Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-13
Yankee Skipper Who Became King.


bean Sea, a type of Yankee mariner
almost extinct, died recently in the
Boston State Hospital.
II was more than forty years ago
that the skipper then the owner of
the trading schooner Polly Ann, was
sailing for the San Bias coast when
Swan Island. then an uncharted NO
Mans Land" peeped at him over the
horizon.
Skipper Adams was New England
born and shrewd. He looked at the
island a long time through his spy
glass. He held to his course and
said nothing, but did lot OF think
ing.
The little island might belong to
Honduras, or maybe To Nicaragua, off
whose coast 1t lay about one hundred
miles.
4 must discover that island for the
hag,H cogttated the Yankee skipper.
So on his way back he visited the
island. He found there about 100
natives a mixture Of Indian ana other
races. He set about discovering"
the island
According 10 tradition. ne ordered
his boats crew TO row him in the
yawl so far away that the island was
/ lost to sight, and then row toward it
again. When Swan Island popped
/ above the horizon again he had
technically discovered" it. He took
| possession Of it in the name of the
United States of America and made
due entry of it in his log. On survey
ing the island he found it to he five
/ MID i+-
with forty miles of eeast line.
Skipper Adams went back To Els
worth. Me, where he was born. ana
/ returned with his wife. He built
house on the island, put up a light
house and in his @palace"-he was a
sovereign now-he reared two daugh
/ ters and two sons. He was all three
branches of the .government''-ex-
ecutive. legislative and judicial-and
there was never any graft on Swan
Island. He was godfather to every
/ child born To the natives. and the little
/ monarchy was a model kingdom. He
recognized the future possibility of the
Kingdom as coaling station after the
Panama Canal should be built.
His Abdication.
4 Swan Island soon became an IN.
official port of call. King Alonzo
erected a flag station and from it dis
played International code signals. More
| and more vessels regularly passed that
way When Swan Island signalIed 70
| slow down shippers put in and took
aboard members of the Adams family
| or took orders for supplies to be de-
livered on the next trip. Vessels also
!
/ hold and subjects, and. most important
OF all, took away the cocoanuts. the
principal commodity of the little island
kingdom.
After a while King Alonzo trans
| ferred the title to a Boston CORPORA
ton, development company, which
| leased the island to the United Fruit
Company, which in turn erected
| there the most important wireless sta
ton in the West Indies.
| As the Panama Canal approached
completion the United States Govern.
ment made known its intention of
| acting upon King Alonzo's suggestion
and making Swan Island coaline
| station, and ii was now almost time
Tor him to abdicate and go to Wash
ington. In July, 1909, he landed in
Boston from the good ship Limon.
The fruiter, attracted by the signal.
mad lain by off Swan Island and taken
away its discoverer and proprietor.
| with his daughter in law, Mrs. w. G.
| Adams. From Boston he went direct
| ly to Washington, where he had a con-
ference with the State Department.
which led to the acquisition of the
1 q 1f4 in h.,
| coaling station. After visit to the
principal Eastern cities Adams re-
| turned to his island domain for a brief
stay
In January of 1910 five earthquake
| shocks shook up the island, throwing
the wireless engineer, L. +. Martin.
and the operator, j. Roberts, out of
| their beds, rocking buildings, upsetting
| furniture and throwing pictures from
| the walls; but nobody was injured.
Iheh Aionzo Adams completed his an
| dlcation and went TO farming on a
place he bought in East HAMPTON
Conn One of his sons was already
abolished in East Hampton, the 9TH
ef was IN Boston. One daughter lived
| ''t fort Jefferson, L. l., and the other
| was married to DR.. =. j. Currier. a
dentist, at Fulton street and Bedford
| avenues in Brooklyn.
Last May a laborer employed on
swan Island suffered crushed foot
ana 1t was obvious that amputation
was necessary; but there was no sur
seon. The wireless operator called
up ship APO miles away. The stu
auon was explained to the ships sur-
seoh' and detail by detail he explained
70 the wireless operator ON Swan
island Just how the operation should
De performed The instructions were
sent by wireless. and the operation
was success. The patient insisted
on pressing the wireless key to en-
press ms thanks to the distant steam
er's surgeon
APT Adams amassed a fortune on
.he island. He was seventy wears old
al .he time of his death. His widow
ana Tour children survive. For nearly
nan century he was a member If
few Tree Lodge of Masons of Brook
| Sh. MS. lodge took mart :, bis