Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1918-02-21
FOUNDACONTINENT
Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer In
Front Rank Of Explorers
1tonlneten, Conn.,, Was Birthplace Of
Brave Sailor Who Was the First
TO Discover Land in Great
Antarctic Ocean.

American sailors nave III mOre IMAM
one instance proven, while following
their pursuits, to be explorers OF the
first magnitude.
This fact is recalled in the case of
Capt. Nathaniel B. Palmer, native of
Stonington, Conn.,, a port that once
supported a prosperous feet Of mer-
chant vessels.
Captain Palmer, when twenty years
old, discovered the Antarctic continent.
Today Captain Palmer's old home In
the quiet seashore town Of his birth is
a place honored by resident and sylsl-
tor alike, while few miles from 1t, at
Noank, a famous old shipyard, bearing
still the name Of Palmer, is perpetual
ing the traditions Of the locality by
turning out ships for the new merchant
marine, under the construction pro-
gram of the United States shipping
board.
Captain Palmer was an active,
strong, aggressive character. When as
a lad Of eighteen he made voyage on
the brig Hersilla as second mate, 1t
chanced that he was landed at the
Falkland islands to kill wild bullocks
for meat, while his ship sailed away in
search Of an island Of which the Yam
kee captains had heard vague stories,
but had never seen.
In the absence of the Hersilia an Ar
kentine vessel, the Esplrito Santo,
touched at the Falklands for water.
Her captain told young Palmer that he
was bound for place where there
were thousands Of seals.
The Argentine sailed away before
the Hersilia came back; but on his
vessels return, young Palmer insisted
that she put after the Espirito Santo,
in hope of finding the strange island.
This was done, and after many days
sailing, the Yankee brig found not only
the vessel she had followed, but Is
lands to that time unknown In North
America, the South Shetlands.
In 1921, Nathaniel Palmer, as COM
mander of StonlngtOn sloop, the
Hero, sailed again to the South Shet-
lands for seals. Finding the seals near
ly exterminated there, he sailed far
ther and farther In search Of new seal
ing grounds, stopping only when he
sighted land not laid down on any
chart. There were numerous Islands,
and beyond them wild cOastline and
dim mountains.
One night the Hero lay becalmed In
y thick fog that enveloped her like
Blanket. After taking the deck at mid
night for the middle watch, Captain
Palmer was astonished when his man
at the helm struck one bell, to hear the
sound repeated twice. The same thing
happened at two bells and so on
through the watch. Superstition had
not left the seas In those days, and the
men of the watch deck were alarmed.
At seven bells the fog lifted little.
and two men-of-war were seen not
more than mile away. After the
United States ensign was run up at
the main peak of the Hero, one of the
warships sent a boat alongside with an
invitation from Commander Belling-
hausen of the Russian,snavy for the
captain Of the American sloop to come
on board his ship.
Captain Palmer went just as he was
dressed-in sea boots and sou'wester.
The scene was one Of impressive con-
trasts when Captain Palmer stepped
into the commanders luxurious cabin.
The polished accomplished Russian
commander insisted on sitting down to
luncheon with the rugged young Yam
kee in sea boots, meal that Captain
Palmer found elaborate, after the fare
on the Hero.
The Russian officer had been two
years on voyage of discovery. He
examined keenly the chart and log
book of the Hero, and questioned Cap
tain Palmer at length concerning the
land he had found.
Finally the commander arose, placed
his hand upon the young captains
head, and said: "T name the land you
have discovered Palmer Land in your
honor; but what will my august mas
ter say, and what will he think of my
cruising for two years in search of the
land that has been discovered by boy,
In a sloop only little larger than the
launch of my frigate?"
Islands named for Peter and Alexan-
der are still so designated on charts
Of that part Of the Antarctic; but the
land found by the boy captain of Ston-
1ngton appears on every chart Of that
part Of the world as palmer Archl-
pelago."
II was nearly 20 years after Captain
Palmers discovery that the rim of the
Antarctic continent was explored, by
m Engllshman, Sir James Ross, Of the
famous Erebus and Terror expedition.