Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1915-04-21
A MAINE CAPTAIN.

AclA8 Oh war lime kT1p8.
The following from the Galveston Nesps
Of March Is is OF interest to the many
friends OF Capt. Frank A. Young who was
born in Hancock about fifty years ago and
who for more than twenty years has COM
manded Mallory line steamers. His last
before the Neches, was the Dem
yer, which after he had taken his new
ship, foundered at sea. The Galveston
Neps says:
The new Mallory steamship Neches,
that departed for New York yesterday
afternoon with one OF the largest general
cargoes ever taken on coastwise steamer
out of the port, has had crowded into the
brief span OF six months that she has been
out Of the hands of her builders, enough
exciting adventures and voyages to last
the average ship a lifetime. Sine has
made two trips to Rotterdam one with
food for the Belgium relief committee and
one with cotton-passiag through mine
strewn waters, safely riding North At
lantic storms, and has made q trip
through the Panama canal to the Pacific
coast. ''The Neches is just as fast as
she iooks,p said Captain Young.
1--WE were chartered by the Rockefeller
Foundation TO carry a cargo of 5000 tons
OF -four il bags and other supplies to the
Belgium relief committee at Rotterdam,
Holland, during the latter part OF Novem-
her," said Captain Young, speaking Of his
trips and referring to his log for dates.
1--WE we're very deeply loaded for q North
Atlantic winter trip, and when q few
hundred miles east Of Naw York we ran
into seven days Of west northwest heavy
gales and seas, sometimes of hurricane
force. 1t was little bit rough on those
Of us aboard, but the Neches went
through all right, but she very often
looked liked half-tide ledge in storm
1t was heavier weather than l have ever
experienced anywhere, except OF Cape
Horn in sailing ship days, when l was q
youngster.
I'VE were very fortunate in the English
channel and had fine, clear weather.
took every pilot ailable-even went out
of my way to get them-ss / thought the
Rockefeller Foundation could stand, it and
/ needed them all. We went through
without special incident. We were very
much surprised at the shipping activity.
Flags Of every nation, with the exception
of the German and Austrian, were to be
seen in the harbors, with British naval
vessels OF all kinds, torpedo boats and
submarines, the latter skimming about
half submerged.
''At Rotterdam, surely a spotless Dutch
town, was surprised at the general
cieanly aspect of the city and its people
Even the little boys and girls running
about the streets = and there were hun
dreds of them-appeared healthy, hearty
and happy. Despite the fact that there
was fighting but forty miles from us, we
heard no more about it in Rotterdam than
at home. Our entire information, as was
the information Of all the residents, SO
they told us, was from the newspapers.
1--WE returned to New York in January,
via the southern passage and the Azores
and had good weather. On arrival we
found we were chartered by Capt. A. F.
of the Churchill line, Savannah,
to load cotton at Savannah to Rotterdam.
We departed on Feb. with 1896 bales,
1t fl5 per bale freight, with orders to
make time or bust. We chose the former
and went to Rotterdam from
Savannah, distance OF 1867 miles, in
eleven and one-half days, about IA 1-s
knots average speed. believe this es-
b blishes q new record.
ION my first trip had forty-two hours
detention on account Of pilots - taking
them on and putting them off-but on
this second trip it was but four hours, and
an average speed in the English channel
and North Sea OF fourteen knots, arriving
in Rotterdam 1t midnight, Feb. Is, on the
day that the German announcement
that al British ships would be attacked
went into effect.
"Coming home from Rotterdam we
sailed at midnight. In two trips each
way have not yet seen the Holland coast
by daylight. Between $50 and .. m. in
the North Sea we passed three floating
mines, one quite close. They look like q
big black umbrella, spread, and just
dropped in the water, handle down, about
three or four feet across and q foot above
water at the highest part. Their fingers,
about foot apart, are scattered all over
the surface. These fingers are about nine
inches long and one half inch in d.
ameter. Il gives the mine the appearance
OF gigantic prickIy pear. The floating
mines can be seen by daylight half mule
away, or in plenty OF time to avoid them,
If they are in tine steamers path. We
hurried back to New York, expecting to
take another cargo aboard, but found that
the British embargo had cancelled the
deal.
"Our first trip, after our maiden trip
to Galveston, was to San Francisco via the
Panama canal, under charter to Sudden &
for a trip from Baltimore with
{, 900 tons of coal. We left Baltimore on
Sert.23 for Colon and our passage through
the Panama canal was one of the most
little trips have ever made.
On approaching the locks the canal an