, but l
didn't lose courage and determined
that ! would continue on the sea and
retrieve my loss and prepare to win
a fortune to keep Il company.
My next command was the ship
Valencia. which | took to Rangoon
during the rebellion while the Alaba-
ma was destroying American ships in
the Indian ocean. having burned one
to the eastward of me and another to
the westward. but I got through safe
ly. The Valencia was a hard one to
handle. for she wouldn't steer or sail
but she carried a good sized cargo and
| cold her at profit at Genoa so she
did not turn out so badly"
His next vessel was the ship Free
man Clark. which he took across to
Cardiff and then to Alden with coal.
Freiehts were high and a vessel.
which could get along successfully
would generally nav for herself in a
voyage or two. The Clark was built
by the Sewalls and she was the frst
of their fleet to go around Cape Horn
Capt. BosWorth continued: we took
out a general cargo, including pianos,
farm implements, carriages, boots and
shoes. That was in the fall of 'G9.
Their we went to the guano islands for
a cargo back to Boston.
His next vessel WAS the Carrollton,
built by the Sewalls. and which he al
ways considered one of his prize ships.
He took her on her first voyage in 1872,
having charter for a general cargo
from New York to San Francisco. and
the firm received a lump sum of So 900
for 1t. After that the vessel took
wheat at the rate of GA per ton to
Liverpool. This paid $4,000, and on
top IF these good VOYAGES. Capt. Bos-
worth sold the vessel for $4,000. AS
she cost $4,000. this was considered a
pretty good profit all around
dust so you can realize how difficult
it is for commander of sailing YES