Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-02-15
OUNDACONTINEN1
Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer in
Front Rank of Explorers.
s~tonington, Conn, Was Birthplace of
Brave Sailor Who Was the First
to Discover Land in Great
Antarctic Ocean.

American sailors have in more than
n 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, a native of
Stonington, Conn, a port that once
supported a prosperous fleet of mer-
chant vessels.
Captain Palmer, when twenty years
old, discovered the Antarctic continent.
Today Captain PaImer's old home in
the quiet seashore town of his birth is
a place honored by resident and visi-
tor alike, while a few miles from it, 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 a voyage on
the brig Hersilia as second mate, it
CHANGED 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
gentine vessel, the Espirito Santo,
touched at the Falklands for water.
Her captain told young Palmer that he
was bound for a 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 a StoningtOn sloop, the
Hero, sailed again to the South Shet-
lands for seals. Finding the seals near
ly eXterminated there, he sailed far
Their and farther in search of new seal
ing grounds. stopping only when he
sighted Iand not laid down on any
chart. There We're numerous islands,
and beyond them a wild coastline and
dim mountains.
One night the Hero lay becalmed in
a thick fog that enveloped her like a
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
l 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 a little
and two men-of-war were seen not
more than a mile away. After the
/ United States ensign was run up al
4 the main peak of the Hero, one of the
warships sent a boat alongside with ar
b invitation from Commander BelIing
hansen Of the Russian navy for the
G captain of the American s1oop to com
D on board his ship.
Captain Palmer went just as he wa!
: dressed-in sea boots and sou'wester
- AAS cNChC "GG ollC w "a SCS1fS u
t trasts when Captain Palmer stepped
e into the commanders luxurious cabin
Il The polished, accomplished Russian
e commander insisted on sitting down tt
It luncheon with the rugged young Yam
r kee in sea boots, a meal that Captain
e Palmer found elaborate, after the far,
S on the Hero.
: The Russian officer had been tive
+ years on a voyage of discovery. FL,
e examined keenly the chart and log
= book of the Hero, and questioned Cap
Il tain Palmer at length concerning tn,
r land he had found.
+ Finally the commander arose, placed
his hand upon the young captain
n head, and said: Il name the land yo1
l. have discovered Palmer Land in you
o honor; but what will my august mas
e ter say, and what will he think of m,
It. cruising for two years in search of tn,
II land that has been discovered by a boy
In a sloop only a little larger than tn
L launch of my frigate?"
o Islands named for Peter and Alexan
0, der are still so designated on chart
s. of that part of the Antarctic; but tn
land found by the boy captain of Ston
ington appears IN every chart of tina
part of the world as palmer Arch
pelago."
v It was nearly 20 years after Captal
n Paimer's discovery that the rim of tn
lie Antarctic continent was explored. b
,e an EngIishman. Sir James Ross, of tn
1t famous Erebus and Terror expedition