The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-05-09
PILOT REFUSES
$1,000 A MONTH
TO CROSS SEAS
Capt. York of Maine Turns
Down Offer to Run Ship
Through War Zone

Capt. Joseph H. York of South
Portland, Me-, has refused $1,000
month and bonus on the gross earn
ings of a schooner-in the Crowley
fleet, to make foreign voyages into
the waters commonly termed "the war
zone"
This tempting offer, incidentally, is
the record price for any American sea
captain as a wage compensation.
His father was George F. York and
his uncles, jeremiah H, Andrew j.,
Joseph H, and Robert M, and his
grandfather, too, jeremiah c., six of
them in all were at sea at one time,
all masters of sailing vessels. 1t is
perfectly natural that this man should
prefer sweying deck to a stationary
floor.
His mother was a daughter of Capt.
| Thomas Day, also of South Portland.
He could not refrain from going to
sea even If he tried.
When he was years of age, his
mother went to the island of Seguin
and his first notably hair raising ex-
plot was his propensity for sliding in.
| Winter down the precipitous lodges of
| that rocky humble out on the ice in
| the coves He was a daredevil kid
and Sequin Island was altogether too
|
small.
! Capt. Andrew J. York was towing up
the Kennebec at the time "Joe" was
6 and a dory fouled the schooner, CONF
| ing thereby to grief. In the dory
| were man, woman and a boy, none
other than Joe. The man and wom-
an sprang to the headgear of the
schooner just as the cutwater struck
the frail boat, and hung on.
The dory went down and under the
schooner and Joe went with it. He
appeared yards astern of the schoon-
er, presently, the schooner crew had
already unslung the tender over the
stern and the .youngster was picked
i up, spluttering some but (unharmed.
i He was 10 years on his grandfath-
er's farm in Bowdoinham, then ship
ped to Cuba and other ports before
the mast with his older brother,
Frank, who was captain, and at 1S
was made master of the three-master
C. J. Willard.
He had been in this vessel but a few
lmonths when, one day early in 1898
he put the cook in command of the
schooner, enlisted in the 18th New
York Infantry and went to Chicka-
manga, Much happened while he was
l
, credit was in winning about every
sharpshooting contest in the regiment
Ell He was next mate Of the s. P
: Blackman. While in this vessel un
d ion sailors attempted to go aboard thu
: schooner in Providence and compe
the non-union crew to desert. Capt
was ashore and Mate Yorl
: was in command. The emissaries di,
!. not accomplish their purpose, but on
d Of their number died as a result o
e the injuries sustained in the mixu
It which occurred.
s Capt. York was made of the il1-fat
Il ed seven-master Thomas w. Lawson
e two years. He was offered comman
it of the Lawson or the George w. Wells
n TX masts, and he took the Wells. Sh
paid for herself several times owe
It under his skillful handling.
lie In a dense fog on one voyage tn
IL Wells hit on Richmonds Island. Cap
> York manageable haul her off unaid
Is ed, and brought her into port. TT
ly Edrydock was occupied and nobod
t. could be found who could repair he
" Downing diving suit. Capt Yor
TT went down and patched the place tn;
IN was stove in, and sailed her back
N New York, where she was locked fl
10 permanent repairs.
ae The Wells, light, ran into hurr
cane off Hatteras a few years ag
and her filnsy construction prove
her undoing. Finding that his vess
and all hands were doomed, Cal
York drove her to the limit towal
40 land and with six 'fet of water in h
hold, got within sight of land VIII,
she grounded. All hands took
re the boats and managed to escape.
e. The Crowleys presented him II
ly ships boat, and on trip to Bost'
I'D later the tank exploded and she to,
Of fire. He and his companion aba
u doned the blazing craft and were pic
n ed up by Boston pilot.
an His latest employment has been
se master of the steam freighter Tran
on portation, plying between Baltimo
on and Portland.
ar TDfH