The Republican journal., 1913-11-13

"My next and last deep water expe-
rience was on the celebrated clipper the
Great Republic, on which shipped in
New York, Dec. %, 1862, for San Fran
cisco. She was commanded by Capt.
Joseph Limeburner. While off Cape
Hatteras a terrible storm stripped the
ship of her mainsail, topsails and jibs,
carrying away the fore and main upper
topsail yards. Yet in four hours after
the storm we had sent up two new yards
and bent new sails in place of those lost.
That very same night, as we afterwards
learned, the Confederate privateer Ala
bama', which had been looking for the
Great Republic, captured and burned a
merchant ship sixty miles east of us.
On this trip Captain Limeburner, seeing
l was anxious to learn navigation, turned
me over for instruction to the first mate,
whose name was Wall. Mr.. Wall was
one of the old style 'bucko mates who
believed in giving the men forward
plenty of Delaying pin soup, but, though
a good disciplinarian himself, requiring
prompt and intelligent obedience, Cap
tain Limeburrer would not practice nor
countenance brutality and Mr.. Wall was
as mild as a lamb as long as he was on
the ship.
1.-The Great Republic arrived at San
Francisco in "a days from New York,
which was within eleven days of the best
sailing ship passage ever made between
the two ports. We discharged our cargo
and went to Callao in ballast. l remem-
Der that we astonished the natives by
sailing into Callao harbor under full can,
vas. There was a stiff breeze and we
clipped past twenty vessels at anchor
until near our anchorage, when all light
sails were taken in, the vessel was luffed
until the fore and main were aback, and
when Roadway had ceased the sails were
clewed up ana the anchor was dropped.
Following repairs at Callao we left for
; the Chincha islands and loaded guano for
London, putting into Cork for orders.
The Great Republic as at Callao,
sailed direct to her anchorage, Captain
Limeburner taking command in person
after the pilot brought her to the mouth
of the harbor. On this voyage, while in
the North Atlantic, for several hours the
Great Republic made 10 knots. The
wind was abaft the beam and two top
mast studding sails were set.
''In London l received word that my
only sister was seriously i'll, and on show
ing the letter to Captain Limeburner, he
paid me off. I returned to New York on
the steamer City of Washington, and
soon after went to work on tugboats on
the Hudson. Subsequently / received
my certificate as master, and from that
time till my retirement seven years ago
commanded several tug and harbor
steamers. My only son, Capt. Andrew
| B. Luther, is master of one of the Erie g
tugs now. I have frequently been called
before admiralty courts as an expert on
nautical affairs"
Some twenty-five years ago Captain
Luther saw man in New York who 30
strongly resembled Captain Limeburner
that he was tempted to address him. but
fearing that he might be mistaken, he
did not do so. As Captain Limeburner
frequently came to New York and this
city between 1880 and 1885, the man
Captain Luther saw was in all probable
ity his old skipper. Had Captain Lu.
ther stepped up to him and made himself
known, this story would probably never
been written.
In these days Of ''Imperators" and
''Lusitanias, when tramp lsteamerl
have practically driven the big square,