Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1915-02-10
A PERiLuUs VOYAGE.
sroosra Boy write. Of Trip Of

Bf0okI1n Roy Wrfte9 OF Trim ~
American ship 70 Germany,
Clifton Stanley, BrookIin boy, write.
to Mrs. 8. e. Mcfarland, Of Brooklin. an
account Of the trip Of the steamship "a
Monte from New York to Bremen. Ger.
many, and return. Mr.. Stanley is tbira
assistant engineer on the Ell Monte. Hs
writes:
We sailed from New York Dec. IL. 1914
We had fine weather until we arrived a,
the Grand Banks, where q northeast paIa
overlook us. During the first night OF tho
gale We lost lifeboat. For eleven dav,
that gale followed Us; the seas were noun
tain high. Our destination was Bremen
Germany with 5000 bales Of cotton from
Galveston, Texas, the first Shipment 10.
that port since the war began.
We went direct to Dover, Eng. for
orders, where we arrived on Christmas
morning. No one was allowed on shore
We laid thcre-two days, trying to secure a
pilot. At last we got one to take the shin
as far a. Holland. Nearing the Hook a,
Holland, the pilot began to have doubts
as to the wisdom OF proceeding. telling
Capt. Pinchin s'if he went into German
waters he was liable to arrest. So IN.
skipper put him ashore and sent word
ashore that ~e wanted q Dutch piIo,
Word came back that none Of the Dutch
pilots would undertake to pilot THE N
Monte; that the whole North sea was
mined, and they had no charts. Futber.
more, the lightships and lighthouses do
not show any lights on the German COAST.
Capt. Pinchin said, '.pilot or no pilot,
an going in" Just at this time a dense
fog settled. The captain had to run on
dead reckoning. He ran his time out and
anchored. Then we had another north
west gale. 1t was so rough we couldn't
get our anchor up, so We bad to lay there
and ride ont the gale. Two daysAater we
got the anchor, onfy to And II was iouled
with q cable to which mines we're made
fast. We had to unshackIe the chain and
let the anchor go. This was near Heligo.
land.
We came to the mouth OF the weser
river Dec. 81. 1t was during the fog ,hs,
the skipper steered the FL Monte through
prohibited channel into Bremen harbor.
1t seemed IN endless trip to the crew
while the FL Monte went forward, SLOWLY
feeling her way. In the fog the Ell Monte
had eluded the fleet OF German battle
ships and cruisers stationed at the On.
trance TO the hsrbor. The first the naval
officers knew OF our being there. was
when the fog lifted; they were surprised
a, the presence OF the American vessel.
Ours was the first merchant vessel fiying
tho American flag to enter the port Of
Bremen Ia forty-eight years. The naval
officers said they couldn't understand how
We missed being blown up, as we were
anchored right In a bed OF mines, the
kind that explode by contact.
We arrived at Bremen city Jan. 1. The
captain was-taken on shore to be ques-
toned by the German admiral. After be-
ing cross-examined, he was released, and
then our troubles ended. We stayed at
bremen week, and ! should think half
the people In the city mostly girls came
On board TO see an American ship liked
1t very much over there. We were treated
fine. and had q swell time.
From Bremen, we went down the river
to Nordenham and loaded salt in bulk.
We sailed from there Jan. II for New
York. When within few miles OF the
mouth OF the river navaltug came along
side with orders for Us to get back up the
river, as there was going to be a fight near
the mouth. A few hours later we heard
the guns, but we sailed the next day.
Again We couldn't get . pilot. The
captain decided not to 70 home by the
English channel, 30 we sailed north and
came out between Scotland and the She,-
land islands, but the mines we're as
thick that way. We saw lots OF mines
that had broken lose during the storms.
1t looked very uncertain whether we
would get home or not, but we did, COM
ing home in seventeen days. We were
gone from New York seven weeks. The
Fl Monte 10 twenty EIGHT years old. !
think ! shall remember that voyage al
ways.